Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just curious how often you guys are feeding your females after laying? My female went from close to 300g. to now weighing 176g over 2 months later. I've been feeding 1 small adult mouse every 5-6 days. Should I up that to get her back up? I didn't think she would lose that much weight since she layed a very small clutch. Thanks, Chris

I feed my females every 3-4 days. I usually feed a couple small rodents at every feeding.
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Greg Bennett - Western Hognose Morphs | Boa Morphs
520.Hognose (520.464.6673) - www.bennettreptiles.com

Thanks Greg. When you say a couple of small rodents are you talking about small adult mice or a couple of hopper size mice? My girl has a voracious appetite so I figure she would probably take 2 small adults every feeding.

>>Thanks Greg. When you say a couple of small rodents are you talking about small adult mice or a couple of hopper size mice? My girl has a voracious appetite so I figure she would probably take 2 small adults every feeding.

Depending on the size of the girl. I like not to see a bulge in them after they have eaten. A large 400 gram female will get 2 or so medium sized adult mice and a smaller (200-300) will get small - medium sized weaned mice.

I also like to feed chubby rat crawlers (pups) to females also. I try and mix it up.
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Greg Bennett - Western Hognose Morphs | Boa Morphs
520.Hognose (520.464.6673) - www.bennettreptiles.com

The same like Greg, every 3-4 days this is time where she want next meal. I give her one adult mice.

Best regards
Grzegorz

HOGNOSE BREEDERS worldwie - join us !

Here You have video from feedeing:

www.youtube.com/user/HOGNOSELIMITED#p/a/u/1/3F5za_Y_ZQA

Best regads
Grzegorz

HOGNOSE BREEDERS worldwie - join us !

After my females clutches I fed her the next day... I offered her as much as she would take in at a single sitting... Usually about 5 hoppers... I did this every 3 to 4 days after the first clutch until she was gravid again... Her food intake decreased as the eggs took up more space...

Since her second clutch I am feeding her exactly the way I explaind above and will decrease the amount of intake in another two weeks when she is back up to or a little over her pre gravid weight...

You need to feed your females a bit heavy especially after dropping their clutches... They need to replenish vital vitamins and calcium...

In my opinion you are under-feeding your hogs... They have higher metabolisms than many other snakes... What temps are you keeping your hog at if you dont mind me asking???

Thanks for the reply guys. Greg I keep her at 89-90 on the hot side and 76-77 on the cool end. This was my first time breeding hogs and didn't realize I should be feeding her so heavy afterwards. I've only bred subocs in the past and they are kinda touchy about being fed to much. They regurge pretty easily. I will bump up her feedings to an adult mouse every 2-3 days until she gets her weight back up. As for my 130g. male i feed him an adult mouse every 5 days and my smaller 50g. male I feed him a large fuzzy every 5 days as well. The babies are eating a pinky every 4 days if they will take it. All three babies are eating well. Thanks for the help.

Chris

After my female laid her eggs, she had gone from 360g to 190, and the next day I began feeding her an adult mouse every day as long as she showed an interest. After about 10 days se was back up to 380g. I still offer food every other day or so, and she usually is anxious to eat. She is not overweight, and is very active. The hot side of her enclosure is 90 degrees and the cool side is 74. I thought about double clutching her, but decided against it. Just my 2 cents worth.
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Greg Jackson

1 adult mouse every 3 days for a month after laying. At that time, it is usually easy to tell if they will double clutch. Normal feeding regimen for my adult hognose snakes is a hopper every 5 days for males, and a large adult mouse every 5 days for females. My adult males range from 70-135 grams, and the females 250-530 approximately. They do well on this regimen. This is year 4 in a row for me breeding hognose.

I guess I am not as analytical as most of you guys. I don't weight my hogs and as far as feeding after they lay their eggs I feed a couple days later and subsequent feeding depends on what they look like after laying. Personally I dont believe how much you feed them after they first lay, if they are going to double clutch they will. I have had females lay 14 eggs and be in great shape size wise and still not double clutch and hogs even with feeding every 4-5 days after their first clutch they do not double clutch. I think that we have to keep in mind these are colubrids not boas. People have said that hogs are hard to breed but hogs were the second snake I ever bred and have never had any problems. IMO alot has to do with your brumation period than anything else. Sometimes I think that people over think things but that is just my opinion.

How dare you not do things by the book??? LOL...

It has been working for me and like they say if it ain't broke don't fix it. LOL Dont get me wrong if what others do works for them than so be it but I am to busy running a roofing business, being a Dept. head at HOME DEPOT full time and breeding snakes something has to give LOL

I certainly don't overthink things myself...I don't even brumate...

You are another one who should be ashamed... LOL...

Personally I brumate my snakes... Mostly because it cuts down my feeding costs for a couple of months... LOL... That and I can judge my females ovulation much better...

I feel no shame.

I would brumate if I had a spot to. If I ever had to...I have been offered some space at a close friend and fellow keeper's houseto do so...but I don't need to. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

Exactly... If it works for you, no need for change... That is why I hardly ever go "by the book"... I have been doing things for years with great results despite what "by the book" keepers say...

I look at it this way if someone is doing what you would like to do then look at what they are doing and follow what they do. I use to be scared to death of snakes but with a daughter starting at Temple and my son going to Penn State the following year I wanted to still be able to go on my hunting trips so after I started hunting with Ted Thompson of Susquehanna Ectotherms I must admit I lost my fear due to the money that could be made but unfortunately, lol, I really got into snakes and the hog was the second snake I bought and I havent looked back. I truely love the little guys plus the money aint bad either. I currently have about 100 snakes not counting the babys I produce. Andy I am just wondering what temp are your hogs being kept at before breeding that you dont brumate and what is your fertility rates. I usually produce clutches of 10-20 eggs with this years average 14.
Thanks, Mike

Mike,

Roughly 40 good eggs, 7 unfertile so far this season, a couple more females still gravid, and one female, my red albino, double clutched and had 100% fertility the second clutch. I do drop temps ever so slightly in the winter. Summer temps are 78-82 ambient depending on time of day, with an 88-92 hot spot. Some people think that's too hot...I will let them keep thinking that. Winter temps are 74-76, with an 86-88 hot spot, and I feed slightly less at that time as well. Seems to have worked so far. I have not encountered a problem with hognose fertility aside from one female in particular.

Also wanted to mention that my average seems to be 9. Perhaps brumation would yield more eggs, but so far I don't see a reason for myself to do it, but if I happen to get set up for it in the future...well...everyone could use a break here and there from feeding costs.