Do you cool your ball pythons for breeding?

If you cool them what is your routine if you don't what is your successful breeding rate?

Thanks Kindly,

Lance

Yes...

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No. Last year was about 50/50 but I had a few smaller girls I didn't really expect to go. It does help the males have higher sperm counts when they are cooled though so if you can cool them, I would recommend it.


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Last season (my first time breeding) I cooled the room and had a great outcome this season I'm leavin everything alone

We had two together completely out of season for a few hours once and had eggs (we were originally told the male was a female, so woops on our part). So it's not completely necessary for sure. But if you're having trouble, it can help.

I don't cool at my house but my partner does.
We have the same success rate getting females to breed and lay eggs.

Don't cool. I find it an unnecessary extra step since they breed fine either way.

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No cooling here

The risks behind cooling improperly just don't justify doing it for me. It tends to be more a matter of preference rather than proven success.

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yes, however I'm not sure how effective it was. My first clutch was laid on 4/1/12 and the last clutch was in October!

I don't, I just let the ambient temps drop.

hot spot is always there if they want/need it. i drop the entire rooms temperature to 78 compared to 82 degrees

thanks everyone I guess its still like 50/50 I asked Raphy from NERD he said he does so I guess I'll just let things go and maybe just lower the temp on hotspot from the 90 range to maybe 88 and be safe.

Lance

The poll doesn't say 50/50.
Only about 1/3 cool.

I think if you talk about cooling you need to consider wether your cooling the room or lowering the rack temp. I heat the room where my snakes are, but the temperature with heating is still cooler than it is in the summer. So its not an intentional cooling, its just the season. I will not drop the rack temp.

well my reptile room is around 80 during summer and about 72 at night now and 75 during day the rack hot spot is 90 so I am just wondering if I should cool that down as well. I guess I kinda read so much and asked so many people I kinda got my self confused and hoping this thread will help me out. Thanks again to everyone who helps me

Lance

I only allow room ambient temps to drop. I do not change my thermostat. Seems to do just fine.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

Don't cool. I find it an unnecessary extra step since they breed fine either way.

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Nikki: How many years have you been breeding? What's your success rate?

Thanks

Last two seasons I didn't cool and ended up with a huge % of slugs. This season I am cooling, I'll let you know how it goes.

I have had nothing but excellent success getting females to go without lower the hot spots.
Last year was my worst season statistically with only 8 out of 12 going, but the year before I had 11 out of 13 and the year before I had 10 out of 12 If I remember correctly.
I only allow the rooms ambient temps to drop which in turn makes the cool end about 73 to 75 degrees.
My hot spots are around 92 - 93 degrees and my warm end ambient is around 86-87 degrees.
My hot spots are the same year around, cooling imo is a great way for "new to the hobby people" to give their snakes RI's especially if the humidity is low.

This will be my first year breeding but I don't play to ever cool, from what I've read it seems an unnecessary risk of causing RI's. I leave my hotspot the same but my ambient room temps definitely lower, especially at night. We'll see what my success rate is, fingers crossed it's good.

From what I've learned from people that I respect, it is the night cooling that can lead to RI's. Because of the bounce from warm to cold every day, it puts stress on the snakes and can result in respiratory infections. If you lower the temps and leave them there, it doesn't pose the same problem. I do not night drop, but lower the ambient temps a few degrees and the warm spot a few degrees. They go down and stay down until I'm ready to warm them back up.

thank you all cause a year ago I did cool from not really knowing enough and going by some people I didn't know very well and got RI in a few snakes and spent a lot of money to keep them healthy in vet bills and making a nebunization chamber again I thank you all for helping me out as usual great to have a community of hobbyist willing to help others out.

Lance

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Originally Posted by Don

From what I've learned from people that I respect, it is the night cooling that can lead to RI's. Because of the bounce from warm to cold every day, it puts stress on the snakes and can result in respiratory infections. If you lower the temps and leave them there, it doesn't pose the same problem. I do not night drop, but lower the ambient temps a few degrees and the warm spot a few degrees. They go down and stay down until I'm ready to warm them back up.

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this is also how I do it.

Room temp goes down with the season. Hotspot si always hot, and they seek what they want, all of the females go to the front (cool side) once they start breeding. That´s how I did it in my first year breeding, three out of three, 24 eggs total, 0 slugs.

If you don't go through a cooling period, does your female still have to be at least 1500 grams?

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Originally Posted by AaronAshley

If you don't go through a cooling period, does your female still have to be at least 1500 grams?

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1500 grams is a personal preference for some breeders. Our minimum weight here is 1200 grams with good body condition.

The female should be the same weight when starting to breed her, regardless of cooling or not. However, if I were to cool, I would make sure my females were bigger than normal so the had even more fat stores. I just don't cool at all, other then the ambient temps dropping naturally for winter time in my house :)

Yes, I cool and I highly recommend it. I drop the hot spot temps at night, 10 degrees for 10 weeks. I've tried not cooling and I get much better results when I cool. When I didn't cool I got a lot of slugs. This past year I didn't get a slug until after I had 50+ good eggs.

i am cooling too,but only hot spot night drop -6 (from 7pm to 7am) and my breeding female's still pounding rat's
cool end temp at 75
i will raise hot spot temp back from january 1. every 10 days +1

I never change the hot spot, just the ambient temps naturally lowered when winter occurs.

I never have cooled BP's and I've never had any issues breeding. Some species require it but BPs tend to just know based more on barometric pressure changes due to the seasons I think. They do tend to become more active and willing to breed during fall and winter storms.

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

Some species require it but BPs tend to just know based more on barometric pressure changes due to the seasons I think. They do tend to become more active and willing to breed during fall and winter storms.

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I agree.

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