So You wanna be a Breeder?

[Drew87]

Another thing i wanted to add was shipping, Cold weather and warm weather. What temps they wont ship in, little extra things they might add to the box, shirts pens etc. Tim Bailey does a GREAT job at this.

[Rock star Reptile]

Here is a question I have yet to figure out.
I have a male Bee that I would love to breed to my Large female Pewter.
My bee just hit 500 grams.. But has no intrest.
How can I tell if he is ready?
Is there a sure fire way?

Thanks in advance.

[BAMReptiles]

is he popping plugs? if so he's able to breed. give him a few chances, he should come around

[snakesRkewl]

I have 2 one year olds I'm working with and I think mostly it's patience and just keep reintroducing till he figures it out.

What is it that you admire out of the Ball Python Breeders that you have dealt with?
Good communication, nothing makes a sale go more smoothly than having a seller available for questions should you have one.

[loonunit]

1. Absolutely none of the breeders I have dealt with have been creeps; they've all been very professional, very enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge, very helpful when I had questions. I did get one underweight-looking snake from a breeder this year, and I've got a bit of a red mark in my mental notebook next to them--but otherwise, I'd very much like to continue to see more of the same. I LOVE YOU ALL.

2. I want to see more thought put into avoiding inbreeding, particularly when working with recessive trait combos. I want to see some people exploring breeding for good temperament and health, not just good looks. (I also have a pair of pure-bred pointers. Can you tell?)

3. I want to know more about maternal incubation. Setting up for it, back-up plans for roll-outs, humidity and temp control, tub cleaning procedures, when to expect the mom to move off before hatching. You know, just EVERYTHING!

[loonunit]

Here is a question I have yet to figure out.
I have a male Bee that I would love to breed to my Large female Pewter.
My bee just hit 500 grams.. But has no intrest.
How can I tell if he is ready?

People already addressed the sperm plugs. I'm wondering: Is he hungry? My males eat and eat and EAT AND EAT... and then they suddenly stop.

If he's still hungry, I'd feed him up nice and fat for a month. If he's not showing interest now, I'm guessing he'll show it in another 100 or 200 grams?

(of course, my 1200 gram 2008 boy just decided to spend two weeks cuddling with his girl before getting down to business. GAH.)

[ClarkT]

I'd like to know how many breeders breed year round, and virtually don't pay attention to "breeding season" per se.

I keep seeing that someone's snake just laid more eggs. Does it just continue year round?

For those who do breed year round, Do you just constantly pair them?