Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Why is it that im seeing eggs hatch rite now and my females havent even layed yet. I followed the info to a "T" and im still waiting.
I will be moving my breeding up a couple of months this next go around.

Here's the thing...

Your snakes don't go on the internet and say "Hey!! Those girls are laying.. maybe I should!!"

I still have females breeding...

It happens when the snake makes it happen. Nobody is going to tell you otherwise.

Patience.
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www.HeathersHerps.com

-Ohh, what a Lady-

Balls for Life, Baby!

Where are you at? If you're in a warmer climate they tend to lay later generally. I have 1 clutch due in 2 weeks and my other 3 girls havent layed yet. One went through pos and the other 2 are about to. I'm in Texas.
Chris

Im in southren California.

You can move your breeding schedule up all you like... you may still not get eggs until May, June, July....

The female decides when she will ovulate... you have no say

We have had 2 clutches hatched already, 1 in the incubator right now and lots more due to be laid within the next 2-3 months.

Patience my friend!
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globalreptiles.ca

I think people get to technical about "Breeding "Season". I control the environment to a certain degree, so I will be manipulating the breeding between my animals this season. I think I am going to buy a couple of normal females and cool them a few months before the others and see what happens. I also noticed my animals didn’t start breeding until we got some rain in California. It’s probably decreasing barometric pressure and humidity witch I couldn’t control. People told me breeding frilled dragons was a long hard process. It only took me a month or 2 to figure out all I had to do was feed them heat them and spray them with water in the morning and they would produce several clutches a year. We shall see.

Yes people do get too technical about breeding season.

No matter when you begin cooling and pairing up, the female determines when she is ready to ovulate

I had a female ovulate in August last season.... patience!
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globalreptiles.ca

it's not up to you.........it's up to them and what you do........I start breeding in October /November and I have 1 batch so far from 39 females......they lay, when they want.......

......start breeding the girls now for next year>?....won't work...

......light cycle and tyemps, and age.........

....people really buy alot with tax money..so if you are late you can sell them 08 babies in 09 with their returns......really......February is "buy" month...I don't know why.........they buy now and in between,,,but really Feb is good......and why feed them from now till next Feb?.......BTDT

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Thanks for the heads up about February.

Yea....just trying to make you feel better...

truth?...some of these balls are hatching so early......makes me wonder if they aren't really really late 07's......

they might just in betweens....not the usual 08 and not really timed for late 07.......some first time breeding balls can be made to pay at odd times.......I think once they get the cycle set to themselves they stick to it....

as said......light and temps are important.....and food for first timers....
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I guess if they gave you guarantees then yeah they lied to you -- when it comes to animals there are no guarantees - ever. Other than that -- it's all about timing and patience.

When it comes to ball breeding we don't have the weather advantage here in So. Cal. -- but the eggs do come -- eventually.
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Tosha
JET Pythons

This is my first breeding season. It's going well I think. I pinch myself every morning. I started breeding here in So Cal in late October. I'll be breeding until next fall. That's right!! Year round breeding. My goal this year was 40 clutches. I have been flying by the seat of my pants. You read, surf the net, talk with a lot of breeders with more experience than you -- which was EVERYBODY!!! Observing behaviors for the first time is difficult because you don't know for sure what you should be looking for. lol

Background:

I have a lot of early clutches compared to others it would seem, and another 18 girls as of today which have ovulated. Also, by the end of this week I will have 4 hatched clutches. I am breeding all sizes/ages of females both proven and virgin from 1200 grams to 3600. I am breeding quite a few less than 2 year old females(a couple 18 months) who are between 1350 and 2000 grams. Some of my girls have been bred 10 or more times over the last 6 MONTHS and have not ovulated. I just got a 6 egg clutch last night from a 1400 gram girl who had been bred TWICE over a 2 week period. A person could go nuts trying to explain that -- so I don't!!!. Just keep pairing them.

I TRULY FEEL for those in any part of the country that have been doing all the right things and are not having the success they think should expect.

I do a couple of things differently(NOT "BETTER"than others may which might account for my having so many clutches on the ground. I think it HAS to be my environment in my breeding room. It's certainly not my experience or that I have "magical breeding ball pythons". If any of the following helps anyone I'm glad.

Almost all my females are in 41/CB70 tubs. Less than 10 small girls are in 32qrt. My rack temps are 90 on the hot spot 24/7. My ambient temps are 82-86 day and 79-82 night. I don't cycle lights. I don't really do any cooling. I have run out of rack space for my breeders, so I have to wait until a girl lays and I move a new girl, who I have been keeping on food/growing from a warmer room into the 'new spot" and put her into a rotation with a male or 2.

