Well put Grey, and great idea to post this info/short write up. I will share the my 2010 story that is much as yours and try not to make it too long winded ... but you might grab a soda or brew and have a lil read if your so inclined.
After producing my first litter of Cherry salmons in 2008, in 2009 I mis-timed a pairing for a second Cherry litter and nothing came of it even though there was a big ovulation post pairing (was with a different female).
This year I decided to pair up my Cherry salmon male with the nice clean normal columbian that (together) gave me the small but nice litter in 2008 (15 babies and two slugs).
Back to this first litter planned for 2010 ... now after 100 days POS of eager and anxious daily anticipation, and watching mom display perfect form for a healthy litter my spirits were in high gear. The female was looking nice and thick, using heat conservation position on and off the heat like clock work. I was just sure that I was gonna get a nice big healthy litter from the two from all indications ... and she was so much bigger than she was when carrying the 2008 litter of 15 and two slugs. I was high on the thoughts of so many nice babies dropping one afte the other, in simple succession.
Then on day 101 POS I saw her lining herself along the back of the cage with tail down the end wall of the cool side of the cage and saw her contrations start, first moving the percious cargo up to her mid section wave after wave from tail to mid body. Then finally her tail moved up and to the side and I noticed her tail was starting to ecpand as whatever whas inside now lined up for delevery.
While by my count it did seem about a week early, maybe i mis-counted my dates.
In no time a orangish red glow became visble from her cloaca. My heart skipped a beat and for some reason I had a negative vibe of energy pass through my entire body head to toe. I shook it off and reasured myself 'stating with a slug ... hmmm ... okay, there has to be so many lil wigglers in there I can live with that". Then came another and heart skipped another beat. "She must have pushed a few slugs to the front of the line when she did her pre-delivery alignment sequence" I told myself. Then another, then two more that were stuck together as they battled to see which first would hit the open air. At this point there was not heart skipping a beat as it felt like it stopped and had come to rest inside my chest.
I then sat there for 20 minutes as one after the next after the next, and next (yada yada) hit the air within the cage. I am now hitting rock bottom on this 'nightmare' that just aint supposed to happen in my reality ... well shoot not to me at least! The delevery from the book of the dead ended with a count of 36 slugs and one still born/premie.
I was sick to my stomach as this was gonna be my bang to start the 2010 season off, especially since I was not able to produce a cherry salmon litter in 2009. Needless to say I was bummed for days and really emotionally upset to have witnessed this happen to me for the first time. Everything was done right. Male courted female for nearly 6 weeks straight. Saw the ovulations happen. The male, whith this female, were a proven pair. I as the husbandrey sherrif dotted my 'i's, I crossed my 't's ... I remember I did!
Moral is it happens. When it does it takes no prisoner's nor asks permission or leave with an apology of any kind. When a litter that everything looks perfect slugs out ... well ... there just is not anything you can do but take your medicine, accept what just happened as part of the risk we take to breed the animals in our care in hopes for the best. And with that hope, we must also (at times) take the worst.
But when that dance of the boa Gods does hit every note perfectly from the into to the fade out ... man does it make it seem as all is well within the world that day!
The End (God I hope)
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Trey Stowell
BoaCraft Reptiles
Wichita, KS
www.boacraftreptiles.com
trey@boacraft.com
Mom is good she took last yr off and is looking good for this upcoming breeding season. I agree if you that alot of new breeders dont realize the bad and only think of the good. Sorry for your bummed litter of slugs there is always next year as long is mom is doing good you can always try again later.
