My goal is for females to be at least 400 grams going into the cooler the previous fall, which results in females at least 500-600 grams by the time they're breeding.
However...
I got an anery a year or so ago that was sold to me as a proven breeder and arrived not skinny, but weighing around 250 grams. I figured i'd been taken. But she was under 300 grams this spring, if i recall correctly, and still bred.
I remember once a fella brought a double het for snow by the house to show me, appeared to have average body weight for her length, but she was well under 300 grams. I admired her but told him, "you know, she's gonna be too small to breed next year."
"Heck," he told me, "she bred THIS year." I wiped some egg off my face. A mutual friend later confirmed the prior year breeding.
So imho, over 400 might be a nice goal for a minimum starting weight, but these animals are capable of a lot we don't give them credit for. As is the case with people, there's more to it than just age and weight. (Does anyone think there aren't husky, "healthy", guys in their 20s seeking help at fertility clinics? Is there any question kids abhorrently young and scrawny father/mother kids sometimes?)
I realize the goal is HEALTHY reproduction--both for the offspring and the parents. I'm just saying there's optimal, and there's a range outside optimal that may be equally "normal" to the snake but surprising to us.
Thoughts worth what you paid for them!
peace
terry
