Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How often do you breed your females? Every year or every other year and do you see a difference with clutch size.
Thanks,
Steve

Attempt every year as long as they are healthy and up to size...no ryme or reason for clutch size.
Travis
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LAIR OF DRAGONS

I have read that some breeders give the females a year off...I have done it before. It does make some sense...the females in most cases stop eating while they are breeding and then during the whole pregnancy process. If you add up all the breeding months and the time until they finally lay their eggs, it's a long time without eating. The egg shells take calcium from the females and that might affect them if they breed year after year.
That said, this year I got all my large females that bred last year back to breeding. Two of them weren't interested at all. The others are currently pregnant. I think if they are healthy, have been eating regularly during the off season, and are of good weight, there is no reason not to get them to breed every year. They stop eating during the breeding season anyway. However, if the female hasn't regained her weight, looks thin or unhealthy, I would not breed her and would give a year off.
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Sed et serpens erat callidior cunctis animantibus terrae quae fecerat Dominus Deus...

I agree....
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JEMreptiles@gmail.com from sunny AZ.

Lots of cool Ball Pythons along with
0.0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty and some great Bull snakes.
1.1 Argentinian Black and White Tegus
1.0 Gotti Pitbull (Tank)
2.0 Beautiful Bengals (Stryker and Cynbad)
12 Tarantulas
Last but most Important 2.2 Children

I feed females through the breeding season....if they want to eat...just smaller meals but most eat. Its when they stop eating is when I know they are ready....
Travis
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LAIR OF DRAGONS

I offer them food during the breeding season too (usually smaller size rats than during the off season) some eat, but most don't
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Sed et serpens erat callidior cunctis animantibus terrae quae fecerat Dominus Deus...