Not eating after breeding question.

[The Mad Baller]

I sucesfully bred my pastel male to my pinstripe female. I had them together for a couple of months. He's been out now for over a month but has no interest in eating yet.He is an 08 that i purchased in Daytona that year from for the love of reptiles. He would always eat prior to this. Is this normal or should I be worried now. Any advice greatly appreciated. This is my first breeding season,so I'm a rookie.

[snakesRkewl]

Um, well, you left them together for months?

Males get left in for a day or two or three, then pulled to feed and rest for 2-3 days then back in action.

Did you offer either of them food while they were breeding?
Or did you just toss em together and assume they don't eat during breeding?

[The Mad Baller]

Honestly I just put them together,it was a little less than two months, and yes I just assumed they stoped breeding. Boy do I feel stupid. I read the book the complete ball python by Nerd probally 100 times especially the section on breeding and genetics. Nowhere did it say about taking male out and then putting back in as you explained and said only about some people dont feed and some offer small meals.I also asked a local breeder before I put them together, and he said as long as they were healthy and had been eating good just put them together for awhile and they will breed and told me that alot of males will stop eating for awhile when in breeding mood. Female ate good after I seperated them then ovulated and is now in pre egg laying shed. Dam I feel bad if I messed up,i like to do things the right way. I just started using this site this week. Thanks alot for the response.

[Quiet Tempest]

I don't follow the X days in, X days out rule, either. I kept my breeding pairs together for weeks at a time only separating them to offer food and a few days' rest after being fed. If it was obvious that they were avoiding each other, that would be cause to separate them as well, but that didn't happen.

My male stopped feeding for quite a while but perked up when I left a live rat pup in his enclosure overnight. Maybe try offering him a smaller live prey animal to spark his interest?

[The Mad Baller]

Thanks, I breed my own rats so not a problem as I have all different sizes always available. Three weeks ago I got a clutch of 8 and they both went back to eating right away. All 8 candled good so far.

[snakesRkewl]

I would NEVER leave my males in for more than 3-4 days.

Not feeding them during breeding season, why would anyone think that's ok.
I feed my females all season till they refuse multiple times and then I still offer till they ovulate.
Forcing them off feed isn't wise IMO

[Quiet Tempest]

I would NEVER leave my males in for more than 3-4 days.

Not feeding them during breeding season, why would anyone think that's ok.
I feed my females all season till they refuse multiple times and then I still offer till they ovulate.
Forcing them off feed isn't wise IMO

What do you think is going to happen if a male is left in for more than 3-4 days?

[The Mad Baller]

Again,thanks for your info and time, but I explained why at the time I thought I was doing the right thing in my second post. I will gladly change next breeding season if it benifits the snakes. We live and learn everyday hopefully!!

[DeadLegs]

I agree, mad baller. I think it's a bit of an over reaction to reply to the OP's question with such an appalled tone, at the fact that he doesn't offer during mating or leaves them together for x amount of time. as long as you've been a member of this board I would think that you'd notice the VASTLY different methods that each individual person has for every aspect of care for their animals.

While there are some rules that can tend to prove detrimental if not followed to the letter, leaving them paired for whatever amount of days beyond your 3-4 is not one I've ever known. would I keep them together for a few weeks at a time or beyond? No.

However, I dont really feel like it's necessary to react to that with disgust. Everyone starts somewhere and everyone does something wrong, somewhere within their first experiences with keeping/breeding these animals.

I would really only suggest to keep offering during the times that you have them separated in breeding time, and only keep them paired for no more than about 3 days so they can rest. feed until they just refuse. Also, it is from everything I've read or seen, not all too uncommon for males to go off feed for some time once separated from the female. I have a 3 yr old het pied male who i believe ate for my breeder the week she sold him to me, but didn't eat for ME for roughly 3 months for whatever reason, even though I'd managed to keep normal heat/humidity levels and enclosure for him.

I've heard of them sometimes going off feed for 6 months or more. Just keep offering. Dont worry yourself terribly about it unless the guy starts losing too much weight.

If it's something that still troubles you, I'm sure one of the more seasoned, lovely individuals around here can give you some tips on perhaps revving up the feeding temptation.

[snakesRkewl]

What do you think is going to happen if a male is left in for more than 3-4 days?

I think it is a waste of time to keep them together, a great way to make post like this one even

My males eat every week during breeding season, why would I want to throw my males off feed leaving them in with the female?
Normally when my females are done with the male they sit on them.
Yes, the females sit on the male so he won't continue breeding or attempting to breed her, leaving him in there is only a fantastic way to stress him out and send him off feed.
If I place my male in with a female and she sits on him he's out because she has already said what's up and how it's going to be.
I'm not telling you how to do it, just what I do and why I wouldn't do it.