What's Your Largest First-Time Mom Clutch?

A few questions:

1) What's the largest clutch you've ever gotten from a female that was bred for the first time? And how many were good, how many were slugs?
2) How large was this female when bred (in grams)?
3) Also, what species of prey are they feeding on (i.e. mice/rats/other) and how often?
4) What type of prey (live, fresh killed, frozen/thawed) are they feeding on?
5) If you breed your own feeders, what type of rat food do you use (i.e. Mazuri 6F/9F, hog feed, dog food, etc.)?

I had what I thought was an unusually large clutch (10 good eggs) for a first-time mom laid today, so it made me wonder. LOL I wondered if there was ny correlation between the food the rats are given. I've been breeding my own feeders for about 2 years and I've gotten bigger clutches this year (no clutches last year--not sure if that's related to this year's clutch sizes or not). I'm not sure what type of food pet stores fed their rats (probably the cheapest--for them it's all about the almighty dollar) when I was buying from them, but I know what I'm feeding mine. So, I just wondered if anyone else would be willing to take part in this survey (of sorts ;) ) and see if there really is any correlation. Also, I wonder if the battle of frozen/thawed versus live or fresh killed can be somewhat settled here, especially if the larger clutches are also laid from females feeding on f/t, or if the results are about the same either way.

So here's my answers:
1) 10 healthy eggs (no slugs)
2) 1900 grams
3) Rats once per week
4) Frozen/thawed
5) Mazuri 6F

1) 7 healthy eggs no slugs
2) 1800 at the begining of breeding
3) small rats twice a week from rodent pro
4) Frozen/thawed
5) Mazuri 6F

1) 10 healthy eggs (no slugs)
2) 1600 grams (2100 by the time she laid, 1260 after)
3)Medium Rats once per week
4) Frozen/thawed (sometimes P/K or live)
5) N/A

It was her first time as well. Just got 10 healthy babies from the clutch!

forgot to add that when i bred my own feederse i used mazuri i no longer breed my own hence rodent pro

Just had this clutch hatch out...

1. 12 eggs, 10 good
2. 2398 grams prior to laying, 1884 grams after
3. Large rats once a week
4. F/T
5. Kent rodent diet.

1 - 12 eggs no slugs
2 - 1900 grams
3 - ASFs once a week
4 - live
5 - Harlan and Mazuri 6F

1.9 eggs no slugs
2.2500 (around 2700 at laying,1800's afterward)
3.Rats
4.Mostly Frozen thawed
5.N/A, my rats came from variable sources at the time.

1. 9 Good eggs
2. 3400g before. 2300g after.
3. Rats. 2 smalls or 1 medium a week depending on availability
4. Live.
5. Dye free dog food.

1) 9 healthy eggs no slugs
2) 2100 at the begining of breeding
3) 1 Med Rat once a week
4) Frozen/thawed
5) Mazuri 6F

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SnakeGirl3

A few questions:

1) What's the largest clutch you've ever gotten from a female that was bred for the first time? And how many were good, how many were slugs?
2) How large was this female when bred (in grams)?
3) Also, what species of prey are they feeding on (i.e. mice/rats/other) and how often?
4) What type of prey (live, fresh killed, frozen/thawed) are they feeding on?
5) If you breed your own feeders, what type of rat food do you use (i.e. Mazuri 6F/9F, hog feed, dog food, etc.)?

I had what I thought was an unusually large clutch (10 good eggs) for a first-time mom laid today, so it made me wonder. LOL I wondered if there was ny correlation between the food the rats are given. I've been breeding my own feeders for about 2 years and I've gotten bigger clutches this year (no clutches last year--not sure if that's related to this year's clutch sizes or not). I'm not sure what type of food pet stores fed their rats (probably the cheapest--for them it's all about the almighty dollar) when I was buying from them, but I know what I'm feeding mine. So, I just wondered if anyone else would be willing to take part in this survey (of sorts ;) ) and see if there really is any correlation. Also, I wonder if the battle of frozen/thawed versus live or fresh killed can be somewhat settled here, especially if the larger clutches are also laid from females feeding on f/t, or if the results are about the same either way.

