Getting females to size

Wanted to get everyone's thoughts on how to get a female to size to breed. I'll be ordering my snakes soon as my racks are ready and I wanted to know if anyone has any tips on how to get them to size. I've heard people say wait till 1500 grams but also have heard of people doing 800. Obviously don't want to do anything to hurt or rush the ball python but curious how breeders get a fast turn around on new hatchlings. What is their method? Feed small meals everyday? Any advice will be great thanks TJ


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Daddy daughter project getting ready to introduce males for the first real effort this season. We took it slow and steady. Looks like three females will be ready this season for us. Just hoping we get one to work out. This will be their third winter. Biggest girl weighs in around 1900 g and the other two are currently sitting between 1500-1600 grams. The big girl could have went last year but we didn't really try. Put a male in with her after folicals were already absorbed I think. I could deal them earlier in the season but she was only 1300 and I wanted to wait. Looking back probably could have put males in with her, but we are just doing this for fun and education of it.

800 is not advisable. I've always bred between 1300-1500 depending on the look of the snake, some of my gals have been thick but short so they don't weigh as much as the ones that are longer. All in all body condition is just as important as pure weight. I had one at 900 come to me gravid and she barely made it through and both eggs that made it through incubation were so deformed I had to euthanize them. I'm not saying a snake under a 1000 can't successfully breed, it's just not something I'd risk.

EDIT: most breeders (good ones) don't get a fast turn around on their hatchlings, that's why we have to wait years before some of the recessive genes become readily available.

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Originally Posted by piedlover79

800 is not advisable. I've always bred between 1300-1500 depending on the look of the snake, some of my gals have been thick but short so they don't weigh as much as the ones that are longer. All in all body condition is just as important as pure weight. I had one at 900 come to me gravid and she barely made it through and both eggs that made it through incubation were so deformed I had to euthanize them. I'm not saying a snake under a 1000 can't successfully breed, it's just not something I'd risk.

EDIT: most breeders (good ones) don't get a fast turn around on their hatchlings, that's why we have to wait years before some of the recessive genes become readily available.

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Oh I don't want to risk it either I just don't get how breeders get them up to size in a year it just seems like a 2 year thing or 28 month thing to me.


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It's not a race you don't feed those animals everyday, you feed them an appropriate size meal every 5 to 7 days up until they are 500 grams and once a week after they reach that point without ever feeding anything larger than a 150 grams rat to an adult female.

Breeding is not only about weight it's also maturity and proportion.

BP are overfed in captivity and fatty liver disease is a reality.

If you want to feed everyday to get your female as big as possible as fast as possible, what you will get is an animal that will fast to catch up, will be at risk and will likely slug out.

There is a BIG difference between a nice plum female that is mature and an immature female that is overweight.

Grow your female slow and steady and be patient, if you don't have the patient it takes do do so this is not the hobby for you.

Breeder don't get thier females up to size in a year, it usually takes 3-4 years.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

It's not a race you don't feed those animals everyday, you feed them an appropriate size meal every 5 to 7 days up until they are 500 grams and once a week after they reach that point without ever feeding anything larger than a 150 grams rat to an adult female.

Breeding is not only about weight it's also maturity and proportion.

BP are overfed in captivity and fatty liver disease is a reality.

If you want to feed everyday to get your female as big as possible as fast as possible, what you will get is an animal that will fast to catch up, will be at risk and will likely slug out.

There is a BIG difference between a nice plum female that is mature and an immature female that is overweight.

Grow your female slow and steady and be patient, if you don't have the patient it takes do do so this is not the hobby for you.

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Oh I have the patients to do this I think I was just reading the wrong info obviously so that's why I come here and ask because I saw online that ball pythons can easily over feed and I didn't get how someone could get a female up to 1500 grams in a year. Thank you all for your time and info look forward to purchasing my females soon


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They grow at different rates.
There is also no need to rush, someone is always ahead of you. ;)

I have had females that could breed at two. However I always wait till they are three and near 2000grams with a min of 1500 grams as so many have stated no way to get a female to breed and be healthy but time and paitence

A proper feeding schedule and patience like everyone else here has said. I've got a female pin that I produced last year that is nearing the 800 gram mark which is the fastest I've ever had a ball python grow, but she's never missed a meal even in shed and is just a bottomless pit. If I'd fed her more she'd probably be closer to 1200 grams, but I still wouldn't breed her this year. I don't breed my girls till they are at least two and a half years old and 1500 grams. My Pied girl is just coming up on 1400 grams and if she keeps eating like she is will breed for me this year. So just feed them well, try not to underfeed and they will be ready in no time and trust me, it will fly by