Why 6+ locks ??

Ok , I am curious as to why we generally look for 6 or more locks when a female can retain sperm for a year? Are we just trying to improve the odds of success or is there another reason for it.

They can retain sperm for a year but that does not mean they will! You just keep pairing until ovy. There is no set number of locks!

I've never herd of 6 being a magic number, all it takes is 1 at the right moment

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Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

I've never herd of 6 being a magic number, all it takes is 1 at the right moment

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exactly my thoughts. the reason we pair so much and try to get as many locks as possible is just simply for security. it's better to have more rather than less :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Xan Powers!

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Originally Posted by Xan Powers

exactly my thoughts. the reason we pair so much and try to get as many locks as possible is just simply for security. it's better to have more rather than less :)

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yea i just rotate my male through the females I want him to breed to until I see eggs lol.

One of the biggest reasons for more than one lock is DEVELOPMENT. Plenty of females need the male interaction to initiate follicular growth. Many times a female will breed once, but her follcular development will stall if she hasn't been introduced to another male (it can be the same one). This is obviously information that has been aquired over the last 6 years or so, since the use of ultrasounds really became a more common practice. By using an ultrasound, you can actually see this occur.

I have had a few females that will grow follicles great, only to have them freeze at one size for as many as three months. At this point, I have heard of a tried a few tricks to get them going again.

With all of that said, while it is possible to have one copulation, and the female lay a viable clutch of eggs, it is more common to breed the female at least 3 or 4 times, if not more. Our females typically see the male 5 or 6 times per year, and we have had good success with that. Also, I have had males copulate (visually) up to 40 times a season with no ill effects.

I hope that helps,