breeding techniques

The other day I was explaining my breeding techniques to a buddy, and then again yesterday. So, rather than having this conversation privately, I thought I'd start a thread. This has been discussed before, but lets bring it back up for the newbies who will be breeding this year for the first time.

This is how I roll... Day temps are the same 365 days a year

Around 78 in the day ambient, and a hot spot of 90.

The monthly night drop is as follows:

J: -6
F: -3
M: -3
A: -2
M: -2
J: -1
J: no drop
A: no drop
S: -2
O: -2
N: -6
D: -7

I also raise my humidity from November 1st to January 31st.

2012: 10/12 laid, 0 slugs

Thank you for the info. What thermostat do you use or recommend for this. I currently have a ranco set up to my rack.

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Originally Posted by bmalk89

Thank you for the info. What thermostat do you use or recommend for this. I currently have a ranco set up to my rack.

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I use several Spyder Robotics, Herpstat 2's

I never raise or lower my rack temps day or night, I allow the rooms ambient temps to drop to the low 70's in late September or early October but keep hot spots at 92-93 year around.

After a month of allowing the room to cool the females start hammering everything that moves, feed up time!
Feed them well in Oct/Nov/Dec so they throw you nice pearly white eggs.

I do not change my humidity levels, they are what they are, good enough to produce one piece sheds every time.

I do not encourage beginner breeders to do night drop, seen far to many respiratory infections brought on doing night drops.
Personally I don't think lowering the hot spot temp is needed at all, allowing the rooms temp to drop makes the cool end of the tub cool enough to do the trick.

It's amazing how many ways there is to accomplish the same task :)

Is your night drop the ambient or hot spot?
And if it's the ambient, do you change your hot spot with it at all?

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Originally Posted by Poseidon

Is your night drop the ambient or hot spot?
And if it's the ambient, do you change your hot spot with it at all?

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For me, I change my hot spot. My ambient never changes

By having a controlled temperature change throughout the year, do you find your females are more likely to go at the same time, or are they still scattered throughout the year? We have a few clutches in the incubator right now, but for the most part go in a full loop as far as when our girls are ready. One or two go at the same time, or close to, boxes go in the incubator, and about halfway through incubation, to just at the end towards pipping, new eggs are laid and are put in, and so on throughout the year. We don't do any changes other than what naturally happens with Washington weather effecting ambient house temperatures.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Anatopism

By having a controlled temperature change throughout the year, do you find your females are more likely to go at the same time, or are they still scattered throughout the year? We have a few clutches in the incubator right now, but for the most part go in a full loop as far as when our girls are ready. One or two go at the same time, or close to, boxes go in the incubator, and about halfway through incubation, to just at the end towards pipping, new eggs are laid and are put in, and so on throughout the year. We don't do any changes other than what naturally happens with Washington weather effecting ambient house temperatures.

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I haven't been doing it long enough to know if what I'm doing is the reason or not. I have only used this technique for 1 year. But, I had 9 clutches fall within 1 month, and 1 clutch 2 months later.