New baby BP questions

[bojo]

Hi
Let me start off by saying thanks for such a wonderful website! It has given me a lot of info and helped develop strong opinions in the world of BPs. My parents have agreed to buy me a male het albino BP for my birthday so of course I have some questions for the future. I have purchased a 36Lx23Dx21H vision cage and already have most of the inner things set up. The snake is supposed to be purchased from a trustworthy breeder (8 years of business) by my local reptile specialist store. My future BP is just an egg right now...but hopefully he'll hatch soon...I'm still waiting for that information. Anyway, I was wondering if putting the lil' guy into the big cage right away would make him feel insecure. If so, how long should I wait to put him into his big cage? I was also wondering if purchasing the egg and hatching it myself would be stupid. I mean it's a big ivnestment and a big risk...but to hatch my first BP seems like something very special. I've never owned a BP before but have around ten years of herp experience. I've also never bred or hatched anything so....seems like a bad idea. Still it would be awesome to share his first breath and such. Um.......I think that's it. Thanks for your advice in advance!

[Wizill]

that is a pretty big cage for a hatchling. and i don't know of any breeder that is going to sell you just an egg. even then, the chances of it still hatching after the temp. fluctuates during the moving of the egg are very slim.

Ball pythons stress very easily and in my opinion, the smaller the cage the better when they are young. You want to make sure the snake is an established eater before giving it too much room.

Also, about the egg.....if you move them once the embryo has attached to the inner shell of the egg, you will kill the snake inside. So thats completely out of the question.

[freakoverdose1]

Please for the sake of all ball pythons...do not try and hatch that egg yourself. This will be your first ball, then obviously you have no experience and from what i can tell have no knowledge of incubating your egg. And the thought of even trying to move it from its place is obsurd. Let it be born and then take it. IF this person is an experienced breeder i am sure he wouldn't let oyu just take the egg anyway.

Yes your cage is is way to big for a hatchling and i would recomend something smaller to start.

Welcome to the forum and I hope we can all be a help to you.

[bojo]

Gotcha...egg....bad idea....

[bojo]

So just house it in a ten gallon?

[freakoverdose1]

Ten gallon would be perfect..

[bojo]

So at what age/length should I move him into the vision?

[freakoverdose1]

in my opinion a ten gallon will be suitable for about a year, then you can move him/her.

[Wizill]

you'll be able to tell when he needs a little more room.