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Well this weekend so far is turning out crappy, and being the beginning of our breeding projects to start giving birth. We have a few girls ready to burst in the next few weeks and this particular project was one we were not 100% sure took. The good news is she did have a litter, the bad news nothing survived. I take this one rather personal. Because aside from the babies looking premature they may have had a chance, just maybe.

I noticed the mother digging into her newspaper bedding all week and a few days back she turned over her water bowl. So I had to clean that up just because I wanted a clean cage for her to settle in. I did not even think that maybe this extra curious behavior from her might be nesting period. I even fed her a medium rat the same day of cleaning the water mess. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Then last night she went under the newspaper and I did not really check in on her as I did not want to disturb her. This is where I believe it’s my fault.

This morning I had planned on cleaning a few cages and there was an odor coming from her cage, I assuming she defecated or regurged the rat. As the smell was rather similar. I was wrong on both counts. When I checked on her I noticed something that was not herself but a very protective mother attitude. It hit me like a kick to the stomach, I knew something happened and I could not do anything. I got her out of her cage and then looked under the newspaper and feel to tears of which I been crying all day about. A whole litter destroyed.

I take fault here because I think the babies if they were alive then suffocated under the wet newspaper from the after birth. It literally was air tight around each baby. It took me some time to build the courage to search the whole cage. But I knew I had to do what I think every breeder wishes they did not want to do. I found some still wrapped up but no egg sacks holding them together. A few slugs as well and then even a deformed baby too.

The numbers are:

8 dead Kahl Albino Boas
1 deformed kinked Kahl Albino Boa
9 slugs

3 of the dead Kahl Albino Boas I think would have been beautiful babies had they survived as they looked perfect and I love there pattern and amount of coloring they had already.

All this from a Kahl Albino x Coral Albino breeding, now all I can do is wait and see if the other 2 Coral Projects (Coral x Coral) and another Coral / Kahl Project (Coral x Kahl) prove to be better and with some success. Being rather new to breeding I was wondering, well I am asking from breeders who have more success than me a few questions.

Is it possible she gave birth early at 109 days?

The biggest Albino was 11 inches long roughly, so is that a clue to premature birth?

Was feeding her a medium rat 6 days prior, a possible result in giving birth to soon?

Is it possible she may have more babies coming, that are still within her (not sure if there are any left)?

I was waiting for a waxy stool to better know if she was indeed gravid but there was none, any reasons why?

She ate (helping her gain some nutrition) every 2.5 weeks a medium rat without a problem, is it normal that a female eat during her gravid period this regular or at all?

I appreciate any help. Below are some rather graphic photos I took after washing the babies clean to later freeze them for more research later in the next few days.

And this is the deformed kinked baby; aside from the best three I mentioned above, the others that looked formed were not 100% perfect as I noticed the jaw lines show a disfiguration as well. Who knows maybe there is some truth to breed pure Albinos, next year we will try pure with hets as well and see and hope better results.

Thank you for reading.

Here they are after a half day in the freezer. I knew I was pretty attached to my animals but seeing babies not making it really does hit you hard.

Redhydra,
...Don't beat yourself up over this. With the high percentage of defects and slugs and the small size and the fact that none of them look fullterm colored up I am almost certain they were laid so prematurely that none would have survived. I have had many litters of Brazilian Rainbow Boas born under and between sheets of slimy newspaper and healthy fullterm babies have no trouble pushing their way out of the mess to breath.
Jeff

