First 2 Clutches on the way

[Drake Moonslayer]

So my first pairing was a Possible Het. Albino Male to a Possible Het. Albino. Female. She is definatly gravid, has already shed and is expected to lay any day now. My second pairing was Piebald Male to Possible Het. Pied Female. She is also definatly gravid, has shed and is expected to lay within a week or 2. I have the modified wine cooler incubator set up and working perfectly. Got it hooked up to a VE-300X2 thermostate along with my rack.

As these are my first clutches I just want to make sure I have everything ready and make sure I am not missing anything. I bought the vermiculite today for the medium in the incubation tubs. Can someone that has been breeding and had success please advise on a few questions and confirmations. Thanks

1.) How do I set up the medium in the tubs?
2.) Which method is better substrateless or regular?
3.) The temp I need for incubation is 90 Degrees. Correct?
4.) What does the humidity need to be at for the incubation?
5.) What kind or Brand of soap should I use to wash the scent of eggs off of the Dames and their cages?
6.) How soon after laying should I try to feed the Dames?
7.) How long will it take for the snakes to hatch?

[rlditmars]

Lots of questions. Here's what I do.
I use the substrate method and just put the eggs right into the vermiculite. I usually set up 6 qt Sterilite tubs with 250 grams of vermiculite and put them in the incubator dry. I also put bottled water in the incubator so everything is at the incubation temp. When the eggs are laid, I mix 300 grams of the bottled water into the vermiculite and knead the substrate until it is very evenly mixed. I dig a slight depression where I will place the eggs and push some of the vermiculite up against the side of the eggs. Make sure the eggs aren't touching the side walls of the tub. I then cover the tub with Press n Seal and no lid. With the Press n Seal on it should maintain your humidity levels just fine. I will pull the PnS back about every 4 days just for air exchange. That's it. As far as the temps go, I have been running my incubator at lower temps this year. I have the T-stat set for 87.5 and watch so that my thermometers aren't showing temps above 89.

For cleaning my girls I just use Dawn dish soap but I imagine any simple dish soap will do providing there aren't other chemicals or scents in it. I just put a few drops in a tub of water and then wipe her down with a wash cloth or the likes and then wipe her down again with clean water in a fresh wet cloth. I make sure she has a fresh clean tub and if she is in a rack that has solid walls, I will move her to a new slot just to make certain she doesn't have the scent in with her. As far as feeding goes, you can give her a couple days to settle back and then try. At the temps I'm incubating at, the eggs probably wont hatch for about 60+ days. I just let them pip of their own. I never cut unless one egg hasn't pipped for 24 hours after all others.

This is just what I am doing. Others will say substrateless is better. Some incubate at 90 degrees. Some people just use lids on the tubs instead of PnS. Some others will cut their eggs. So there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat, but you should do what you are comfortable with. Best of luck

[Drake Moonslayer]

Thanks for the tips so far. I am really looking forward to it. Just extremely nervous. The incubation time is going to drive me crazy. As I said these are the first 2 clutches I have had I am not experienced enough with the process as of yet. I think I may have read almost every thread on this site and am still just anxious. Still waiting on the eggs to come. I have had the breeders at my local shop look the snakes over and they have confirmed that there are eggs. They have given advice as well. I know I will not be cutting. Just want to make sure everything goes right.

Just a few more questions I have thought of...

1.) When the eggs hatch do you seperate right away or wait untill they are all out of the eggs?
2.) When do you offer food to the hatchlings?
3.) When is it ok to sex the hatchlings?
4.) How do you determine which snakes to holdback and which ones to sell?
5.) Where can I confirm the prices that I should sell at when I am ready to do so?
6.) Is it best to start them on rat pups or adult mice?

I do not want to gouge but also do not want to add to the destruction of the market. I want to do the best I can to make the best name for myself as a breeder and seller of these wonderful animals as well as have the best possible quality and healthiest animals that I can.

[Drake Moonslayer]

Can anyone help with these questions. Please

[BumbleB]

1.) When the eggs hatch do you seperate right away or wait untill they are all out of the eggs?
2.) When do you offer food to the hatchlings?
3.) When is it ok to sex the hatchlings?
4.) How do you determine which snakes to holdback and which ones to sell?
5.) Where can I confirm the prices that I should sell at when I am ready to do so?
6.) Is it best to start them on rat pups or adult mice?

Ill try to help you out, just a warning i have never bred before but have done lots of research so ill do my best. I got a new computer so I feel like typing haha

1. Wait until they are all out then move them all into a damp tub with paper towels.
2. A couple of days after their first shed, that can take anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks.
3. Some do it right out of the egg and some wait until after their first sheds when they are separating the hatchlings, its up to you
4. Again completely up to you. I would make a plan depending on the clutch and how i want to build my collection. Maybe I want a powerhouse male to holdback or a multigene female to replace my current single gene females in the future. Try to set an amount and stick to it, i can imagine it will be very hard to get rid of anything from your first clutches.
5. No real place besides looking at current market prices on classified websites such as kingsnake, fauna, and the reptile report marketplace.
6. Depends on the snake, your goal should be to get everyone eating before being picky with what you are going to feed them. Some will take frozen rats their first feed but there will be some that you might have to start on live hopper mice. Get them eating whatever it takes and then you can switch to your desired prey item later on.

Hope that helps and if anyone with actual breeding experience wants to correct me or add to anything i said feel free to

[rlditmars]

For never having bred before, BumbleB did a great job answering your questions, which goes to show you there is a wealth of information here if you're willing to dig a little. I know it's easier to just ask a straight up question and hope to get straight answers, but by sifting through the various threads, you may find answers to questions you hadn't thought to ask.

Regarding your feeding question, rat pups or adult mice are usually both too large for hatchlings. Once all of the babes have shed, allow them a few days to settle into there new separate homes, 3 to 5 days, and then try feeding. If you are going to try frozen thawed first, I would suggest trying rat pinks or rat fuzzies as they are a good size. If you want to go with mice, then mouse hoppers. Don't be surprised at how few take them. Even though I hope to switch everything over to F/T eventually, I find it easier to start with live mouse hoppers. They are much more animated and that will generate a better feeding response. Once they are eating I will try switching to live rat fuzzies and then try to get them onto F/T rat fuzzies.

[Drake Moonslayer]

Thanks for the assistance from both of you. The first clutch was laid on 8/7/15 and it was from the 2 pos het albinos. Hoping they prove out. 6 nice eggs. Mother came off the eggs without a fight. Got her cleaned up and in her new cage. The eggs weighed in at 504 grams and are in the incubator.