some questions I can't find answers to.... sorry!

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Originally Posted by Salem

i know all snakes are different, but is that usually a month? or more? I am not real sure on the ovulation thing either, I am used to dogs... they are easier to breed.... lol
signs of ovulation are looking like they had a large meal or full of eggs right?

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You will know the OVY if you see it, it will look like they swallowed a couple beer cans.

Each female only needs a lock once every 3-4 weeks. If your male is only going to one girl then there is no need to pair them every week.

Using the search function on the site as well as reading all the stickies will really help you.

Good luck to you!

you guys have been great! I think I got it and I just wanna post this to make sure the info I am understanding is correct and maybe can help out someone else learning just like I am !

**Disclaimer - this is not my info, it is info I have gathered from others on this site, other sites and books/magazines to help me have a successful first breeding season, hopefully next year!! **

Basics
Female – 1800g, male - at least 700g.
your choice to cool down or not, but can increase humidity Nov, Dec, and Jan

1. Start pairing - Nov 1
* offer food weekly regardless (both males and females) offer a smaller size prey than normal.
* pair them for 3 days (unless I visually see a lock), then separate the pair for 4 days to allow for feeding and digesting
* Usually you will see the male's tail underneath the female's tail and curled - this is a lock

2. Stop pairing
* When you notice ovulation. (Ovulation looks like ate large rat or full of eggs) Ovulation only lasts for about a day or two.

3. Pre-lay shed
* Should be 16-18 days after noticing ovulation

4. Eggs laid
*26-32 days after the shed

5. Eggs Hatch
* 54-60 days after laid

once laid - place eggs in egg tub inside my Homemade Incubator which I am going to use a Cooler, with heat tape on the bottom plugged into thermostat, then water bottles on top of heat tape and egg tub on top of that.

**Put Egg tub in incubator and set probe temp at 88.5. probe in incubator, not in the egg tub
**While eggs in tub, air them out by removing the lid and lifting a corner of the cling wrap about every 3 to 5 days. Once they hit day 45, remove the cling wrap all together and just pop the lid every day for a few seconds to air them (you'll see a lot more condensation developing at this point as they approach their hatching date).

once they hatch:
1. Let hatchlings stay in egg tub until they have soaked up their yolks.
2. Rinse all hatchlings with warm water to remove goo.
3. Leave all hatchlings together in clean tub until they have all shed, usually 5-14 days.
4. As they shed, separate, weigh, and sex each hatchling and place in individual tubs with hide and water dish.
5. Allow a few days to get used to being alone, then offer live mouse hopper.

I hope this is correct, if anything is wrong or missing, can someone let me know!!!

thanks all, I really appreciate it!!!

I always recommend that people who are new to breeding and what not, not to cool. The risk for ri is too great if everything isnt just right.

Also, while experienced breeders breed fems at 1200+ and males at 500+ a new breeder may want to start them around 1500 for fems and 700 for males. Just in case the male goes off feed. But tye females are usually good to go if they are 1200 and 2 years old. By the time they OVY they will be around 1800.

As for hatchlings, mine go straight to their own tubs on moist paper towels. They are offered rat pinks after their first shed (better to get them on rats right away IMO). If they dont take a rat for their first 2 feedings I will try a mouse. I usually wait until after they shed to sex them, but I know many people sex right out of the egg.

Everything here looks good. Once you start to breed youll find out what works best for you. One of the best books i have read is "the complete ball python" by Kevin McCurley. Has everything from breeding to husbandry. Great book. If you have any more questions later in feel free to PM me. Wish you the best of luck!


Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy snakes and that's pretty close