If I had to point to the one thing that makes my environment work it would be HUMIDITY!!! My day ROOM (not tub) humidity runs at 62-65%. Nights are 68-75%. This high humidity, along with even a moderate temp drop is what MAY send them into lock-up mode. The constant belly heat and feeding the females as much as they will eat, I think helps them develop follicles and OVULATE. We have not had any rain to speak of here in over 8 weeks or more. My breeding has not slowed down at all. I don't wait around for weather. We don't have much here -- so I make my own. Am I tricking them by taking advantage of their drive to reproduce???

I use a Honeywell humidifier I picked up at Home Depot for $100. 11 qt. I think? It has a 3 speed fan and humidity control. I am sure others will work, but make sure you go BIG or it won't get the humidity high enough.

I offer food (small rats) to females 1-2 times per week and males every week.
I have no idea how to palpate and I don't have an ultrasound. I guess I am doing it old-school! I am starting to develop an ability to tell when they are about to ovulate. My girls are going 14-18 days from ovulation to pre-lay shed (soaking the whole time!) and most are laying right at 25 days post shed. If they are late it is 1-3 days -- so far.

I still feel like I don't know anything,(BUT I HAVE EGGS!!!) and it won't be until I am able to apply what I am learning from this season to next that I will be confident. Maybe every breeder feels that way to some extent -- not a bad thing!!! Keeps you open to new ideas.

Hope this helps.

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Bill Buchman

Being in California compared say... here in Michigan where it was still below freezing into May, make a HUGE difference. The animals are affected by the temps outside and humidity outside. They are also affected by barametric pressure which will be more African like in California and Florida and other places by the ocean than in my area of the country.

Africa actually has a significant rainy season - these fluctuations in barometric pressure is what supposedly helps trigger "breeding" season - I can't say for Florida - but So Cal - we don't get much fluctuation and if we do - it's usually in the wrong direction.
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Tosha
JET Pythons

I understand and that is exactly what I said. The humidity near the ocean is greater than far away from the ocean. The barometric pressure near the ocean is higher than far away from the ocean. That was my whole point.

not the tropics. Storms of any type, snow or rain cause pressure drop. Other than an occasional storm front every couple months we don't get big pressure drops. We have had a dry winter out here as anyone from Santa Barbara to San Diego can attest. Whatever humidity that is beach related in California ends about 2 miles inland -- if that far. Our winter in California is about the furthest thing from the African winter as you can get. I am sure that every region of the country has its issues whith regards to weather and breeding. I assure everyone that California has no storm/weather/pressure advantage over any other region of the country except maybe the southwest??? I have to go crank-up my humidifier -- it's DRRRRY out here!!!
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Bill Buchman

Honeywell humidifier.
Thanks

Not only will cycle vary based on where you are and the weather but now after being late this year, if you move it up next year you produce very little as your animals will not get the weight back up in time to have a good season. I usually have eggs being laid over a month ago and I am still 3 weeks away from my first clutch this year. Most people are late this year due to the weird weather.

I have groups of up to four females to one male. That is the maximum females I use. I would rather have more breedings per female than more females per breeding. I started cycling in october and started pairing them up in november. Usually rotating the males every 3 to 7 days. I started the male with a female from group 1 then group 2 & so on. Yet I have had females lay from all groups, not just the first bred. I currently have 22 clutches laid with about 60 more to go. Looking at various shed dates, post ovulation sheds, etc, I should still have females laying through june or july, and I only bred them from the beginning of november to the beginning of february. Hey ball pythons are smart!! If they can figure out a way to frustrate you THEY WILL.
Bruce Delles c/o Twin Cities Reptiles
CELEBRATING OUR 30TH YEAR IN THE RETAIL REPTILE BUSINESS

Last year I had to females lay in August..

This year in S Florida, all of my large females were eating like pigs well into January. I wait till the first cold fronts come through and then start cycling. The cold fronts were late and few and I did not notice any breeding till very late Jan and Feb. I have lots of fat females but I am not expecting any clutches for a few weeks yet, I still have a couple of females that are still breeding. I think it has a LOT to do with local climates, you can mist them, you can drop the heat and raise it again when YOU think it is time, but it is VERY hard for you to duplicate barometric pressure that comes with cold fronts and rainy season.....bottom line is they will breed and drop when they get the right inputs. Two people doing the exact same things at the same time but in different locations will get different results.