What would you do?

My female that laid the eggs last season has been gaining the weight back very slowly. Right now she weights around 3000 grams but still looks like shes not back up to weight but that was her weight before she droped the eggs. So my question is should I wait until next season (she would be alot bigger and my pastel would be ready to breed) or should I breed her this season. I have 2 girls that are breeding this season (the third one decided not to eat for a while so shes not up to weight as of yet, so im holding her off till next year)

3000g's in a nice size. They can breed at 3 years of age and over 1500g's.

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Originally Posted by lillyorchid

3000g's in a nice size. They can breed at 3 years of age and over 1500g's.

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I know but to me she doesnt look like shes filled back out, shes still got folds in her skin from when she laid the eggs. She eats like carzy thought, 2 small rats a week.

i would get her back to her pre-egg weight. if she is gaining slowly, i would just wait for her.



vaughn

Aric, personally if my gut was telling me a particular female just didn't look right to breed, as inexperienced as I admittedly am, I'd still hold her back a year. For me anyways, it's just never going to be worth breeding a snake if I'm not 100% sure it's okay to do so for that snake that year.

He said that she was 3000g's when she was bred last year.

Do whatever you feel is best... sometimes it's good to follow gut feelings.

If she has a good girth to her and is eating great, then it should be ok. How long is she? If she is "thin" or looks like she's could use some meat on her bones, then wait till next season. If you don't feel comfortable with breeding her this year, then don't. Plus, if you wait, you might get a really big clutch next year!!! Good luck with what you decide to do!

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Aric, personally if my gut was telling me a particular female just didn't look right to breed, as inexperienced as I admittedly am, I'd still hold her back a year. For me anyways, it's just never going to be worth breeding a snake if I'm not 100% sure it's okay to do so for that snake that year.

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When I look at her breeding size wise and then look at my other girls that are breeding, the others a nice and plump and shes not nearly as girthy as the others.

Here is a pic of her last year before she laid the eggs.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2.../FemaleBP1.jpg
You can see how nice and plump she is then.

Now here is a pic after she laid the eggs.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...iles/EGGS1.jpg
You can see how her sides are "foldy", now she looks just like this pic but a little bit bigger, nothing close to the first pic.


I would get some new pics, but shes going through a shed phase right now and when shes doing that you better not get anywhere close.

Couldn't you work on feeding her for a few months, and then breeding her late for this season? I'd wait on it, if in doubt.

Can you post a current pic of her? If she eats like you say I can't imagine that she looks the same as she did just after laying.

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Originally Posted by worldcupkeeper

I know but to me she doesnt look like shes filled back out, shes still got folds in her skin from when she laid the eggs. She eats like carzy thought, 2 small rats a week.

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If she's a good 3000 grams then i'd go ahead and feed her 2 medium or large rats a week...

My girls 2500grams and she slamming 2 large rats a week without any hesitation or problems... I feed my 335 gram male pastel 1 small rat a week...

I'd bump her up to 2 large rats a sitting and breed her. next year though I'd hold off on her and let her attain her weight and recover. But she should be fine. What would you be breeding her to anyways? just wondering...

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

I'd bump her up to 2 large rats a sitting and breed her. next year though I'd hold off on her and let her attain her weight and recover. But she should be fine. What would you be breeding her to anyways? just wondering...

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I dont feed any of mine anything bigger than a small rat, its just not about her weight, its also about her body size, to me shes just not "ready" yet.

If I hold off until next year she will be bred by a pastel.

Well I understand where your coming from with the small rat thing. I'd atleast bump up from 2 rats to maybe 3 or 4. A healthy ball python can suprise you by how much it can eat without regurge or problems. i'm not telling everybody to just start feeding the ish out of they're snakes but since your wanting to breed her and put some more weight on her you COULD do it.

My question is what are you wanting to breed her with this year? What's got you teeter toddering between wether to breed her or not this year?...besides the way she looks...

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

Well I understand where your coming from with the small rat thing. I'd atleast bump up from 2 rats to maybe 3 or 4. A healthy ball python can suprise you by how much it can eat without regurge or problems. i'm not telling everybody to just start feeding the ish out of they're snakes but since your wanting to breed her and put some more weight on her you COULD do it.

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Umm.... a large rat is at least 200 grams, lets say 250ish avg

you are feeding your 2500 gram female 500 grams of food a week?

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

Well I understand where your coming from with the small rat thing. I'd atleast bump up from 2 rats to maybe 3 or 4. A healthy ball python can suprise you by how much it can eat without regurge or problems. i'm not telling everybody to just start feeding the ish out of they're snakes but since your wanting to breed her and put some more weight on her you COULD do it.

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That is ENTIRELY TOO MUCH food. A small rat per week.

The most food she gets a week is 2 small rats and thats it.

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Originally Posted by worldcupkeeper

The most food she gets a week is 2 small rats and thats it.

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Aric,

You are doing the right thing. Slow and steady wins the race. Give her the time she needs to get back to fighting weight. She will get there. Best of luck!

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Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake

Umm.... a large rat is at least 200 grams, lets say 250ish avg

you are feeding your 2500 gram female 500 grams of food a week?

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I've never weighed the rats myself but... I've been doing it for the last week and a half. After another couple weeks I'll go ahead and switch it back down to 1. but yeah that's what i'm feeding it at the moment. I just wanted to kick it up a notch for just a month to try to get her ready to breed. She obviously won't eat for a while once she becomes gravid so I want to get her not obese but a little bit of a build to her. My breeder friend whom I get all my feeders from and stuff said that she honostly could still put on a little more weight so I figured 2 or 3 weeks of that should be fine. Then I'll go back to just 1 rat...

