How long after pairing do you usually expect copulation?

[hungba]

How long after you put the male and female together do you usually observe copulation? Or expect to?

How long afterwards if you do NOT see a lock do you assume it is time to move the male on?

I just put two together and its only been 15 mins (hahaha!) but I see the female "raise her tail"! However, the male's tail is no where near the female tail. I read that the male will "court" the female but I don't know what that looks like.

I have opaque tubs which makes it kind of hard to check.

By the way, if he (the male) is not interested yet, should I move him to another female? Or wait a couple weeks before doing that?

[CapeFearConstrictors]

This season I've paired early in the morning when I clean (around 7-8 am). Occasionally I'll have a lock around noon, but most of the time I get a lock late that night, or by the next morning. I give my males 48 hours with each girl. If I don't witness a lock, I will pair the male again. If I do see a lock, the male gets a few days off.

I like to spray down my paired snakes the first night if they haven't locked already. I think it helps spread the pheromones around the tub.

Give them time before you move them. More than a few times I've seen a lock happen after 36 hours.

Hope this helps.

[Sama]

Give him time, I tend to leave mine in with the girl for 2 days if I don't see them lock. 3 on 3 off is something you hear a lot, although some people pair them much slower. Lol, give the poor guy a chance!

[hungba]

Man this is the first time trying for me. I'm psyched!!!!

Like I said in a previous post, the male was moved from top part of the rack to the bottom half (to allow the different thermostats to allow for cooling while the top section is still heated to normal temps) and he went off feed despite never having missed a meal in its lifetime even during shed before this. This was 3 weeks ago. I was worried this spooked him but talked to a well known breeder and he said this may be a good sign and told me to try putting them together.

I hope this works as I have 5 females breeding size and only one male. If it really doesn't work I guess I can borrow my friend's black pastel het albino male he said he can lend it to me.

I'll meditate and send him horny dirty thoughts!

Like I said I noticed the female raising the tail immediately. Darnit in my life, it's usually the females that aren't interested when I'm ready to go, but then again I'm not a nice handsome pewter color.

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Give him time, I tend to leave mine in with the girl for 2 days if I don't see them lock. 3 on 3 off is something you hear a lot, although some people pair them much slower. Lol, give the poor guy a chance!

I know I'm a mess! LOL!

So if in 2 days he's not interested, do I cycle him for a couple more weeks before I put him with the next female? or do I put him with a prettier girl?
Because the plan was to cycle the temps for a month from Nov 1st to Dec 1st before pairing, but the same person who advised me that said that since the male went off feed he may be ready to go and go ahead put them together. The male was the best eater before he went off feed out of all the snakes I have ever owned. I hope the tub switch was ok.

UGH! I'm all pumped up! YAAA!!

[adamfritzsche]

This so far has varied for me. Usually I do not see them lock up for a few hours, but some have waited a day or 2. This is why it is generally a rule of thumb of 3 days in and 3 days off. If the male locks the first day, as soon as they are clearly done, he is taken out and still gets 3 days off. After his 3 days off, I will put him back with the female or another female if I am attempting to breed him to multiple females. Rinse and repeat until ovulation. It is a game of true patience.

I myself have a pastel female that is clearly wanting to breed. She does the tail wagging as soon as I put a male with her. I have put several males with her in the last 2 months, yet none have locked with her, that I have seen. Even males that are breeding with females.

[hungba]

With regards to feeding schedule while breeding. If it is time to feed a female, and let's say she just ate, do you not put a male with her? Do I only put a male in when she has an "empty stomach"?

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How long after you put the male and female together do you usually observe copulation? Or expect to?

This so far has varied for me. Usually I do not see them lock up for a few hours, but some have waited a day or 2. This is why it is generally a rule of thumb of 3 days in and 3 days off. If the male locks the first day, as soon as they are clearly done, he is taken out and still gets 3 days off. After his 3 days off, I will put him back with the female or another female if I am attempting to breed him to multiple females. Rinse and repeat until ovulation. It is a game of true patience.

I myself have a pastel female that is clearly wanting to breed. She does the tail wagging as soon as I put a male with her. I have put several males with her in the last 2 months, yet none have locked with her, that I have seen. Even males that are breeding with females.

Hey Adam, (I am assuming that's your name? Sorry if I am wrong.) How long do you drop the temps for before you start pairing? I have only dropped the temps since Nov 1st and was planning to pair on Dec 1st. However, I was advised to try now by a well respected breeder because the male went off feed. That's really what I am asking. If the male isn't ready yet should I keep pairing him or let him settle into the lower temps for a few more weeks?

[Sama]

If you see him lock I would pull him and give him a 3 or 4 days to rest and attempt to eat, then on to the next girl. If you don't see a lock then I would give him 2 to 3 days with her, then pull him for 3 or 4 days again to rest and eat, then pair him with another. And on and on until you see ovulation or eggs.

With so many girls just keep an eye on your boy's condition, I pulled a boy last year because he was a breeding fiend but would not eat for 5 months and was looking thin, course of my 2 boys going to one of my girls, even getting pulled 2 months early, he still was the one to get the job done! Last year was my first year so I understand exactly what your going through, I think I sat next to my rack all day the first few times I paired, and when my eggs where layed, and when they 2 weeks from hatching, and 1 week, and 5 days, and 3, 2, 1... And of course I still spend a lot of time looking at my babies, and they are almost 3 months old!

If after a few pairings you haven't seen a lock, you can try putting in shed from another male to let the boy realize he might have some competition, worked for me last year = )

[adamfritzsche]

This is my first year breeding myself, but after TONS of reading, I am am on the side of the fence that ball pythons will readily bread with or without cooling with the same amount of success. Therefore, I am not cooling. My ambient room temp is roughly 81°F with maybe a drop of 1 or 2 degrees at night with the natural cooling off of the house. And hot spot is about 90°F.

That all said. If he is up to size and producing plugs. You can just start pairing. When the male and female are both ready, they will do their thing. I myself have a few males that are being stubborn that are proven breeders and they are currently not doing anything. I am just hoping that it is just early and when they are ready they will go.

[hungba]

If after a few pairings you haven't seen a lock, you can try putting in shed from another male to let the boy realize he might have some competition, worked for me last year = )

Where do I put the shed from the other male? With the male when he is with a female? Or in between in his own tub? I heard some people put sperm plugs from another male onto the female. I don't have any other adult sized male though. Would shed from a young male work? If not I will ask a friend to ziplock up some of his male snake's shed. His albino is a horny mofo breeds every year.

HECK Maybe I don't have to!!! Huh! Maybe I will get up tommorow morning and they will be locked!

The problem about the bit you said about feeding is that he had been eating great all the time then in early to mid oct he stopped completely. He is nice and fat though at a good weight. I don't know if he stopped because he is ready to breed or he was excited because he got into a tub that had a female in it before. I rinsed the tub to no avail. Before putting him back a few days later I may try washing the top part of the shelf above his tub. Last week I even tried putting him into his own old tub, which had not moved and still had the same newspaper etc. and he got aggressive striking defensively. I put him back in the new tub and he was calm again but not eating.

[hungba]

Do you peeps think that playing Snoop Dog's "sensual seduction" in the room will help? LOL!