Power feeding

Originally Posted by Junkyard

I do know of people who breed colubrids at 9 months. Whether that is healthy, I have been told it is, I don't know. I have two kingsnakes that love to eat, but they have not grown tremendously in the 6 or so months that I have had them in my possession, yet I feed them twice a week.

ummmm Michael.... this is the python forum !!

just kidding bro...

i wish i could make my retics breed at nine months... that cut down on some down time.

Harold... every big breeder i have talked to about retic reproduction always gives my a different story... retics are a lot harder than these guys would like people to believe.

Originally Posted by esoteric-lizard

retics are a lot harder than these guys would like people to believe.

ever stop to think that maybe you just aren't getting it? lol
Of course they give different stories...the "big" breeders are the ones that have been doing it since before there were books on the subject and the internet was a common household tool. They had to figure out for themselves what worked and what didn't. Just because something worked for one of them, doesn't mean it will work for someone else...unless that person can duplicate everything to a tee. I've never tried to breed retics, so anything I say on that subject is a combination of heresay, conjecture, and an attempt to relate information about other species.

Another point to consider is this: Just because people powerfed boids to get them to breeding size sooner (in this case, speaking of retics), doesn't mean it worked for them. They like most animals (humans included) CAN breed at a younger age and smaller size than many people think or want to believe. That doesn't mean it is a good idea, that it won't cause problems for the female, or that viable offspring will be produced. Just because a dog goes into heat at 6 months old, doesn't mean that she is ready to have a litter...but if there is a male in close proximity, you can bet he's gonna do his thing. And snakes don't have to deal with the little voice in their head saying "I can't do it, she's just too young". If she is big enough to breed, it might happen...heck, look at it the other way: if she isn't big enough to say NO, it might happen.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

ever stop to think that maybe you just aren't getting it? lol

yes i have...

Originally Posted by hhmoore

Of course they give different stories...the "big" breeders are the ones that have been doing it since before there were books on the subject and the internet was a common household tool. They had to figure out for themselves what worked and what didn't. Just because something worked for one of them, doesn't mean it will work for someone else...unless that person can duplicate everything to a tee. I've never tried to breed retics, so anything I say on that subject is a combination of heresay, conjecture, and an attempt to relate information about other species.

any person who wants to breed retics must have animals that are very established, kept in a quiet area, and you need to reproduce what would happen in the wild. like using multiple males for a female... etc.

in other words, the best model to follow is nature.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

Another point to consider is this: Just because people powerfed boids to get them to breeding size sooner (in this case, speaking of retics), doesn't mean it worked for them. They like most animals (humans included) CAN breed at a younger age and smaller size than many people think or want to believe. That doesn't mean it is a good idea, that it won't cause problems for the female, or that viable offspring will be produced. Just because a dog goes into heat at 6 months old, doesn't mean that she is ready to have a litter...but if there is a male in close proximity, you can bet he's gonna do his thing. And snakes don't have to deal with the little voice in their head saying "I can't do it, she's just too young". If she is big enough to breed, it might happen...heck, look at it the other way: if she isn't big enough to say NO, it might happen.

retics are tricky... they are a whole other animal. you can witness copulation multiple times... even see what you believe to be ovulation... and they lay slugs or they absorb. its the female who makes it happen... the breeder has only a small part in things.

Originally Posted by esoteric-lizard

its the female who makes it happen... the breeder has only a small part in things.

Ain't that the truth. Seems like that is always the way