New to breeding need the steps for this years breeding season have some knowledge- BP

Hi im new to this site and i was looking for threads that talked about the steps of breeding ball pythons but could not find one. i have recently bought a male spider proven breeder and he has had clutchs in the past. then i purchased a female normal 2 years old 1300 grams and has alot of girth on her and never passes up a meal. i heard that breeding season starts in november 1st and need to know what i do. when to introduce them and when to stop and when to prepare for eggs ovulation ect. so if anyone could help me that would be great thank you- Brandon

http://www.ballpython.ca/gallery/breeding.html

That's one of the best breeding guides I've seen... Make sure you do your research and that you're really ready before you think about pairing your animals. What are you going to do if you can't sell the babies? Are you prepared to house them and feed them and keep them after they hatch?

Not to be the voice of reason or anything, but are you really planning to breed this fall (aka two months from now), and are only just now looking for information on how? How long have you had the BPs you acquired, and have you taken care of them in the past? Making eggs is relatively easy, it's everything else that takes some time and knowledge.

Breeding season starts whenever you want it to. It doesn't have to be November.

I'd hold off on breeding if you don't even know what the basic steps are. I've had ball pythons for 4 years. This will be my first breeding season and I have been researching and preparing since I started getting into BP morphs. I've spend a lot of time and money making sure I will be prepared for babies.

I suggest you do the same.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Not to be the voice of reason or anything, but are you really planning to breed this fall (aka two months from now), and are only just now looking for information on how? How long have you had the BPs you acquired, and have you taken care of them in the past? Making eggs is relatively easy, it's everything else that takes some time and knowledge.

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+1. I'm at work so I often don't have time to type out everything I want to say in my replies. I think for a new keeper such as the OP, the focus should be on your current snakes: achieving and maintaining the proper environment for them, ensuring that you really have the passion and patience for ball pythons that it's going to take when you start thinking about breeding them. If this is your first season with your first snake, I would focus on your husbandry and just being able to properly keep and care for them before you jump in the deep end...

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Not to be the voice of reason or anything, but are you really planning to breed this fall (aka two months from now), and are only just now looking for information on how? How long have you had the BPs you acquired, and have you taken care of them in the past? Making eggs is relatively easy, it's everything else that takes some time and knowledge.

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i have read alot of articles Markus jaynes ect and have talked to my local breeders and i have even purchased off a breeder and he gave me some pointers. i have alot of knowledge and i was wondering if you guys had any othere ways of producing a healthy clutch. my husbandry is great i keeps temps perfect and i have a dimmer switch so the dont get to hot to cold and after they deficate i make sure that they get cleaned up and new bedding waters always fresh and i have the time for breeding and reptiles are just my thing. and im investing in a icubator also - Brandon

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Originally Posted by BWJ Reptiles

temps perfect and i have a dimmer switch so the dont get to hot or cold

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A dimmer is not the way to go, that is entry level equipment. If the room temp changes your dimmer will not adjust and can cause your pets to overheat or get cold.

Get some tstats and continue doing homework on breeding. I would never use a dimmer for a breeding program. It is to easy to destroy your program. Spend the money and do it right.

Have you thought about the hatchling rack which will need a tstat and a incubator. Some racks can take a good while to get after being ordered. I would get all the equipment needed and set it up, tweak it, and make sure it will provide the proper conditions to house your hatchings before trying to pair.

Good luck

Some questions to ask yourself before taking the plunge into breeding.

1) Do you have an incubator? You need one ready before the female lays.
2) Do you have the time, space, and money to feed hatchlings?
4) How is your knowledge of post-natal care for hatchlings?

I don't want to put any doubt into your mind about breeding. And it sounds like you've done some research already. But we would all like to see you prepare yourself more.
It's not something to rush into. Ball Python breeding takes a lot of time and patience. 2 months is rather soon. Get all of your supplies and equipment before you start breeding.

There's no real official guide to breeding. Everyone has their own techniques and secrets.
There are a lot of nice factual videos on youtube by big breeders on the topic of breeding.

I really like to use the link posted by the first responder as a guide.

I recommend contacting breeders here or locally to help mentor you throughout the entire process for your first season.

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Originally Posted by BWJ Reptiles

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i have a dimmer switch so the dont get to hot to cold

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Dimmers are not good. Get a proper thermostat. Dimmers are inaccurate and unreliable. And like the previous poster mentioned, it will not regulate itself if your room temperature changes.
And you need a T-stat for your incubator and hatchling housing as well. A thermostat is your most important piece of equipment and should be one of your biggest investments.

hi how do i post a forum i need help i was cleaning my ball pythons cage and then when i looked back into the tub i put them in until i was done the male and female locked up and she is only 1100 grams and only two years old will she die help! thanks

Im sorry... Cause i know I probably made posts like this too when i started but :facepalm:

Use the search function. READ READ READ its alot of work.. More than u think.. 2 snakes are easy... What if u hit 8 eggs. Are u equipped to handle that influx???