Last before breeding questions...

[lunasjy]

I have done so much research over the last couple of years about breeding ball pythons but it seems not every article covers every piece of information and maybe some of it I will need to learn from experience. Also throughout my research it is also very clear that many breeders do things differently. This is my first year breeding and I am super excited about it but I also really want to do this right the first time. I have decided to make my breeding season start in October, turning down night time temperatures and in November, start introducing males. But do I really need to worry about a cool down period? Some people do not do it and breed just fine. I do not mind giving a cool down period and that has always been the plan but I am curious on your opinions about it?

After reading a few things up, the feeding is what confuses me the most. Some people start feeding females every 5 days a month or two before introducing males to beef them up but others say to only feed them once a week. What are your opinions on this? Should I feed more often? I have heard that it helps give females more energy, make them bigger, and produce better clutches, but I have also heard it can cause such sudden obesity that many clutches are infertile and many slugs are produced. So I am not really sure if it is healthy or not to feed them five days the month before I start introducing males up until they start refusing meals.

4 days on, 3 days off or 3 days on 4 days off and so on? Like I said, people really seem to do things differently. How long should I keep the male with the female and how many days do I let my male rest? Most people seem to do 3 or 4 days. But I also seen people leave the male in with the female for 5 days. How long do you leave in your males with the female?

And last is male size. I have read that 500g is the minimum, but then others say 800g? I have a 550g male I would like to breed this year, but he seems so small compared to my 850g male I am going to be breeding. I believe this 550g male will grow at least one more 100g before I start introducing him to a female but is that too small?

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.

[Lthv]

You said it yourself, everyone does things differently.

You can use different methods and still have success, for example: I don't change my thermostat temps or lighting at all (temps may change a bit on their own due to the house cooling down naturally, same with light to an extent), I feed normally and don't bulk up feeding for breeding (maybe a breeder gets something extra if I have a refusal, but again this is normal any time during the year.), I will put a male in with a female for a couple days or until I see a lock, if they lock he doesn't go back in for a few weeks, if no lock he will go back sooner (I am a hobbyist breeder so a strict schedule is not as important for me as a business owner), I have bred males in the 500-550 g range without issue, but if I do and they stop eating they don't breed very many times so as to not tax them very hard, if they take meals occasionally they can keep breeding, with bigger makes they've got a little more staying power if they go off feed.

This is how I do things, it's probably not the same as many people because there's so many different, acceptable approaches that yield good results. My way isn't right, nor is it wrong. You should try to use the information you've gathered to find what method will work best for you. Hope this was helpful.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I don't cool, I pair year round, I do an heavier than usual feeding schedule for the females every 5 days when they start becoming voracious, I never pair more than 2 days at the time making sure each males get around their designated females once or twice a month (depend if the male is experienced or not) and I like my males to be around 650 grams and up.

No two people do things alike what matter is to find what works for you and your animal.

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[lunasjy]

Okay, thank you guys... hopefully my plan is a good one which yields good results. I am very excited for this and it is hard to hold back and wait for the right timing.

I do have one more question... really sorry but I just thought of this one. How often can a female be bred. Obviously you do not want to breed her a week after laying a clutch, but how long should you give her before breeding her again. In no research I have done does it give a "you should wait" blah blah blah. I have read some people wait three months while others say a year on a year off, and then some people say two years in a row, one year off and so on. Again this is probably personal but there has to be a limit. I have one female who had a clutch in May or June... I think June but after reading up it seems either I can breed her again this year or I should give her a year off... but I am very confused. I do not want to breed her if it puts her health at risk but at the same time she is a gorgeous mojave yellowbelly and I could make mojave pumas (in 2016) if I start pairing her this breeding season. So what should I do? Do I wait one more year or is it okay for me to breed her?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I give my females a 6 months break from laying to starting pairing again, but there are conditions, the first one it that she has put all the weight back on + some more, the second that feels right (that's a matter of proportion and feel).

In case of a female slugging out the female will have an entire year off before pairing gain.

Natures knows best and if the female is ready she will take..