New breeder help please! :)y

[aarooooon]

Hi all this is my first post as i'm some what of a lurker lol

As title says i'm in need for some advice trying to get my ball pythons to breed. I have a spider female 3+ yrs old 2000g, pewter male 500g and a mojave male 650g both brothers and 2 years old.

I started cooling my rack 5 weeks i wanted to breed preferably my spider to my pewter. I have stat set to 92f on the hotspot during the day and 82f night, the ambient temp in my tubs at night is dropping to about 72-75 cool end. (I dont have much control over the room temp due to location).

All snakes are feeding as usual although my spider female has on occasion refusing her normal size rats and taking smaller offerings. She has been bowl wrapping and cool seeking, aswell as laying on her back and side during day time temps.

I starting pairing them 2 weeks into cooling a couple of days on and off. I'v observed them closely and seen nothing that would suggest anything is happening. After a few hours they seem to cosy up a bit and my spider seems to want to use the males as a pillow lol. I have noticed spots of what looks like urates? (like the white pooy stuff haha best description) they seem to urinate a little also but i dont know who is doing it.

I'm worried about missing the opportunity to breed to my female as her behavior is suggesting she is building follicles? and it seems my males aren't interested. Its hard to find answers to this problem and hoping someone wouldn't mind helping me establish is something is wrong or im being too hasty?

cheers in advance

[StillBP]

it is still early in the season so don't worry yet
Use a 3 day on 3 day off for your males unless you see a lock then give him 3 days off no matter what day it was
my males just started locking about 10 days ago maybe 14 tops
just keep putting him in with her
also just a fyi I (and alot of others here) do not cool our racks
i keep a steady year round temp the outside drop in temps is enough to change the room temps enough for my snakes to start getting in the mood

A few of my females have not gone yet too Just keep at them

[aarooooon]

Thanks alot for the advice, I will crank up my temps then I must admit i'm not keen on the idea of cooling. Whats the deal with pairing during shed and after meals? I have noticed both my males starting to pink belly, do you leave them alone until after shed or just keep going?

[PitOnTheProwl]

No cooling here either.
No "season" either.
They will lock for you, the girls will lay when they see fit no matter what you want them to do.

[Daigga]

Have you double checked to make sure your males are really males? Silly question, I know, but always best to be sure. You could try putting in the shed of the other male in with them next time to try and encourage a lock, and I have heard of some people even putting another male in with the pair they want to breed (closely supervised and not for extended amounts of time). The shed seems safer, IMO. Another trick that works pretty well is to wait to pair them together until a good heavy rain or storm rolls through your area.

[StillBP]

feed in your 3 day off I offer food on the first day of every rest time for them however I use smaller than normal prey
as for shed once their eyes go blue I wait it is only a few days till they can be put back in and the rest will do the males well

[StillBP]

They will lock for you, the girls will lay when they see fit no matter what you want them to do.

^truer words have never been spoken^
I have seen girls breed and not lay for a year one of mine sadly but she did eventualy go

[aarooooon]

Have you double checked to make sure your males are really males?

Tripple checked lol, I made that mistake already my pastel male turned out to be female which prompted me to purchase the pewter

Thanks for all the tips everyone, I am probably being a little impatient and only pairing 2 days at a time. I will put some of this advice into action and see how i get on. All very appreciated