Breeding (again)

[GoldSheep]

So from my other thread, I have 2 healthy pastels and 3 healthy normals (Waiting on 4 to come out.)

I weighed in my normal and she's at ~1750, no rat in her. Up from 1400 after laying. (haven't weighed her for 2 weeks and I might be incompetent with the scale since she usually moves a lot.) This is up from her last year's starting breeding weight of 1600, so I'm glad that she's growing. I know she doesn't care, but I tell her she's gorgeous, because, she is. I know she's a normal with a weird personality, but I don't care.

Male Pastel *finally* ate last week and is up to ~1500-1600 (moving around) from about a 2 month hunger strike. (assist feed 2 weeks ago, because I was getting nervous...) Scolded him today, told him to eat more. He should weigh more than my female being older... *sighs*

And my male normal is going into breeding mode and went on hunger strike. No signs of shed, and just stared at the rat (he usually hunts down the rat). I'll try again on Saturday (since sometimes he has fixed days of the week he'll eat. Weirdo.), but I think the change in light tells that it's time.

Since my female normal is back up to weight, looking pretty with her usual colors and staring down the male ball pythons ALL week, nonstop, not even going into the warm spot, I'm letting her breed again. I'm giving the male pastel a shot for a few days, though I probably will breed him less this year because I'm super nervous about him losing weight, even though he doesn't look unhealthy.

She was so into it, she stopped trying to escape from the enclosure and was checking him out with her tongue. =P

Hoping to buy a female cinnamon this year I've waited years and years for...

[angeluscorpion]

I wouldn't worry about your male pastel. It's not uncommon for them to go off of feed when it's time to breed. Also males are generally smaller than the females as a whole so I wouldn't worry about that either.

[coldbloodaddict]

If her last clutch hasn't even hatched yet, she's nowhere near ready to breed again!!! They only lay once a year and some won't even do that...

[GoldSheep]

He was having trouble during the summer... I wouldn't worry during the winter, but he should have been packing it in during the summer, but only took a few rats here and there. I tried mice too and smaller rats a few times because I was getting desperate. I was going to declare gerbil before he finally took a rat. He's very fussy about temps and humidity... very fussy.

The older male ball python was packing it in, though. And female normal was fine with it.

So I figure if I breed him less during the winter maybe I could get him to eat a few more times, pick up some grams to be healthier and hope in the spring he won't be under too much so he can pick up the weight again.

@coldBloodedaddict

It's been ~2 months since she laid. Eggs are hatched and I didn't maternally incubate. Her weight is up, it's naturally darker here earlier...so she should be fine. Most of the time she lays waaayyy late in the season anyway. (Around August 10th) also she's the type to eat until the last minute.

[coldbloodaddict]

He was having trouble during the summer... I wouldn't worry during the winter, but he should have been packing it in during the summer, but only took a few rats here and there. I tried mice too and smaller rats a few times because I was getting desperate. I was going to declare gerbil before he finally took a rat. He's very fussy about temps and humidity... very fussy.

The older male ball python was packing it in, though. And female normal was fine with it.

So I figure if I breed him less during the winter maybe I could get him to eat a few more times, pick up some grams to be healthier and hope in the spring he won't be under too much so he can pick up the weight again.

@coldBloodedaddict

It's been ~2 months since she laid. Eggs are hatched and I didn't maternally incubate. Her weight is up, it's naturally darker here earlier...so she should be fine. Most of the time she lays waaayyy late in the season anyway. (Around August 10th) also she's the type to eat until the last minute.

Yeah I know the time line for eggs hatching...She's not ready to breed again!!! Do what you want though...

[aalomon]

Yeah I know the time line for eggs hatching...She's not ready to breed again!!! Do what you want though...

+1. Give her a break. I wait about 6 months between a female laying and starting to breeder her again. Breeding a female constantly is stressful on her, its not just about the weight. Give her time to full recover.

[alpine]

I'd hold off... No need in stressing her needlessly and shortening her lifespan. Give her some time to rest and catch her breath... Maybe get her weight up more? But what you do is up to you, I personally would just hold off.

[GoldSheep]

Question:

I haven't seen any literature on frequency of breeding females among pro breeders. I see the same snakes bred year after year, with no caution on any of the breeding sheets besides weight. Could someone point me to the articles about frequency of breeding females? Also I have ?? about the pro breeders. Should I be concerned if I see consistent breeding of females year after year with no breaks?

I don't like taking advice blind... and yes, I do care about the welfare of the snake... I just need more info.

[snakesRkewl]

2 months is half the time off she needs to recuperate imo.

[aalomon]

This isn't only about ball python breeding, when you are breeding ANY animal where the lifespan of the mother is important you give her a break. Even fancy mouse and rat breeders put significant limit on how soon after and how many times they can breed total. Ball pythons are programmed to only breed once a year. Trying to do anything else is just adding stress to the mom.