What should I do?

[Kinra]

My normal female has to be close to 1900g on empty. She was 2050 the last time I weighed her earlier this week, but she wasn't empty then. I'm trying to decide if I should try to breed her this winter or wait until next year. I have no idea how old she is, but she's never refused a meal with me and I've had her almost a year. She takes a medium rat every 6 days. Should I breed her this year or keep packing weight on her for next year? I've been thinking of throwing my spider and my enchi at her, a female of either would be a great addition to my collection.

I'm also trying to decide what to add to my collection next. I've been thinking of picking up a male pied now that my pyb is eating again. She is 50% possible het for pied and it would be great to try to prove her out. I plan on getting my next addition at NARBC, but I'm not sure what I want to pick up. I've been thinking about getting a male pied, a male BEL or a female firefly. What do you think I should get next?

[seang89]

I'd say shes big enough you can breed her. Since you dont know how old she is, how big was she when you got her? If she was a decent size and you've had her for a year, she sounds like shes had at least a couple winters on her already. I bred my female at 2000 G this year, got 7 fertile eggs.

[Jay_Bunny]

1900g is a good weight for breeding. I'd go ahead and begin breeding her this season. As for a new addition, I'd go with the pied. Even if your female doesn't prove out, you could end up with pastel yellowbellies het for pied. Raise up a female or two and breed them back to dad.

[Kinra]

She was probably about 600-700g maybe a little more when I got her in October '10 but she wasn't being fed correctly, she was a pet store purchase. They were giving her a mouse a week, and being a dumb pet owner I followed their schedule untill Feb when I realized it was wrong. She's gone from 869g in March to the 1900g range this month when I switched her to rats.

[Jay_Bunny]

If she was that size in October, she could have already been a year at that time. Now that you've had her for almost another year, she should be old enough (she's big enough) for breeding.

[llovelace]

I agree with everything Jay stated

[MakiMaki]

I think you could breed her this season.

As for your next purchase, I'd vote for the male pied or female firefly. The pied makes sense because you've got a female to prove out and would be on your way to making pyb pieds. The female firefly would be a nice addition because it's always great to add nice females to a collection.

Good luck!