Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My wife finally sent me some pics (I'm currently overseas). As you can see by the pics, another bad year....Only 2 good eggs out of 17 in one clutch (Pic 1), and 1 out of 7 from a smaller female - one slug is not pictured (Pic 2). I don't know what to make of this, but it is obvious there may be some infertility issues...? There were two other 3' hets that were bred this year, but they never laid ANY eggs (Maybe the males and/or females out of the last two pair were not big enough yet?) So far, I have had nothing but poor results ever since I began this project and it is barely showing results. I think next year I will be throwing a new male (caramel) in to the mix. I seems as if the golden gene is also one with weak fertility included? I have also bred other corns and many kingsnakes in the same room for many years and have had almost 100% fertile eggs with all of those. I have also done a little line breeding with some of those other snakes as well, with excellent results (I limit this to only one time, max for related animals). For now, the only challenge I have is with those golden corns. So what do you all think of this? I welcome your input. Thanks in advance.
As for now, I guess I will just have to be patient.....?

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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

Sorry to hear about the poor fertility results this year. It's really hard to maintain a collection- much less establish a new gene- while working away from home. Our families can only do so much for us. I've been watching your progress since the initial pictures of the wild caught animal. Continue trying man- there's alot of us who are "pulling for ya"- keep up the good work!

Graham
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Thanks for the support. Yeah, the economy back home left me little choice but to do this overseas thing once again. My wife and older sons (who also work), have done a good job so far, and based on what I've seen and the fact that they have hatched many other eggs for me in the past, I know they are not to blame. I do wish that things would have turned out a little better for for all of us, since I am not too thrilled with the results so far. I have thought this over and over and can't come up with any really good answers, but I am confident that next year WILL be the year (the corns will then be more than big enough to breed and lay more fertile eggs (hopefully))
Other than that, all of my hets and the few golden corns I DO have are all doing very well.
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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

maybe its a beginner of a new morph thing?? i remember reading that the original bloodreds were picky picky feeders... maybe the golden corn has fertility issues at first and the lineage needs to get stronger? keep up the good work and thanks (again) for serving our country!!
~kin
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~Sober Serpents~
www.freewebs.com/soberserpents
Tons of Corns, Creamsicles, A Black Rat, A pair of Leucistic Black Rat X Leucistic Texas Rat Intergrades, Thayeri, Cal Kings, A Jungle Corn, Ball Pythons, A Pair of Albino Nelsons Milksnakes, Colombian RTBs, An Argentine RTB, Leopard Geckos, Crested Geckos, 2 Snapping Turtles, an Eastern Box Turtle, a Bearded Dragon...probably more i'm forgetting...

I forgot to add that a lot of my baby golden corns have also been VERY picky feeders themselves (very few of my baby Okees, albinos and normals are), with some of them eventually dying. Last year I gave all of my baby golden corns & hets (who refused to eat) to an experienced snake keeper and good friend who also knew all the tricks of the trade into getting corns to eat. I figured that this would help my chances, since my wife and sons don't have the experience that some of us have. Strange enough, one by one they all started dying, even though a few of them did eat a few meals and seemed like they were coming around.
But as you know, the ones that are eating good, are doing great and eating like normal corns and putting on good weight!
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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

Those corns will be a big hit when they finally "hit." A bunch of people are on the edges of their seats, so we can all wait another year.
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Jack Jeansonne

Thank you. As you know, I will do my best. At least I know that I have a few of them who are doing very well - as good as any cornsnake! So I know it IS possible! I do have a good feeling about next year!
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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

Sometimes this just don't go as planned, things happen, and some times you even get better things from the "little" things that happen....

I have also had clutches that only pproduced 1-2 eggs, and some of them that have hatched are some of my best producers, case in point, I have a female Amel. het. Carmal that layed 24 eggs 4 me this year and all have hatched, and 18 of those babies ate on the 1st try.......And she was from a clutch of 15 with her being the only viable egg......

I think she is trying to make up 4 her siblings not making it and having AWESOME clutches....lol

(((Sometimes this just don't go as planned, things happen, and some times you even get better things from the "little" things that happen....

I have also had clutches that only pproduced 1-2 eggs, and some of them that have hatched are some of my best producers, case in point, I have a female Amel. het. Carmal that layed 24 eggs 4 me this year and all have hatched, and 18 of those babies ate on the 1st try.......And she was from a clutch of 15 with her being the only viable egg......

I think she is trying to make up 4 her siblings not making it and having AWESOME clutches....lol)))

That IS good news, and I'm glad it turned out that way. It is always good to hear when you succeed at last - against all odds. I am sure sooner or later things will improve with my project as well. It has to! It is nature's law (of survival)!!! Soon I will have golden corns that will look nice AND eat like some of my other garbage guts, LOL!
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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

>>Thank you. As you know, I will do my best. At least I know that I have a few of them who are doing very well - as good as any cornsnake! So I know it IS possible! I do have a good feeling about next year!
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>>"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

Hey Zee,
To echo everyone else. Sorry for the problems and thanks for the efforts.
It may take a little time but I seriously believe you will get the golden corn project up and running and we will all have them one day.......and then we can breed them to tesseras.
can you imagine tessera goldens....Man oh man
good luck and stay safe
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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THAT WOULD BE TOTALLY AWSOME!!! Thank you fo giving me even more inspiration to make sure that this project WILL be successful! (And of course there will probably be countless other morphs that can come out of this). But I WOULD love to see a Tessera golden one day!

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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

With time and persaverance anything is possible, there may be forks in the road,but it is what you do with those forks that makes the differance......Good luck and keep on trying!!!!!

Thanks -
The time WILL come......!!!
Adversity... without it, life would be INCREDIBLY boring!
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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

I'm one of the guys who's introducing the Tessera corns this year. It has proven out to be a Dominate gene... If you're ever interested in trying to combine the two (my Tesseras and your Golden Corn), let me know. I'll happily do a breeding loan with you- I'd love to see your Golden Corns established in the hobby!

Thanks,
Graham Criglow
www.scexotics.com

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I got your e-mail. And thanks for all the pics. Those are some beautiful corns!

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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

Zee, One cool thing you have to think about while you're out serving your country is that when it comes to golden corns,you're the only person who has them!!That's cool stuff!! Take care!! Jeff

Thanks Jeff. (I may be sending you an e-mail in the near future concerning THAT topic).
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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-