Bumble bee too small to breed?

[sookieball]

So she's about a year and 9 months and took an 6 month fast during winter/ early fall till about 3 weeks ago..(Idk how many months that is:-))
But she is just about 1200+ grams and feeding like its going outta style. She got thicker just over these past few weeks of 4-5 mice a week.
She won't take rats anymore.
And she regulates how many mice she eats all the time. Before she would eat about 3-6 depending on how hungry she felt I guess.

Would you breed her?


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[The Serpent Merchant]

I wouldn't, give her some time to bulk up, then give it a go.

[GR8DANE]

I wouldn't, I keep to a strict number of 1500g

[RichL]

1500g is the 'magic' number that most go for.. Some people will breed females that are lower in weight, but they are usually older. In my opinion, 1200g and not even 2 years old yet, is a bit early. If she was only 1200g and 3+ years old, I would say go for it.

That is my opinion though... I am not an experienced breeder by any means, but I have read a ton of information and this seems to be the 'general' consensus.

[RichsBallPythons]

I dont follow mythical forum guide lines of 1500g anything under is voo doo.

A healthy feeding 1200g female i would breed, as they will gain and be well over 1600g by time ovulation happens. But since your girl is coming off a fasting period i wouldnt breed her so she can get her nutrition back.


Nothing like having a female fast, eat then breed and possibly slug out from lack of nutrition, or get eggs and they go bad.

[WingedWolfPsion]

I would never breed a female that isn't 1500 grams at MINIMUM, going into the breeding season. On the few occasions I have had females that weight go off feed and wind up lighter, the eggs they produced were tiny and few. The females did not show continued fast growth over the next summer.

1500 grams and 3 years of age should be the goal to shoot for. Some 2 year olds that are well over that weight will do well, too. I wouldn't breed a one year old, that's ridiculous.

There are some photos around now of small/young females that have aborted their follicles, so that's one more thing that might happen as a result of trying to breed a female that isn't ready.

People are impatient, and it's not in the animal's best interests.

[RichsBallPythons]

I would never breed a female that isn't 1500 grams at MINIMUM, going into the breeding season. On the few occasions I have had females that weight go off feed and wind up lighter, the eggs they produced were tiny and few. The females did not show continued fast growth over the next summer.

1500 grams and 3 years of age should be the goal to shoot for. Some 2 year olds that are well over that weight will do well, too. I wouldn't breed a one year old, that's ridiculous.

There are some photos around now of small/young females that have aborted their follicles, so that's one more thing that might happen as a result of trying to breed a female that isn't ready.

People are impatient, and it's not in the animal's best interests.

The ops female is 21 months old, by time it would lay would be well over 2 years old. Not sure where you got 1 year old from.

The 1500g 3 year rule is fine and dandy for you to follow but its not a proven fact females must be this or they dont breed. Also not good to push it on others, experience prevails what one individual is comfortable with doing with THEIR snakes.

And breeding small females or young does not cause aborted Ova. This occurrence is very very rare. And the exact cause is unknown as to why females do so, cause some females have done it whos never been bred.


Ive stated this hundreds of times. There's a 6 years old female in my collection, I raised from day one. Shes barely 1400g been that size entire life, and has dropped consistently 5-8 eggs every year since she was 1.5 years old. Females being larger dont ensure better results on clutch size.

[sookieball]

Thank you to everyone for their very informative opinions.

I plan on attempting to pair her come august. A little after august last year was when she went on that fast as I recall.

Also she'll be just over 2 years old.
And if she keeps eating the way she is than I wouldn't doubt that she will have a healthy clutch, and still be OK after.

I did find on record
That when I first started pairing my larger female normal to my butter was when she went off feed. So maybe that was her way of saying no, not this season. :-)

But I'm gonna keep tabs on her weight and growth (shedding more often like she used too when she hit 1000grams) will be the sign that she's on the right track.



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[RichsBallPythons]

Some femlaes will go on fasts at the beginning of pairings. And as follicles begin to grow they pick up eating again.

[sookieball]

Some femlaes will go on fasts at the beginning of pairings. And as follicles begin to grow they pick up eating again.

Yeah someone mentioned also the 1000gram wall that some females hit.

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