Moving House w/ snakes...help?

Cross posting this...

I think this is going to be a futile effort but...does anybody have tips on minimizing the effects of moving house during ball breeding season?

I'm using mostly virgin males this year so things already aren't going super well (just not seeing many locks, despite everything being spot on). A couple have figured it out, but nothing consistent. No ovs yet but a few girls I think might just be starting to glow. I haven't been very "hands on" this season with palpating or anything though. Mostly been just letting them do their thing. I've tried using other males' sheds, smearing sperm plugs from different males onto the females, and dumping out the water dishes while pairing but so far only one virgin male has figured it out.

I have faith they eventually will, But. We are moving on Saturday. I've heard of people having their entire seasons pushed back or even just grinding to a halt. Help??

I'm bumping this for you cuz I was interested in the answers. Someone out there has got to have some ideas...

Maybe the males aren't mature enough yet?

Just because you didn't see a lock does not mean it didn't happen.

Before you pair a male, check his penes. They will likely look quite normal if he has not been paired for a few weeks. After pairing- check them again. If one pene is larger and a brighter reddish color than the other, it is likely he locked your female. You will probably see sperm plugs on the pene that looks normal. That is the one he didn't use. I know which males are "left pene", or "right pene" lockers from checking after visual locks.

When I removed the water bowls and wrapped the racks in sheets.
Lifted the racks onto dollys and move them without taking them out of the racks and all my females laid on time with no problems.

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I mean when I moved.

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Wow Corey I had no idea! It "seems" like they're locking. I often see tiny streaks of blood mixed with urates and whatever other excrement lol, just never seen ANY mating behavior whatsoever. I don't like to bug them too much but I just might try that to see.

And thanks buddah, the sheets are a good idea for sure.

Well the Pied locked! Definitely had one bigger than the other, lol. Not sure which het. Pied female he locked with though. I asked Dave to put him in with the first one and it turned out she was in shed and they were sitting on opposite ends, so I moved him to the other het. Pieds bin. I'm assuming he locked the second one, by the looks of the paper towel.

I popped the rest that I had paired, and they all had intact sperm plugs on both sides. SIGH! What else can I do to encourage them? (I guess that's another topic - one girl is FIVE years old and has never given me a clutch. She is way more than ready.

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I should start a new thread I realize. Made my own thread go off topic! Haha

I actually just did this recently. My move was pretty short, though (about a half hour from the previous place). I had a friend helping me so I could move ALL my animals at the same time, just bagged up the snakes, loaded up their racks, drove them over, and got everything set up ASAP. Snakes were out of their racks for maybe two hours, and I haven't had any issues since the move. Everyone who was eating continued eating, and no ill-effects with breeding.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

Cross posting this...

I think this is going to be a futile effort but...does anybody have tips on minimizing the effects of moving house during ball breeding season?
Help??

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Piece of cake! Just hire a lot of professionals and take it slow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUSLjytXzN0

Well, the move happened, all snakes are safe and accounted for, cozy and warm. LOTS went simultaneously blue, wonder if the move has anything to do with that.

Haven't fed anybody yet, going to give it a few days to unpack some and get the rest of the equipment organized and then try.

O.M.G never realized how much equipment we have for them...FML. Literally never moving again. I'd rather eat snake turds for dinner every day than move again :P

Lol, grc! I wish!

Glad the move went ok. Interesting about the simultaneous shed cycle.

Yeah, could just be a fluke though, they're usually fed on the same day. It just seemed like more than usual were blue at the same time!