Pairing female less then 1500g to get her on food

[EHBP]

Hello, I was watching a video made by a reputable breeder. During the video, something caught my ear. He stated he has paired an 1100 gram female and his reasoning was to get her back on feed. His theory was that if she was paired up, she would realize she would need to start feeding again to get the fat reserves necessary for a healthy clutch. He then stated she ended up putting on a bunch of weight, laid a healthy clutch, and ended up being about 1400g after laying. Has anyone else tried this? Will pairing/breeding stimulate a feeding frenzy? I have always read that most females will go off food when breeding. Seems risky health wise for the snake if you pair her and she doesn't go back on feed, especially if she doesn't have the weight and/or body condition. I have a female that's about 1350 grams that hasn't eaten for about 4 weeks. Wanted to try it out but also don't want to jeopardize my snakes health.

[jmcrook]

4 weeks is nothing. I wouldn’t worry about it unless the animal’s body condition begins to deteriorate.


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[Craiga 01453]

Four weeks is nothing. They can go a year without food at that size assuming the animal is healthy.

Simply reduce the frequency of how often you offer. Only offer every 2-3 weeks.

As long as there's no drastic weight loss there's nothing to worry about.

[EHBP]

Four weeks is nothing. They can go a year without food at that size assuming the animal is healthy.

Simply reduce the frequency of how often you offer. Only offer every 2-3 weeks.

As long as there's no drastic weight loss there's nothing to worry about.

Thanks for the reply. I know 4 weeks isn't a long time when it comes to these animals going off food. What im trying to ask is if its a good idea to pair her at 1350g in hopes that she starts pounding down some rats to put on the fat reserves for a clutch. Obviously we want to wait for the weight and body condition before pairing but this breeder said pairing before she hits that prime weight and body condition could help stimulate her feeding response and by the time she ovulates, she has the weight and body condition to lay.

[Craiga 01453]

Do you have breeding experience?

[EHBP]

No, this is my first year. Just didn't know if this was a common practice when it comes to breeding ball pythons.

[Craiga 01453]

I honestly don't know. I'm thinking if it were my animal I'd be inclined to stick to basics. I've been keeping snakes for 15+ years and am now just considering my first breeding project for a few years down the road.

Just food for thought... The BP market is already ridiculously over saturated. There are over 16,000 BPs available right now on morphmarket.

As a first time breeder it will likely be difficult to move the babies, so be prepared to keep all or the vast majority for at least a while.

I'm not trying to discourage you, just sharing my two cents.

[Mr. Misha]

I'm not trying to discourage you, just sharing my two cents.

I think BP breeding should be highly discouraged. It's not a science project, you're creating animals that live 20-30 years and usually have at least 4-6 eggs. Even most dogs don't live that long and look how many are dumped or wait to be adopted.

With that said, I personally wouldn't do it. A breeder might have their incentive and experience to do so, but there's much less invasive way to get your BP to eat from a keeper's point of view.

[trnreptiles]

Just food for thought... The BP market is already ridiculously over saturated. There are over 16,000 BPs available right now on morphmarket.

As a first time breeder it will likely be difficult to move the babies, so be prepared to keep all or the vast majority for at least a while.

I’ve been told that too, but considering this is also my first year breeding, I haven’t had much trouble selling my babies and having people who are interested in them. There’s always new people getting into the hobby, adding new breeding stock to their collection, or just wanting a pet (and then they end up falling down the rabbit hole )
I think the biggest thing to focus on is building an online presence and a name for yourself, especially on Facebook and Instagram. I try to post daily, sometimes every other day or so.


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[GoingPostal]

I’ve been told that too, but considering this is also my first year breeding, I haven’t had much trouble selling my babies and having people who are interested in them. There’s always new people getting into the hobby, adding new breeding stock to their collection, or just wanting a pet (and then they end up falling down the rabbit hole )
I think the biggest thing to focus on is building an online presence and a name for yourself, especially on Facebook and Instagram. I try to post daily, sometimes every other day or so.


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Yes, just like puppies or kittens, baby snakes are very exciting and cute. How many of those babies are in the same home and thriving a year later? 2 years later? 5? I took in a rescue last year that is likely only a year old and was near death from neglect and poor care. He's not an exception. How many people you know with hatchlings and how many with 20 year old snakes? How many homes do some of these breeders and pets get flipped through? How long do you think most survive in the care of your average pet owner? Selling them isn't the issue, it's where they end up long term.