Question about females and eating this time of year?

[Lana's_mom]

I know I ask a lot of questions, sorry. But I was wondering something. My big girl, who's eggs are hatching now, is pounding down rats like no ones business, has surpassed her prelay weight. She is huge and I figured that was because she was just recovering from laying her eggs and preparing herself for next breeding season. She has always been a fiesty eater. But within the last couple of weeks my younger female who was on a feeding strike for a couple of months, only eating a ASF once in a while, has started pounding down rats aswell, like she is starving. To the point of when I opened her tub she came shooting out and struck at me, which is totally out of character for her, she is normally really docile and easy to handle. Since starting to eat again she has gone from around 800 grams to 1000 to 1100 grams, hard to get and exact weight since she won't stay on the scale. She is a 2011 baby. I got her in July at an expo last year so she is around 18 months old. I didn't think females would be able to breed this young, so what is going on with her? She looks so small compared to my big girl, so I didn't even think she was in the 1000 gram range until I weighed her last week. I had planned to breed her next year. Is this new behavior her her signaling she is ready to breed? or just a weird phase that they go through? I still don't plan to start pairing her with a male until next year, but the sudden fiestiness and pounding down of rats is wierd for her. My big girl did this last year before I started pairing her, but I just thought that was her. So what is going on? I have her on a 5 day feeding schedule with a slightly smaller rat, since I am feeding her more often. Thanks for any thoughts.

[h00blah]

My albino boy goes on a strike every year around 1100 grams. When he decides to eat again, he is the same way. Striking like he's in a rush to grow. I fed him every 5 days consistently, and he didn't skip a meal (unless I wasn't at home to feed him). H's back on his strike though. Just feed them normally. When they've had their fill, they'll stop. If they want more, they'll accept. Just keep offering. That's your job.

Every week I heat up enough rodents to feed to the snakes that I KNOW will appreciate my rodents. First I offer to the ones who might not. If they refuse, I move on. This way, I don't heat up a rodent to throw in the trash.

[snakesRkewl]

I start females breeding at 18 months old if they have sufficient weight and body fat.
1000 grams obviously isn't sufficient weight, at least IMO, so I'd just keep on feeding her up as you are doing and marvel at the females eating enthusiasm

This time of year all of our snakes are hammering food, even the picky eaters and the babies but especially the 1000+ gram females.