Posted by: FR



Thats an odd statement, "I hope they produce next year". Why would you say such a thing. They sound like they would have produced this year if you would have allowed it. Its occured you know. Females producing at one year.



Why didn't they, you ask? because you told them not to, thats why. You allowed a high growth rate, the upper areas of their potential. But stopped them from breeding by not allowing conditions that allow breeding. You need to consider, nature provides conditions to breed and growth at the same time. Hmmmmmmm more good questions are coming from you I hope. FR



OK Frank. Now we are really getting into mostly uncharted territory. I was very tempted to try a few of these huge yearlings at the end of August or early Sept. They looked large enough to lay eggs, meaning they look as large as snakes that did lay good clutches for me in the past.However as I mentioned these snakes happen to be part of projects that may indeed produce many uncommon snakes which are new to the hobby. I was thinking if they did breed this year...it may have affected their production for 06 which too 98% of us would have influenced the decision to not breed them this year. I remember you saying you bred what most would consider a very small Cal King and the female laid 10 perfect eggs which hatched. I may test this theory in my Speckled King projects next season, with a smaller than average female...but I could not bring myself to try this with my much more important[and larger] snakes this season. Some friends and I have great expectations for some of the things I am working towards and risking it seemed like a bad idea. Specifically....I was thinking why would I attempt to get one small clutch out of the female and stress her out late in the season when it seemed logical to think next year I would get twice as large of a clutch and most likely even second clutches. You are correct that I chose to wait for 06. However would you go as far to say I had no reason to worry over these things? I produced a clutch of 21 Corns this year. One stood out to me so I favored it and fed it more than the ones for sale,,,it's one of my keepers. It is doing great and growing at a fast rate and if it keeps this up I may just try and breed it late in the year next year without cooling it. An experiment of sorts. Many would frown on this but I will do it if I think it shows promise, it is not about getting an extra clutch, it is about knowing if it can be done. What I think is kind of lame about the hobby is we are brain washed into thinking there's a set of rules to follow or bad things will happen to your snakes, or they simply won't be productive. If I think something will risk the over all health of my snakes I will not try it....but, if the snake seems to be willing and able to try it I am gonna give it a shot. So what I getting from your reply which I reposted above is you feel the size of the snake and the fact it is thriving is enough of a sign that it can succesfully reproduce regardless of the time of year or the fact it has not been cooled? And also that if it did succesfully reproduce it should have little to do with what it is capable of the following season? That is my main question, and I will say that one of the reasons I chose not too try is because I like my snakes to be solid as a rock before I cool them....and many of my friends seem to cool their animals without so much weight on them...and I will ad they have good results as well. Thanks Tom Stevens

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