So here's my answers:
1) 10 healthy eggs (no slugs)
2) 1900 grams
3) Rats once per week
4) Frozen/thawed
5) Mazuri 6F

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1- 9 healthy eggs no slugs
2-2100g
3- 1 rat a week
5- live
6- mazuri 6f



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My largest first time mom clutch was:

1. Nine eggs; all fertile.
2. From a huge six-year-old female that I didn't see any point in weighing.
3. Medium rat weekly.
4. Frozen / thawed.
5. Rodentpro faire (whatever that consists of) - I wasn't breeding rats at the time.

7 eggs
1800g
1-2 med rats a week
Teklad rodent food
I feed live and breed my own rats

Another question I think should be asked is the age of the female. Mine was 18 months old at the start of the season.

1) 9 eggs, 6 good
2) 3100 before laying
3) mouse + 150-200g rat per week
4) live mouse, and then a frozen rat (because she only eats live :/)
5) N/A

Both first time girls for me who laid 7 good eggs no slugs were 08/09 females

1. 10 healthy eggs 2 slugs
2. 2800g
3. 1 Med rat per week
5. f/t
6. Mazuri 6F

Wow, those are some HUGE clutches! And some big girls. All my girls are much smaller. My first clutch was 5 eggs from a small (1300 grams, 1600 at peak) 2007 female that was a dedicated f/t mouser for most of her life. But in the next month or so I should get 6 eggs from a 2009, and 6 eggs from a 2008. And hopefully they won't both slug out. So:

1. 6 eggs
2. 1600 grams
3. ~2 S rats every other week
4. f/t
5. whatever Big Cheese feeds 'em.

Quote:

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1) What's the largest clutch you've ever gotten from a female that was bred for the first time? And how many were good, how many were slugs?

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We had 4 virgin females give us 9,9,9 and 10 eggs last season zero slugs

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2) How large was this female when bred (in grams)?

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2000,2200,2300,2400 all weighed before growing follicles

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3) Also, what species of prey are they feeding on (i.e. mice/rats/other) and how often?

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rats once a week until September when I feed them 2 to 3 times a week until Dec. 1st

Quote:

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4) What type of prey (live, fresh killed, frozen/thawed) are they feeding on?

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Live

Quote:

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5) If you breed your own feeders, what type of rat food do you use (i.e. Mazuri 6F/9F, hog feed, dog food, etc.)?

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Mazuri 6f

Normal girl unknown age...
1st time clutch
9 eggs
All fertile, 100% hatch rate.
2800 grams before laying
2 Med/1 LG live rat every 7 days
Whatever scales n tails feeds their feeder rats.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by LotsaBalls

Another question I think should be asked is the age of the female. Mine was 18 months old at the start of the season.

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Very good question! :) Mine was approximately 3 years old.

So far, it looks like the general idea for the ~2,000 gram girls' first clutches being the largest was those fed on Mazuri-feeding (or similar) rats. (I personally felt as though an ~2,000 gram girl would normally give about 4-6 eggs for a first clutch, and was certainly happy to see 10 myself. It's not uncommon for me for my 3,000+ gram, seasoned breeder girls to give larger clutches; I have an age unknown ~3,300 gram female that's been bred 3-4 times before that also gave 10 eggs this year.)

And, it also looks like the average between f/t or live (or pre-killed) is about the same--so maybe that is somewhat of a testament to f/t being no less nutritional than the alternative. It looks like it doesn't matter if the females are feeding on live or f/t, they are still producing large clutches regardless. So obviously they are getting proper nutrients either way.

Thanks for all the input so far guys, and keep it coming! :) I think it's interesting to see. I'm going to try to start a chart to keep up with average clutch size, female size, etc. when I get home (I'm at work now :P ).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mues155

1. 10 healthy eggs 2 slugs
2. 2800g
3. 1 Med rat per week
5. f/t
6. Mazuri 6F

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guess that could be confusing lol this particular female ate f/t throughout her breeding but I do breed my own rats for my more subborn bps. :P

My first time girl that I posted above (12 good eggs) was three years old when bred for the first time.