What to look for when you are getting ready to breed

This is for John.

1) Make sure your males are producing sperm plugs.

What do they look like? Like flying nuns hats :)

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ermplug002.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ermplug001.jpg

2) Make sure your females are females and that they will be large enough and healthy enough to take on being bred and gravid.

What is large enough? Well, 1200+ grams and two years old is excellent, although it can be variable. The bigger (healthily) the better

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...s/P1030836.jpg

3) Make sure you know what a lock looks like.

LOOK! HERE'S ONE!!

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...s/DSCN1693.jpg

Here is not one... This is what we call "trying"

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...s/P1050097.jpg


4) Breed often, love well, feed when appropriate :)

(Insert clever picture here)

5) Remember, we are working with live animals. NOTHING goes to plan, and if it does, CONGRATULATIONS! (You must have gotten the luck I missed out on this past year)

This is bad luck: (aka Slugs)

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...s/P1040894.jpg

This is good luck: (aka hitting the odds)

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...s/P1050124.jpg


FINALLY, REMEMBER:

HAVE FUN. IT IS NOT WORTH IT IF YOU DON'T ENJOY IT!!!

Excellent post, Heather!! :clap: :clap: :clap:

Excellent!

Great Post Heather! I like the odds with the pieds!

Here we go all over again!

Personally I look for a tequila bottle and a rainstorm but to each his own :rolleye2: :rofl:

Nice big H! Those are some fresh plugs... all mine are normally already simi brown by the time I pop my males.

Thanks Heather

Great Post Heather! Thanks

GREAT thread!!! :gj:

Great post. I love the photos (especially the "trying to lock" one)

Great advise all around!:gj: Having fun is the most important thing for me. If your not having fun, then I believe you are in it for all the wrong reasons.

Nice thread!!!! Love the pics...

Very well said Heather. Awsome post

Thank you so much for this thread!!!! there are a lot of people out there who have no clue what sperm plugs look like and what slugs look like.

STICKY this admin please it is a great resource of information that I for one have been looking for.

Fantastic post, Heather!!! Thank you so much!! :D

Great post Heather! We spent tonight cleaning everything and weighing all the girls to see who is going to go this season and who is on the bubble. Got little stickers on all the girls. Red, yellow and green like a stop light. Blue stickers on all the males that we want to use this year as well. It looks like it's going to be a fun year here!

This was a really great post! I do have one question though - how often should I be finding sperm plugs? Is it only towards the beginning? When I pair them up, and they are locking, should I find any more?

I really appreciate the help. Its my first time. :rofl:

Awesome Post Heather!
Thankyou! Thankyou thankyou thankyous!!! :P
:sweeet:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HypoPita

This was a really great post! I do have one question though - how often should I be finding sperm plugs? Is it only towards the beginning? When I pair them up, and they are locking, should I find any more?

I really appreciate the help. Its my first time. :rofl:

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1st time for me also. How do I check for these plugs? Could someone explain please. Thanks

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