>>Well this weekend so far is turning out crappy, and being the beginning of our breeding projects to start giving birth. We have a few girls ready to burst in the next few weeks and this particular project was one we were not 100% sure took. The good news is she did have a litter, the bad news nothing survived. I take this one rather personal. Because aside from the babies looking premature they may have had a chance, just maybe.
>>
>>I noticed the mother digging into her newspaper bedding all week and a few days back she turned over her water bowl. So I had to clean that up just because I wanted a clean cage for her to settle in. I did not even think that maybe this extra curious behavior from her might be nesting period. I even fed her a medium rat the same day of cleaning the water mess. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Then last night she went under the newspaper and I did not really check in on her as I did not want to disturb her. This is where I believe it’s my fault.
>>
>>This morning I had planned on cleaning a few cages and there was an odor coming from her cage, I assuming she defecated or regurged the rat. As the smell was rather similar. I was wrong on both counts. When I checked on her I noticed something that was not herself but a very protective mother attitude. It hit me like a kick to the stomach, I knew something happened and I could not do anything. I got her out of her cage and then looked under the newspaper and feel to tears of which I been crying all day about. A whole litter destroyed.
>>
>>I take fault here because I think the babies if they were alive then suffocated under the wet newspaper from the after birth. It literally was air tight around each baby. It took me some time to build the courage to search the whole cage. But I knew I had to do what I think every breeder wishes they did not want to do. I found some still wrapped up but no egg sacks holding them together. A few slugs as well and then even a deformed baby too.
>>
>>The numbers are:
>>
>>8 dead Kahl Albino Boas
>>1 deformed kinked Kahl Albino Boa
>>9 slugs
>>
>>3 of the dead Kahl Albino Boas I think would have been beautiful babies had they survived as they looked perfect and I love there pattern and amount of coloring they had already.
>>
>>All this from a Kahl Albino x Coral Albino breeding, now all I can do is wait and see if the other 2 Coral Projects (Coral x Coral) and another Coral / Kahl Project (Coral x Kahl) prove to be better and with some success. Being rather new to breeding I was wondering, well I am asking from breeders who have more success than me a few questions.
>>
>>Is it possible she gave birth early at 109 days?
>>
>>The biggest Albino was 11 inches long roughly, so is that a clue to premature birth?
>>
>>Was feeding her a medium rat 6 days prior, a possible result in giving birth to soon?
>>
>>Is it possible she may have more babies coming, that are still within her (not sure if there are any left)?
>>
>>I was waiting for a waxy stool to better know if she was indeed gravid but there was none, any reasons why?
>>
>>She ate (helping her gain some nutrition) every 2.5 weeks a medium rat without a problem, is it normal that a female eat during her gravid period this regular or at all?
>>
>>I appreciate any help. Below are some rather graphic photos I took after washing the babies clean to later freeze them for more research later in the next few days.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>And this is the deformed kinked baby; aside from the best three I mentioned above, the others that looked formed were not 100% perfect as I noticed the jaw lines show a disfiguration as well. Who knows maybe there is some truth to breed pure Albinos, next year we will try pure with hets as well and see and hope better results.
>>
>>
>>
>>Thank you for reading.
>>
>>

Sorry to hear about that. In my opinion they were too early to live, I have had litters born completly under newspaper, and all did great. The rat MAY have been a factor, that could also explain the lack of a waxy stool. 109 days should have been enough time, but if she stayed slightly cooler sometimes they need a little more time. Hopefully next year works out better for you and her. Good luck. Craig

Next Year, Next Year.
-----
Joel Pretz

I don't feed gravid girls more than 2 times after the post ovulation shed. I've heard of females feeding all the way through with no problems and others having premature babies from being fed too much. So that may have been a factor.

Sorry about the loss....don't beat yourself up over this....they may not have made it. Take care, Andy
-----

Sorry to hear of your loss. You can't beat yourself up over this,any time you deal with Mother Nature, you never really know the outcome. We really don't believe in Albino X Albino breeding, due to the fact it is a weak gene to begin with. Although, there have been a number of breedings that have worked out. We feed our females up to 2 weeks before giving birth, however, we give them very small food. Also all the counting, and calculating, sometimes seem to be for naught, we had a female who went for almost a year, it was so long, that we had determined she was really not gravid, then out of the blue, she had babies. We didn't catch it right away, and none of them made it. The really odd part is, they looked premature. Sorry to be longwinded, when breeding boas, it can be a real emotional rollercoaster.
-----
Rick & Sherry
All American Redtails

I know it is very hard to lose little ones...Take care.
-----
Paula
"ALWAYS LEARNING"

Have a GREAT day!!!!!!!

Thank you everyone.

like that. Don't let it get you down though there's always next year