I think it's looking good?
First time breeding so it's hard to tell if the signs I see are actually right or if I'm just totally off.
This female started breeding in October and came back on feed at that time to start eating aggressively. From then until going off feed she jumped from 1300 to 1800 grams. She started glowing in November and December after what was her last shed in December. She went off feed like someone flipped a switch in her around the beginning of March. I saw some swelling that looked like an ovy around this time - still glowing intensely. She was sitting on the cool side through all of this. Now she is sitting on the heat for the first time in a while and has a swell starting about 1/3 of the way up from her tail. Her spine is somewhat raised and creates an angle but her belly is SWOLLEN and HARD. Along with noticing her going to the heat recently, she started sitting in a coil with her tail in the middle and her body kind of rotated on its side. I haven't seen any of my snakes sit like this before. She isn't really glowing at this point. When I try to handle her she is very aggressive / flighty.
I guess my questions are these: Does this sound like she has ovulated and is approaching her pre-lay shed? Do they skip the pre-lay shed sometimes? Should I pair her at this point when shes sitting in a coil or leave the male out of there?
And now you are rewarded with pics:
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3017/imag0227go.jpg
Kind of hard to tell but there is a distinct swelling starting 1/3 of the way up
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/4532/imag0228e.jpg
I think it's looking good?
If she ovy'd in the beginning of march you'll (hopefully/probably) see a pre lay shed 2-3 weeks later.
Do you have the exact dates of the last shed and when you saw the (probable) ovy?
EDIT: also what was she paired with? Cant wait til my hypo girl is up to size! :D
I think it's looking good?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JohnNJ
You can drive yourself nuts trying to figure out when... Remember, the snakes didn't read the manual.
Last year I watched and cataloged every "sign" but things didn't always play out. This year I watched nothing. Surprise! I found 7 eggs last night. Good thing I just finished my new incubator on Sunday.
My advice - be prepared and just enjoy the ride.
Yep, i'd agree with this. It's my first year breeding an i've been paying attention and trying to learn as I go. I figure once I do it for a few years i'll be able to just kinda "know" whats going on with them. :gj:
Re: I think it's looking good?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MrLang
Yeah, I've got the incubator up and running and tubs ready minus water lol. I keep feeling like I'm gonna slide the tub one day and see eggs. The fact that she's consistently wide enough around to feel confident there could be full sized eggs inside her is making me go nuts.
Put water in the tubs now and place them in the incubator. You can add more water when you get some eggs. Put thermometers in the tubs while they are empty so you can test it out and adjust your t-stat temp.
Re: I think it's looking good?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JohnNJ
Put water in the tubs now and place them in the incubator. You can add more water when you get some eggs. Put thermometers in the tubs while they are empty so you can test it out and adjust your t-stat temp.
Yep, what John said. :gj:
I think it's looking good?
Good information. The whole reminds me of my big pastel. It's my first year and my first locks dates are about the same. I'm expecting to come home and find her like this any day
Re: I think it's looking good?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MrLang
What people don't talk about as much is that even up to a week before the ovy there is a distinct swelling in the mid body that you also can't miss if you're looking for it. This is not like "she looks thicker" this looks like she ate a tennis ball. The tennis ball seems to turn to a nerf football when the ovy happens.
^this - there is poor information about the mid-swelling a bit before the actually ovy, so good you wrote this. I saw it on my two girls who ovulated a bit later after the swelling started, ish one week after I saw the swelling.
Congrats, now the long wait really starts :)
Re: I think it's looking good?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MrLang
Pre-lay shed today.
Yay!
Re: I think it's looking good?
Awesome I am expecting PLS May 3rd.
1.1 pastels, 1.0 lesser, 0.1 het blurry, 0.1 spider, 1.1 norm. 0.1 dinker,
Re: I think it's looking good?
All three of mine have ovied and shed right on schedule. I should have eggs over the next few weeks, incubator is ready and all. As soon as they all lay I'll build the hatchling rack. Can't wait.
1.1 pastels, 1.0 lesser, 0.1 het blurry, 0.1 spider, 1.1 norm. 0.1 dinker,
