is it normal for all the chasing and fuss?

[MonkeyShuttle]

So im new to the soft fur game but did my research and started a 1.5 colony in huge enclosure and after 2 days i heard a bunch of fighting and check on them to fin my male clinging to the top of the cage with little spots of blood on his fur and just in panick, heart racing and everything. so i take him out of there thinking maybe one of the females is a nazi or just too much girl power for one male. after 2 days put him in with 2 females and watch to make sure nobody fights, interesting enough no fighting just the male chasing the females around and trying to get hum some SEXY TIME but the girls arent having it. instead they run from him and snap at him like "Hey! no!" is any of this normal? sorry for long post

[steve_r34]

no experience with asf .. but they cant be that different from rats .. is ur male a good size ? i found in breeding rats taht if the male was a bit smaller then the females they beat him up lol ... but as my male got bigger he has no issue ..

[MonkeyShuttle]

Hey thanks for the reply and yes he is but not by much. there are actually a couple of smaller females in the group do you think i should match them up with his size until hers bigger then the other females or just keep him by his self til then?

[Pyrate81]

Link to sticky if you didn't see/read it: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-ASF-Caresheet

I started a 1.4 in November. Long story short, ASFs are different from other rodents in if the male gets rejected the females will terrorize the male and won't allow him to mate. The females have to accept the male and letting them meet each other when they are subadults/weanlings is a good way to get things started on a friendly note. It's good to have a "back up" male in case one gets the boot if you introduce them to each other later on. Sidenote: It was taught to me to place the females in the male's territory.

[MonkeyShuttle]

Hey thanks Pyrate they are pretty much still weanling size so good there and i did put the females in the boys cage and only two for now. so far so good here's to babies!

[OctagonGecko729]

I'd recommend doing 1.3 groups instead, its easier to keep track of the young if you plan on doing holdbacks and such. Also, smaller males will get picked on quite alot and usually act submissive the entire time but the females will still attack him. Let your male get larger then the females before introducing him, it shouldnt be hard because in my experience males grow faster. Also, you really can't add a male if the females have already given birth before in the colony.