Dinker question !!!

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Originally Posted by Fearless

I disagree with part of your response, its completely feasible for a 700 gram girl to go late next breeding season (like february), definately not a for sure but possible. This is all assuming that this will be her 3rd winter. This is all assuming that this will be her 3rd winter.

But I do agree completely with the spending as much time possible learning and reading everything possible before you attempt to breed.

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Well, if she's only gained 700 grams into her second winter (assuming this will be her third), then it's unlikely that she'll add 800 grams in 8 months. Besides which, suddenly trying to pack on the weight in a short amount of time isn't necessarily what's best for the animal.

I had girls this past season at 1500 grams that still were not in the body condition that I felt that they needed to go this year. Although they were in their third winter, I chose to give them another year to mature.

The OP stated in their first post that they felt that they didn't have a lot of knowledge of ball pythons. Deciding if your females are conditionally ready to breed does come with experience, and I would never encourage someone still learning to try to feed their animal up to size quickly. :)

She is only 700 because I wasn't think about breeding she was only pet last year at this time she was on one mouse a week and she was around 350g

Thanks for clarifying your answer Robin. I agree with you that the OP of this thread should not try to quickly pack on the weight to breed this snake this coming season, but more to due the inexperience than it being impossible that this snake could be ready by later in the season.

I also see Trevor's (fearless) point. There are any number of reasons why a snake could have had slow growth until this point and then put on a bit of a growth spurt, or just be a petite snake that would be ok to breed at less than 1500g.

I am expecting to be having my first breeding season this coming year. I have an '08 pastel that has a chance of being big enough later in the season, but I'm not going to breed her this year. I also have some '07s which should be ready, but any one of them could decide to slow down on eating and fall a little short. I've already decided I'm going to strictly follow the 3rd winter 1500g rule for at least this season, because I don't think I'm even close to experienced enough to decide which snakes are the ones that could be exceptions to the rule.

So, getting back to the OP, I would recommend you take the knowledge that it is at least theoretically possible your female could be ready to breed by late in the coming season, and store it for future reference, but take Robin's advice and don't try it as your first attempt at breeding.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Well, if she's only gained 700 grams into her second winter (assuming this will be her third), then it's unlikely that she'll add 800 grams in 8 months. Besides which, suddenly trying to pack on the weight in a short amount of time isn't necessarily what's best for the animal.

I had girls this past season at 1500 grams that still were not in the body condition that I felt that they needed to go this year. Although they were in their third winter, I chose to give them another year to mature.

The OP stated in their first post that they felt that they didn't have a lot of knowledge of ball pythons. Deciding if your females are conditionally ready to breed does come with experience, and I would never encourage someone still learning to try to feed their animal up to size quickly. :)

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Good points. Thanks for your response. Was more trying to state that many times in my collection it seems that going from the 1000 upto about 1400 gram range that it all happens in what seems like overnight. Even more so in the girls that started out kinda slow. Just what I have seen. And by no means would I recommend feeding more than what he stated he was and that was a small rat per week.

More what I am saying to the op is continue to learn and if you feel comfortable with your knowledge level and her size then you may be able to breed but as anyone around very long will agree with is nothing in this hobby is a for sure.

Anyways get to learning and always remember there is next year.