Female Breeding Weight

I know a female should be at least 1500 grams before considering breeding. I understand everything about that so that is not a problem. Here is a detail that I have not picked up on, sorry if this is a silly question.

My question is 1500 grams... when and how?. What condition and when should the female be weighed under? Should the weight be taken at her last shed before Nov. 1st, her last empty weight before Nov. 1st, or just the current weight on Nov. 1st? or some other method?

I ask this because I record weights on several instances(randomly,after shed, and empty) just to monitor everything. So I have alot of ever changing weights. Two weeks ago Sif weighed about 510g....today she hit 600g...and she will hit atleast 680 before her next shed(from my analysis). When you have a bp that can put on over 150 g of food weight between sheds, what is the weight to go by? That is what sparked this question :)

I just want to do it right when the time comes around and was wondering what you all do. I figure alot of this stuff is just a judgement call to be made from experience that I do not have, so thanks for the help.

i'm a newbie on breeding, but i look at the 1500 gram mark as a guideline for the minimum. i usually weigh my girls after they poop/shed. but it is not just weight, i have one shorter girl that is 1400 grams and she looks just as thick as a bigger/longer one that is 1700 grams. i'm shooting for the 2000 gram mark for this fall/winter. but the overall health/size is what counts, i want all my girls way past the minimum weight.


vaughn

Ok, in my best Morpheous impression (from "The Matrix") ...

try not to think of 1500 grams as an absolute. try to think of it more as a guide.

(ok, impression over :P)

I have 1600 gram girls that I wouldn't even remotely consider breeding, and I have 1300 gram females that I would put with a male in a heartbeat. It’s way more about body fat content than actual weight.

There is no magical switch that is flipped when a female reaches 1500 grams. People use that weight as a guide because hatchling females can typically get to that weight in their third winter and that is probably about right time-wise for sexual maturity in female ball pythons. Second winter is doable, but it’s really 50/50.

A female must have a good solid body mass with adequate fat reserves to provide her with the energy and strength needed for a season of breeding, developing follicles, ovulations, eggs development and laying.

Hope this helps.

-adam

haha... I understand that 1500 grams is just a guide......I was looking for a more specific guide

So it is all based on body mass. It is hard to say that 1600 g. female is not big enough or that 1300 g. female is just the right size when you dont have any experience with that kinda stuff. I thought this was one of those things that just learned by seeing and doing and I guess I am right.

I guess I will just wait til they hit 1800-2000.....then there should be no worry :)

Your females should have an athletic feel to them ... no loose skin and very solid in the belly ... but certainly not fat. It's very easy to tell the difference between a female that is ready and a female that needs to sit the year out once you see them once.

I once heard someone that uses 500 grams per foot as their guide, I bet that works out to be just about right. ;)

-adam

I always try to keep my guys athletic :) ....I will add that to my 'need to see' list

Thats more like it...weight must be greater than 1500 grams and at least 500 grams per foot...

Thanks

Jacked this from Dr Sewards site, just to kinda illustrate the point that adam made above:

http://www.drseward.com/breeding-weight.jpg

Google has failed me! I can't seem to find Dr. Seward's site you got that chart from. Can you post the link please.

http://www.drseward.com/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Ok, in my best Morpheous impression (from "The Matrix") ...

try not to think of 1500 grams as an absolute. try to think of it more as a guide.

(ok, impression over :P)

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Adam, you are one of those people who make learning fun!

I can't wait til my girl Bela hits the circa-1500g mark.