Do big male BP make bad breeders?

The biggest fattest male ball python I ever had was also the best breeder. And he never missed a meal.

I had 2 males which simply grew bigger and faster than my other males and didn't start breeding until 3 years old and 2 kilos. But then they both bred consistently and fathered a clutch each.

I have other smaller males that have been great breeders from about a year onwards and one that has taken 2 1/2 years to figure it out. He's only about 1 kilo.

I think it depends and some males just get bigger than others. :rolleyes:

I feed up my males just as I do my females. If a male gets up to 800 grams by age 1, I know he's going to be a rock star--at least, that's been my experience, so far.
Those males start breeding at age one, and continue to excel every year after that. If they're great eaters, then they hold their weight well through the breeding season, grow, and do even better the next year.

I'm not a huge fan of males that are picky eaters, and won't grow. They seem more frail, and while they can be good breeders, I'm leery of their genetic legacy. I like a snake that will grow up big and fast--to me, that says they have good genes, they're healthy, and they're well adapted to their environment.

So far this year, my expectations haven't been changed. My woma-lesser male, well over 800 grams, is breeding like a champ. My lesser het orange ghost, not quite as big, isn't really into it yet.
My mojave, a snake that was a slow grower and eater, did not breed his first year, but has bred every year since. He's really not much bigger than my woma-lesser, even though he's 3 years old now.

I don't mind a small male, if he grew up fast, but the slow ones...no, I don't think they breed nearly as well as a healthy great big male.

got 6-7 males @ 1500g+
all (bar one) are my best breeders

I like them to be 500-1000 grams. I feed my males an appropriate sized rat every two weeks off season, and once a week before and after breeding and going off feed.

2000g+ Pastel boy chases the ladies like a champion. They don't always allow him to lock, but he chases whether they're ready or not. He isn't a reliable eater during breeding season, but I don't have to worry that much about him losin weight as he is a big boy who eats well out of the breeding season.

http://soundexotics.com/img/pastel.jpg

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Originally Posted by Anatopism

2000g+ Pastel boy chases the ladies like a champion. They don't always allow him to lock, but he chases whether they're ready or not. He isn't a reliable eater during breeding season, but I don't have to worry that much about him losin weight as he is a big boy who eats well out of the breeding season.

http://soundexotics.com/img/pastel.jpg

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As long as he's a rapest, he will always be lol

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

As long as he's a rapest, he will always be lol

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I'd like to think of him as a bumbling oaf that the ladies eventually feel sorry for and give him the 'ok' except that's really not how it is. It's really more that they're so fed up with him being so persistent, I'm sure.