Beginning of building?

[kylearmbar]

I have started pairing my female fire to a male fire and a pastel 3 months ago. She has been refusing food for a month and occasionally have seen her on the cool side. She has been very active lately, especially the first 3-4 days following pairing. Is her being active part of the cool seeking? And how much time does a building female usually spend on the cool side?

[kylearmbar]

No input?

[Daigga]

The hardest question to answer on here seems to be "am I getting eggs soon?" Best I can say is to have an incubator ready and to wait and see. My female is about to either ovulate or lay, and that's what I've resolved to do.

That being said, I've been hearing that females don't go off food for the process, so that could indicate that she's not quite there yet. Keep an eye on her and wait for some more clear signs, but have that incubator ready just in case.

[rlditmars]

In my experience, a female will spend the majority of her time on the cool side while building. Is it 70, 80, or 90%? I don't know. But when I pull the tub out I tend to find her on the cool side or bowl wrapping more times then not. As far as eating, girls can go off feed regardless of follicle development and some females will continue to eat through the whole process. Every snake is different. Really the only way you'll know is by going through a breeding season with a female and seeing her particular trends, to gauge against the next season. If she has stopped eating but is still putting on size and weight, that is a pretty good indication she is building. The other thing to look for is the "Glow". When a girl is building towards an ovulation, they typically brighten up dramatically, especially around the head. A normal female will almost look like a fire when she glows. If you are seeing a dramatic color change (brightening) in your girl, that could also be an indication of building.

[kylearmbar]

In my experience, a female will spend the majority of her time on the cool side while building. Is it 70, 80, or 90%? I don't know. But when I pull the tub out I tend to find her on the cool side or bowl wrapping more times then not. As far as eating, girls can go off feed regardless of follicle development and some females will continue to eat through the whole process. Every snake is different. Really the only way you'll know is by going through a breeding season with a female and seeing her particular trends, to gauge against the next season. If she has stopped eating but is still putting on size and weight, that is a pretty good indication she is building. The other thing to look for is the "Glow". When a girl is building towards an ovulation, they typically brighten up dramatically, especially around the head. A normal female will almost look like a fire when she glows. If you are seeing a dramatic color change (brightening) in your girl, that could also be an indication of building.

This is where I'm stuck, i know the signs and what to look for. I guess i might see her on the cool side slightly more than half. Right after pairing she will usually spend more time on the cool side, but then gradually go more to the warm side. She has been very active compared to normal. I dont think i missed the ovy because when pairing she still does the tail wagging, but i know some pair right up until eggs so thats not a guarantee I have noticed shes been brighter, but its hard to tell, shes always been super bright with lots of blushing. So really the only solid evidence is her attitude change. Strangely enough shes never liked being picked up, shes never struck but throws a fit, and now she is a lot better. Ill will turn on the incubator just in case, but this is a head scratcher. The weighing is a good tip. I forgot about that. I didn't think they could gain weight since nothing was going in. Ill monitor her weight more closely.