What would you do?

[loonunit]

I've got two young-ish females that are getting close to breeding size: a 1250 gram 2008 girl that has suddenly become an eating MACHINE and a 1080 gram 2007 female who's a bit more wishy-washy about it (only mice, and sometimes she skips a week just for fun.)

Now, I realize there's still a few months left in the summer/early autumn, and a lot can happen... but increasingly it looks like I'm going to wind up with a young animal that's up to size and an older animal that isn't.

So let's just pretend for a second that that's really what's going to happen: that come November, I'll have a 1600 gram 2008 and a 1300 gram 2007.

What would you do in that case? Breed the 2008 and let the 2007 keep growing? Breed them both? Or give them both an extra year and let them hit 2500 grams, and see if the squeeze out some 7-8 egg clutches?

[Lolo76]

If I'm not mistaken (still a newbie myself), size is more important than age... so I'd be more inclined to breed the younger larger snake, and let the older smaller one keep growing. I have one who's young but almost ready, too - a 2008 het albino who's pounding rats and around 1200g now. The way she's eating, I think she'll easily make 1500g by winter! Then I have a normal girl who's slightly older, but lingering around 1000g & eating only 2-3 small mice weekly (refuses all rats). So my story is similar to yours, and I'm only planning to breed the het '08 this season.

[mdjudson]

Breed em both... If they are ready they will take.


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[iCandiBallPythons]

Breed them both, the 07 should have the age.

[ClarkT]

I'd try breeding them both, but I'd wait til Jan/Feb to start pairing the 2007, just to let her get bigger.

I just put my male mojave with a normal female last night for the first time (she's 1600 grams) and they already locked up!

The more I have studied it out, the more I don't necessarily think it has to start in November. Maybe if you were in Africa, where they're native, but here -- especially captive bred -- they have no idea what "home" would be like. They're native to someone's incubator and snake rack. That's what they know. They know they smell each other and want to get it on!

Just my $.02.....I'm a newbie, too, so my $.02 is probably not even worth that...

[loonunit]

Breed them both, the 07 should have the age.

Right, I was wondering if her age wouldn't make up the difference. Though, yeah, if she's not completely off feed at that point, I might let her keep eating for an extra month or two to get her weight a little higher.

I have a friend who argues that once a female makes follicles, you might as well breed her, since it'll take as much energy to re-absorb them as to lay the fertilized eggs. Not sure if I buy that argument... but certainly if I can FEEL the follicles, the female is getting paired up with a boy straight away.

[Evilme5229]

You should be fine to breed them both. Good luck :-)

[PiedPeddler]

I would breed them both. In my experience, when she starts breeding, she'll start feeding strong. I go to smaller meals in the winter, but the females still put on lots of weight during our warm Arizona winters and are well up to size by the time they lay their eggs.
- Paul

[loonunit]

I would breed them both. In my experience, when she starts breeding, she'll start feeding strong. I go to smaller meals in the winter, but the females still put on lots of weight during our warm Arizona winters and are well up to size by the time they lay their eggs.
- Paul

"When she start breeding"--you mean she'll be eating in the winter while I've got her paired up with her prospective boyfriend? Or do you mean she'll start eating big next summer if I breed her this year.... ?

ps. where are you in AZ? I LIKE PIEDS. A LOT.