What is the youngest you'd breed a female ball?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

18 months old female minimum 1500 grams, though I rather breed bigger girls.

[West Coast Jungle]

I go 18 months 1500-1600, most dont take that early but I have had some do.

[Bill Buchman]

18-20 months and 1600 grams.

[T&C Exotics]

I refuse to breed a female younger than 3 years old. No matter the weight at any age younger she will be 3 years old and atleast 1500 grams at that age.

I am one of those odd ones I only feed once a week nothing more and nothing less. I know a lot of people do feed more often and everything and thats great for them but I would prefer my snakes to live longer and have a better life. It is just an opinion but that's the way I feel. I have nothing against anyone who does any different, we each ahve our own ways. Mine just works best for me and I feel the snake gets the best care that way.

[SlitherinSisters]

I have heard horror stories and plan to breed females no sooner than two years, preferably three years. I don't want to deal with impacted eggs or a bunch of slugs. What's one more year when it comes to your female's life. I'm not a gambler.

[Wh00h0069]

I have heard horror stories and plan to breed females no sooner than two years, preferably three years. I don't want to deal with impacted eggs or a bunch of slugs. What's one more year when it comes to your female's life. I'm not a gambler.

These horror stories can happen to larger girls just as often as they happen to smaller girls, if not more. Smaller girls will not become gravid if they are not ready, so your chance of them becoming egg bound are slim. Also the eggs they produce are smaller than larger females, so the egg size ratio is the same. There are many larger breeders, including Adam Wysocki that breed small females with no issues. Here is a link to a post by Adam on this issue: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...smaller&page=3

Also most likely the people that have told you the horror stories have not actually had the issues themselves. They likely heard them from someone that has heard them from someone who heard it from someone else...

[Eventide]

I haven't started breeding yet, but my plan as of now is to only breed when the female reaches 1200 grams and at least 18 months old. This is absolute minimum, though. My het Axanthic female should be able to reach that weight by winter, but at that point, she will barely be 18 months. I'm not comfortable with breeding her that early. I might breed her mid-summer, depending on her weight, but most likely, I'll be waiting another year for her.

[grim reaper in NY]

I agree with Isis, 3 years minimum. It's worth the wait.

[PythonWallace]

I refuse to breed a female younger than 3 years old. No matter the weight at any age younger she will be 3 years old and atleast 1500 grams at that age.

I am one of those odd ones I only feed once a week nothing more and nothing less. I know a lot of people do feed more often and everything and thats great for them but I would prefer my snakes to live longer and have a better life. It is just an opinion but that's the way I feel. I have nothing against anyone who does any different, we each ahve our own ways. Mine just works best for me and I feel the snake gets the best care that way.

What makes you think that feeding any more or less than once a week will cause a snake to have a bad life and die any sooner than a snake that has a different feeding schedule? I'm sure you're just playing it safe, but what makes you think that a snake that gorges for a few months, then fasts every year, or a snake that eats a larger meal every 10-14 days would have a worse and shorter life? I'm just curious, because I see people say this a lot, but as far as I know, it's all speculation, making it just as likely that a snake that gorges itself, then fasts will end up living longer.

[guambomb832]

I would breed probably a 2 year old female, or how some people say it, a female who has gone through her second winter.

PS
To Isis, nice doberman pinscher, I have always wanted one!