is she ready....

[ms381]

I bred and got eggs from several Aug. 09 females this season, BUT they were 1800 and 1600 grams well before ovulating.
I wouldn't breed a 1000 gram female at 18 months old.
I started breeding them at 18 months old and they gave me eggs right about when they turned 2 years old.
Those eggs are due to hatch within the week

Some of the information I haveread, you can start the breeding process in February. Is this an option. Bythen she may have some good size on her to try? (if she doesn't go off feed) also I will not try if it could harm my female snake.

[mdfreak2]

Some of the information I haveread, you can start the breeding process in February. Is this an option. Bythen she may have some good size on her to try? (if she doesn't go off feed) also I will not try if it could harm my female snake.

yes if you can keep the room at a cooler temp you can breed any time of the year my person that i go through hasnt stopped breeding with different females all year she has had locks if you can keep the temps about right they will breed anytime

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I'm in the same boat with one of my girls... she's 3 years old but kind of a picky eater, so she is also around 1150g. Time for both of us to fatten up these ladies!

I had a three year old pastel female that weighted 1,000 grams full give me 2 bumble bees, a cinnamon, and a still pretty much unidentified morph this year. Sure is a good thing I didn't try to decide for her if she was ready to go!

1500 grams and three years old is a guideline for newer folks. It is the "easy" answer when a newbie asks how big and old does she have to be.

Just like there are small adult people, there are also small adult ball pythons. Doesn't mean they can't breed!

[PweEzy]

I start all my females pairings at 1200g.

Starting September i put females on every 3 day feedings till November. This will increase weight a good 2-300g as all my 2010 hold backs are now 1100-1400g. By pairing females up will get them into the breeding mode and want to pack on more weight. By time Ovulation happens their well over 1800g.

Just have to keep eye on the leaner females. They may be of weight and age, but long and lean can be trouble some.

Is that typically true? I have an 08 het pied girl that about 1200 that I was going to go ahead and pair up this year. Does the pairing really help to stimulate eating a bit?

[RichsBallPythons]

Is that typically true? I have an 08 het pied girl that about 1200 that I was going to go ahead and pair up this year. Does the pairing really help to stimulate eating a bit?

Yes, Females go on a feeding frenzy once they know its breeding time. At first may not seem like it but month or so into it they will begin to pickup and eat more and more.

[snakesRkewl]

Is that typically true? I have an 08 het pied girl that about 1200 that I was going to go ahead and pair up this year. Does the pairing really help to stimulate eating a bit?

It can and then again like the bumblebee we bred this year it can also mean they have a great chance at throwing slugs if they don't eat well.
I'm all for waiting for the female to eat her way to size versus breeding her and hoping she'll eat.

Some of the information I have read, you can start the breeding process in February. Is this an option.

Absolutely, that's what I did with both of my yellowbelly females, I waited until they hit 18 months old in Feb to breed them, their eggs are due to hatch in the next week.

[RichsBallPythons]

Like some stated, You can breed any time of the year, just harder in summer as the heat seems to put them off more.

I just started pairing my females up this week, and doing so has got them not sure whats going on yet. They didnt eat tonight as their settings changed with the male being put in. This will change next feeding once they realize why male is there.

[seeya205]

The way I look at it is that if they are ready they will go! If they feel they are not ready they will not go! In saying that, the bigger the female, the bigger the clutch I find!

[ImBooBy]

If you intend to breed early just keep an eye on your snakes. Some breeders just breed smaller females and males just because of the genetic value. Like Mike said, there are small adult people and small adult snakes. Ive seen 3 year old females that arent much over 1500g and I have a few year old females that are huge.
A 12 year old (human) girl can have babies doesnt mean she should. But if she was carrying a genetically valuable gene, weighs enough, and is healthy...then eh...up to you.
Personally, the smallest girl ive paired up at is 1400grams but she quickly gained 300grams before ovulation.