New to breeding!! (Tips?)

[f22raptor95]

Hey guys, I currently have 3 ball pythons. A fire male, a super pastel female, and a spider female. I have a rack system set up with 28 qt tubs. I know that before breeding you cool the temperatures a little, but I'm not positive as to when to heat it back up? Feeding while breeding? Etc? If you guys could give me some input itd be great! Btw, here are my females

[PitOnTheProwl]

There is no need to cool.
As far as everything else.......
Go about your days as normal.
If they go then they go.

[jtipton]

Nice looking ladies you got there. Lowering temps is not necessary. I know that some people do but I don't and I have had success without doing it. I would feed them as long as they will take food. Some will stop eating during breeding but not all. The more weight your females pack on before they ovulate the better. Good luck.

[kylephillips87]

You may want to wait another year for that super pastel female to breed she doesn't look up to size yet... I cool down temps to 80 at night and 85-89 day starting the last week of October start introducing the male into the female tub for a few hours every couple days at the end of November and I usually have them locking by mid December and then bumb up the temps mid February and should have eggs with in a month or so and hatchlings by end of may or June... That's what works for me. I'm sure everybody does it their own way so you will probably have several other comments on how to. Check out YouTube Look up BHB reptiles videos or snakebytes TV you will get some good info from there also

[f22raptor95]

snakebytes is one of my favorites! as far as locking up, after i see a lock do i continue to remove and place the male in the female tub? Or do i stop after i witness a lock? Also, The super pastel is only about 200g, she has a while to go until she can breed. I'm hoping to breed my Fire male (who is around 200g now) to the spider female this coming breeding season. Im currently working on switching the females from live to F/T :/ no luck yet

[kylephillips87]

Yes continue the breeding process for a month or so it will promote the growth of follicles In The females it will also increase your odds of a successful fertilization just make sure you give the male a few days off to feed and relieve stress.... Females should weigh at the least 1500grams and males 500 and up. It is possible for a 300-500 gram male to produce but to get better production go with 500or up.... Out of the 13 snakes I have I can only get 3 to eat F/T ... ball pythons are sometime picky eaters. I even have a female that is color picky only likes dark rats Never white ...I have even heard of some snakes only eating fancy rats or gerbils its just all on the individual snake preference

[f22raptor95]

I've heard that a snake won't starve itself, so to get it to switch just put a thawed in every week and eventually it'll eat it?