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

I've never weighed the rats myself but... I've been doing it for the last week and a half. After another couple weeks I'll go ahead and switch it back down to 1. but yeah that's what i'm feeding it at the moment. I just wanted to kick it up a notch for just a month to try to get her ready to breed. She obviously won't eat for a while once she becomes gravid so I want to get her not obese but a little bit of a build to her. My breeder friend whom I get all my feeders from and stuff said that she honostly could still put on a little more weight so I figured 2 or 3 weeks of that should be fine. Then I'll go back to just 1 rat...

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Well of course. Lets force a bunch of extra food into the snake so it'll breed sooner instead of taking it slow and doing it the right way. Makes perfect sense! :confuzd:

I'm sure she could breed just fine at the weight that she is. But for me I'd rather see just a tad more weight and girth on her before she starts doing the "kanye west workout" with my pastel.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Well of course. Lets force a bunch of extra food into the snake so it'll breed sooner instead of taking it slow and doing it the right way. Makes perfect sense! :confuzd:

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I'm not forcing it a bunch of extra food to breed sooner... That's not the case at all... and by all means if you saw how aggressive this snakes eats you'd see what I mean.

Skip this season...that's a nice big clutch she gave you, and her body just needs some extra time to come back up to what will be a healthy production weight.

Big girls that consistently give you big clutches are wonderful to have, and you know your snake better working with her in person than what any of us can tell from a couple of pics. If your gut instinct is telling you that she's just not there, listen to it & hold off.

Just my $.02...

K~

and honostly one large rat doesn't even put a lump or anything in her...Not saying that's what I'm going for at the end of a feeding. but I'm sure a 2 or 3 larger meals aren't going to hurt before she's sweating it off getting busy...Obviously it does take alot out of the animal to breed..right?

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

I'm not forcing it a bunch of extra food to breed sooner... That's not the case at all... and by all means if you saw how aggressive this snakes eats you'd see what I mean.

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All my snakes eat aggressively every week. They get one small rat. I would hold off on the advice until you gain the experience necessary to dispense it.

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Originally Posted by KLG

Skip this season...that's a nice big clutch she gave you, and her body just needs some extra time to come back up to what will be a healthy production weight.

Big girls that consistently give you big clutches are wonderful to have, and you know your snake better working with her in person than what any of us can tell from a couple of pics. If your gut instinct is telling you that she's just not there, listen to it & hold off.

Just my $.02...

K~

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:rockon:

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Originally Posted by jglass38

All my snakes eat aggressively every week. They get one small rat. I would hold off on the advice until you gain the experience necessary to dispense it.

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Thank you for your input Jamie. It is greatly appreciated as always and your helpful information is always welcome. As far as not having the experience necessary I can't say I have the experience of breeding ball pythons but i've kept and fed enough of them over the years to say that a couple feeding sessions (2 or 3) of a little more food isn't going to harm the animal or create any adverse effects.

Aric, I'd go with your gut instinct as far as what you want to do. You do have a good point as far as waiting to breed her. Next year she'll have recovered and your male pastel will be ready to tango. It's obviously your call and I wish you the best of luck in breeding your female when you do.

:rockon:

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

Thank you for your input Jamie. It is greatly appreciated as always and your helpful information is always welcome. As far as not having the experience necessary I can't say I have the experience of breeding ball pythons but i've kept and fed enough of them over the years to say that a couple feeding sessions (2 or 3) of a little more food isn't going to harm the animal or create any adverse effects.

Aric, I'd go with your gut instinct as far as what you want to do. You do have a good point as far as waiting to breed her. Next year she'll have recovered and your male pastel will be ready to tango. It's obviously your call and I wish you the best of luck in breeding your female when you do.

:rockon:

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Steven,

If I came off as harsh earlier, it wasn't my intention. In the end my point was, there is no benefit to feeding such a large amount of food and in the end you could wind up with a snake that goes off feed. It is very common for overfed Ball Pythons to stop feeding altogether to allow their bodies to catch up. Better to keep the meals small and consistent and keep those snakes feeding regularly.

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

i've kept and fed enough of them over the years to say that a couple feeding sessions (2 or 3) of a little more food isn't going to harm the animal or create any adverse effects.

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I'd have to disagree with that, but to each their own. :rockon:

-adam

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

Obviously it does take alot out of the animal to breed..right?

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Actually no ... It takes "adequate" weight to breed and produce a healthy clutch of eggs ... "a lot of weight" is pretty much a bad thing for breeding. ;)

Hope this helps.

-adam

Steven I thought your girl was still in quarentine?

That question out of the way I'd definately wait. If she's even half as drawn looking as she is in the post lay photo definately hold off. Your gut is obviously telling you to so listen to it. :)

Just wait..

It is not worth possibly damaging the health of your snake to try and breed her now.

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Originally Posted by Entropy

Steven I thought your girl was still in quarentine?

That question out of the way I'd definately wait. If she's even half as drawn looking as she is in the post lay photo definately hold off. Your gut is obviously telling you to so listen to it. :)

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She still is in quarantine I got her October 13th (friday) and posted a thread the 16th on the following monday. So around late jan early feb i'm going to start putting them together which will have been plenty of quarantine time.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Steven,

If I came off as harsh earlier, it wasn't my intention. In the end my point was, there is no benefit to feeding such a large amount of food and in the end you could wind up with a snake that goes off feed. It is very common for overfed Ball Pythons to stop feeding altogether to allow their bodies to catch up. Better to keep the meals small and consistent and keep those snakes feeding regularly.

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Point taken, Thank you.