1 Male to ??? Females Question

I always have read the advice of don't breed a single male to more females than he can take on and still stay in good condition. I've never really thought about it a ton until now. Is this advice actually referring to a number of females, or is it referring to the number of locks he should complete per season? For example, if the number is 1 male to 4 females, does this mean there's a ceiling on 4 locks for him (regardless of which females they may be with)? Over what time frame? How does everyone else think about and decide these things? Thanks for your help in advance!

Best regards,
Eric

It's a little of both. Some females may ovy and become gravid after only 1-2 locks, others could be paired with a male for months before they go. It just depends on her cycle.

As for not letting the male wear himself out, it also depends on whether or not, and for how long, he goes off food while breeding. A male that doesn't fast will likely have more stamina.

I run my breeder ratios at 1:2 or 1:3 depending on the project, but some people go higher than that. I figure by keeping the ratios lower, if I have to pull a male from the rotation there's a backup available.

A good 750g male who eats a small offering between pairings should be able to handle 4-5 females.

We pair males probably different than most breeders. When we pair a nice sized healthy male who is eating he will see 3 females before he goes back in his tub for a rest and food offering. He may be cycled to those females for anywhere from 5-9 days depending if he locks and is done with each female quickly. We weigh before pairing, and after pairing. If weight maintains and he does not eat, he will be cycled again in a few weeks to some other females. If the male is not eating and dropping weight, he may not be paired till he eats. Generally after a shed a male will take an offering, so try that with borderline sized males. You'll be surprised that fresh water alone with a male who is not eating will help maintain his weight.... the same with big females who go off feed when building. I have had females gain 100+g without taking food for months.... they drink plenty of water.

You always need a back-up male in these cases if your 1st selected male for pairing is not up to the task. Do not underestimate the power of several males in your collection in these cases.

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Originally Posted by coreydelong

When we pair a nice sized healthy male who is eating he will see 3 females before he goes back in his tub for a rest and food offering. He may be cycled to those females for anywhere from 5-9 days depending if he locks and is done with each female quickly. We weigh before pairing, and after pairing. If weight maintains and he does not eat, he will be cycled again in a few weeks to some other females.

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Interesting, I don't think I've ever heard that strategy.

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Originally Posted by Jay Mechtly

Interesting, I don't think I've ever heard that strategy.

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I think it is a good strategy. Less stressful on the male than being pulled from his tub more often for single pairings. We have had great success using this breeding plan.

Our 1.0 Enchi Pied is currently in mid cycle with 3 females..... proven 100% Het Pied, proven Pied and a virgin 0.1 Albino Spider. He is 885g and still taking meals nearly every time offered. Still maintaining/gaining weight.

cool, I might have to try that. Thanks!