Breeding Questions Keeping Me Up At Night

[hotelvoodoo]

Hi, BP folk. I am hot into my second breeding season here, but I have a lot more questions than I did the first year. Hopefully you all can help me out.

Let me start out by laying out last year, since that's obviously shaped some of my conceptions about breeding. In our first year we only bred one female, a six year old virgin normal. She bred probably six times, and I hadn't really noticed a change in her. She dropped off of food about 3 weeks prior to laying and a week or so before she starting acting weird: hanging out at the back of the cage, lying inverted, etc. We bred her until she refused to lock, about a month prior to laying. 3 pins, 1 lesser, and 2 normals babies later, and here we are at season 2.

So this year, we've got a lot more females up to size, and I'm super excited to see some morphs out of the egg. Most are females in their second year over 1500g. Most of them have bred four-six times. But, watching so many girls breed (seven TBE), they all behave differently. We've had a lot of locking going on, but it just brings up more questions.

1. We started breeding about mid-October (a little overzealous, I know). We witnessed locks right away. Keep in mind we're dealing with virgin boys and girls this year. Does beginning breeding sooner mean ovulating and therefore eggs, sooner?

2. Do snakes ovulate at different paces, and do they ovulate more readily the more they are bred? Could a female become pregnant from only breeding once? For instance, our het ghost female jumped up to size in late November and we put a male in with her. She only bred once and since has only been taking spotty meals, and has been unusually testy and laying inverted. She's just getting ready to have an unusual shed. She's also refusing to breed again. Could she be gravid already?

3. Most of our breeding females are still eating ok. Is that a bad sign?

4. Do they refuse to breed once they become gravid? I have a couple of females that are starting to refuse males, though some are not.

5. Last year, with Aurora, I totally missed ovulation. This year I keep looking out for it. But my girls are big as is, and it's really tough to tell. What are some good signs that we're heading towards ovulation?

6. Am I worrying about all of this way too early?

[Archimedes]

1. We started breeding about mid-October (a little overzealous, I know). We witnessed locks right away. Keep in mind we're dealing with virgin boys and girls this year. Does beginning breeding sooner mean ovulating and therefore eggs, sooner?

Generally speaking, yes. Depends on when the girls decide to take, and, according to some theories, what your temps are.

2. Do snakes ovulate at different paces, and do they ovulate more readily the more they are bred? Could a female become pregnant from only breeding once? For instance, our het ghost female jumped up to size in late November and we put a male in with her. She only bred once and since has only been taking spotty meals, and has been unusually testy and laying inverted. She's just getting ready to have an unusual shed. She's also refusing to breed again. Could she be gravid already?

To me, it sounds like she's preparing to ovulate. Watch for her glow, and obviously her distended belly routine. Is she bowl wrapping, seeking out warmer or cooler side of her enclosure?

3. Most of our breeding females are still eating ok. Is that a bad sign?

Not this early in the season. More weight never hurts, especially for breeding girls! Feed them til they don't want it anymore.

4. Do they refuse to breed once they become gravid? I have a couple of females that are starting to refuse males, though some are not.

Girls will begin to refuse males when they ovulate. It's not until after ovulation that they become officially gravid, since ovy is when the follicles become eggs. Sometimes though, the girls have just had enough and aren't in the mood, so keep pairing until you spot an ovy, is the general routine.

5. Last year, with Aurora, I totally missed ovulation. This year I keep looking out for it. But my girls are big as is, and it's really tough to tell. What are some good signs that we're heading towards ovulation?

Watch for the glow!! Their colors will brighten and lighten, and it's a big telltale sign of ovy. But then, it can all happen within 24 hours, so it may be hard to spot if you're only checking once every few days.

6. Am I worrying about all of this way too early?



It can never hurt to ask questions and have it all in mind! =] Sounds like everything is working well so far, fingers crossed for nice big healthy clutches!

[don15681]

Hi, BP folk. I am hot into my second breeding season here, but I have a lot more questions than I did the first year. Hopefully you all can help me out.

Let me start out by laying out last year, since that's obviously shaped some of my conceptions about breeding. In our first year we only bred one female, a six year old virgin normal. She bred probably six times, and I hadn't really noticed a change in her. She dropped off of food about 3 weeks prior to laying and a week or so before she starting acting weird: hanging out at the back of the cage, lying inverted, etc. We bred her until she refused to lock, about a month prior to laying. 3 pins, 1 lesser, and 2 normals babies later, and here we are at season 2.

So this year, we've got a lot more females up to size, and I'm super excited to see some morphs out of the egg. Most are females in their second year over 1500g. Most of them have bred four-six times. But, watching so many girls breed (seven TBE), they all behave differently. We've had a lot of locking going on, but it just brings up more questions.

1. We started breeding about mid-October (a little overzealous, I know). We witnessed locks right away. Keep in mind we're dealing with virgin boys and girls this year. Does beginning breeding sooner mean ovulating and therefore eggs, sooner?

not always. putting a male in with her can stimulate her into growing follicles. but I had already bred females starting in November and they didn't lay until the following dec 13 months later.

2. Do snakes ovulate at different paces, and do they ovulate more readily the more they are bred? Could a female become pregnant from only breeding once? For instance, our het ghost female jumped up to size in late November and we put a male in with her. She only bred once and since has only been taking spotty meals, and has been unusually testy and laying inverted. She's just getting ready to have an unusual shed. She's also refusing to breed again. Could she be gravid already?

yes they can go threw their breeding cycles with different timing.
it only takes one lock to get eggs. but with every lock ups your odds for getting eggs.
you should be watching your female for signs. when she's building follicles some things to watch for are: staying mostly on the cold side, bowl wrapping, laying inverted. when they ovulate watch for: the mid section swelling, heading and spending most of the time on the warm side, stopped eating, stopped breeding ( some will still breed) still laying inverted, perfect coil, tail swell ect...


3. Most of our breeding females are still eating ok. Is that a bad sign?

most of my females will eat during building, good sign to me. the farther they are in their cycle, you will need to start feeding smaller meals.

4. Do they refuse to breed once they become gravid? I have a couple of females that are starting to refuse males, though some are not.

some will, some won't. some will refuse and then breed. I see this when you're putting him in too much. they do need a break. the 3 days in 3 days out rule that some use. is more for when you're breeding one male to several females. I like one good lock every month thru breeding season.

5. Last year, with Aurora, I totally missed ovulation. This year I keep looking out for it. But my girls are big as is, and it's really tough to tell. What are some good signs that we're heading towards ovulation?

watching and keeping track of the sheds, in the vpi book they talk about the 4 stages in the females breeding cycle, and it's separated by the sheds.

6. Am I worrying about all of this way too early?

yes, not all females go during the peak breeding season. and some females don't go the same time every year. relax, breeding season is long, I just started placing some of my males with my females yesterday. my very first season, I bred 6 females, didn't start until January and all 6 had eggs. that was awhile ago. just keep placing the male with your girls, giving them a break is important also, don't over do it and have them lose interest in each other. when a weather front moves threw it changes the pressure and a good time for breeding. the snakes seems to like it. good luck, relax it can be a long road for some and others hopefully will lay in the spring.