Feeding refusal from female!

[Scirlygirl]

Sorry for the post, I'm sure it's common. My adult female is 1,500g and has never been a "big" eater since I got her but when she did eat it was every other week. However now she won't eat and I'm pretty sure I tried everything. I've wasted so many expensive f/t rats already! She just isn't interested anymore! Could this be because she is in "breeding season" or something? I just started throwing my male with her at night. She seems thin in my opinion and would like her to gain a little more weight before she gets prego lol. So yeah, what's the deal with her? She's in a rack and her set up is fine, my others are doing good! This is just my first time breeding (yes I've done my research, I'm not new to ball pythons...just the breeding aspect) so I didn't know if this is a female issue or if she just doesn't want to eat.

[Slim]

Ok, first off, if you want your female to gain a little more weight before she gets preggo, and I can't believe I have to say this, QUIT throwing your male in with her at night. If she seems a little thin, she probably is. What was your thought process behind tossing in a male? The weight she has going into breeding season is about all she's gonna' have to go on if she gets preggo and has to build up the eggs and the babies.

Second, Yes, the most likely reason she is off feed is due to the breeding season.

How much you spending for a rat? Round here they go for .98 cents.

[coldbloodaddict]

Are you only offering thawed? Maybe she would eat more consistently on live...


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[PitOnTheProwl]

This is the greatest reason for live feeding and breeding.
If its not eaten it either goes to another tub or back to the rat rack.

[Maddumpling]

In my situation if the breeding hasnt been too long, EARLY stages of breeding makes the feeding response better. I had a snake that ate live and I put in a male with her, took him out 2 days later, offered f/t to the snake and took it without hesitating.

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[Scirlygirl]

Yes, exactly my reasoning behind throwing the male with her. My vet who is also a breeder said to do that to get her to eat, BUT I just got a little worried incase she got fertilized in the process, I'm just a little worry wort I guess. Probably overly thinking. I did take the male out last night and tried to feed her again but nothing. I'll wait a couple days and try again.

as for everyone else, frozen rats do cost a lot in my area at least and Of course they are thawed out...I've had ball pythons for a few years and just recently got into breeding. I'm sure after I successfully breed them I'll be more experienced in this department and won't post such oblivious questions. I just want to do everything right since it's my first time. I'll try live rats, the only reason I haven't is because I'm very allergic to them, and f/t reduces my chances of exposure. I know weird...I'll get a live one though and just take extra caution. I'll keep y'all updated!

[PitOnTheProwl]

And we are POSITIVE she is a she?

[Reptile Frenzy]

Is she fat and healthy? If so i wouldny worry about it. If you dont want to waste rats then try feeding her first then if she dont eat feed it to a different snake. We refreeze our rats one time and thats it. Never had a problem with it. Females will go off food for breeding season but usually not right away but its possible. Keep putting you male in there and keep offering food. Our females usually eat really good at the beginning to gear up for follicle growth. Also keep in mind if it is her first year she might not produce...

[MrLang]

You don't need to apologize for posting. We're here to help and no question is a bad question. That's not totally true, but we're here to answer bad questions because we care about these animals and want to help people who are willing to ask for help.

It is common to go off feed during breeding season. Are you putting the male in only at night for the evening? Usually people will pair for a few days and then give a few days off. If you're introducing every day this could be part of the stress. If she's on the thin side, stop pairing them and wait until she is eating to continue.

You said your vet is a breeder of ball pythons and told you to pair her to put weight on? That doesn't sound like a vet you want to keep seeing. Keep the male out, leave her completely alone for at least 5 days, and drop in a live rat after dark with the lights dim or off. If she refuses after that, you should look at some of the other husbandry details or find a new vet to take a culture.

Can we see some pictures of her and the setup? What are your temps/humidity? Have you checked those recently?

[Slim]

Is she fat and healthy?

He said in his original post that she is 1500 grams and looks thin.