Male Breeding Size

[BHReptiles]

I have a male lesser who clocked in at 300g tonight. As soon as he's physiologically capable, he's going to go to my buddy's pastel girl for this season. Yes, I understand it will be a little late getting started, but we want some pastel lessers! I'm hoping he's ready by Christmas. He's been a great eater for me. My question is this, how do I know when he's ready to breed? I've never bred my snakes before, they've really only been pets. I know to look for sperm plugs, but is that something I'll just find laying in his tub or is that something I need to pop him for? My popping technique is great on corn snakes but not so great on ball pythons, so if I need to pop him, I'll need to find someone local who's more experienced than me. Any help would be appreciative.

I forgot to show off the father to be...These were taken when he was about 200g.

[Mike41793]

You may find them in the tub or you may not. If you pop him you may see them. Id advise you to aim him away from you when you do pop him in case he is producing lol.

[BHReptiles]

You may find them in the tub or you may not. If you pop him you may see them. Id advise you to aim him away from you when you do pop him in case he is producing lol.

The sad part is...I would have never thought to do that. But then again, this is the same boy who ALWAYS poops on me when he's popped/probed...thus why it's always done over his tub with gloves on I had to get a new keyboard because he pooped on mine and it smelt too bad to warrant keeping.

[JaGv]

wouldn't he be to young to breed this season?

[snakesRkewl]

wouldn't he be to young to breed this season?

This season just started.
Last season I bought a fire male in October and he bred at 440 grams and between 6 and 7 months old.
I don't think beginners should be breeding males this small though, just my opinion.

[JaGv]

from what i've heard and learned he is still on the small side to breed and even by xmas he will probably be around the low 400g's. maybe breeding him sometime next year would be best imo.

[RobNJ]

You'll know when he's ready to breed when he breeds...not every male will go when you think they're ready. I have a male yellow belly that took 4+ years.

[BHReptiles]

Around Christmas he's going over for quarantine. He won't be bred until early next year. I'll also not be doing the breeding. I'm basically just loaning my male out.

[aalomon]

IMO as long as he keeps feeding, there isnt a problem with breeding a small male. I paired my pastel butter when he was 350ish grams and this was the result



The pastel butter kept growing and is now sitting at a little over 800g. Now, you do have to be careful breeding smaller males. My rule is they only get to see their girl if they are eating, they start a food strike and I pull them. There is also the chance that even if he is producing plugs he wont breed. Even though my pastel butter male started young, my pewter waited until he hit 700g to give the ladies a second look

[SlitherinSisters]

I bred a pretty small male my first year of breeding. I think he was around 300 grams when the season started and 400 close to the end. I've had a lot of luck getting sperm plugs out when I popped males that are ready to go and I didn't have to pop them all the way before getting the plugs out.