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What is everyone's *personal* feeding/cooling/breeding cycle?

SirenSanJose

SirenSanJose

aka: dheideman
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I know everyone has their own preferences, and there's all kinds of info available online as to the "right" answer for brumating ball pythons for the best breeding results. I've seen everything from "I don't cool, I just put cold water in the bowls" to "cool for 4 months". I'd love to hear what you folks, PERSONALLY, choose to use as your winter schedule.
 
Never heard cold water!!

I do nothing but put males in at the start of Nov. and stop when the females are done like dinner! If I can feel good follicle growth I know and I have gotten the hang of that so I'm comfortable with saying she's had enough just look for the signs.

I offer feed as long as they are feeding they stop when they want not when I want. Males if they never stop feeding I'm even happier I would prefer they take a meal or 2 a month over the winter (never happens for me) to keep up stamina. If they start to look run down stop using them and try to get them to feed if they won't eat they are done breeding until they start feeding again!! Girls to I would rather they had a few small meals in Nov. Dec. just to keep weight up and it would really help those late goers.

Another reason I don't try to cool if a couple females stop feeding just because I cooled the room they my not be as big as they could have. Some girls go late some go early why let a girl drop 100-200g just for a cool month or 3.

My heat actually goes up a bit in winter I think. I have a pellet stove that heats the house so it gets hot in the snake room 86-88 degrees during the day or so 80ish at night plus rack heat all year. I guess you could say I cool a bit in the fall but nothing I do just natural temp variations and no more than a couple of degrees as I have heat in the snake room itself as well.

Feed them clean them give them plenty of water and when they get to weight do the same but put them together nature will take care of the other parts for you!!
 
I have the luxury of having my breeders in a room by themselves so I can cool without effecting the younger snakes.
I drop my ambient temps to 73ish on the floor and 75ish on the upper wall by the top of the rack.
My cool ends are about 73-75, I use long 41qt sterilite tubs equivalent in size to cb-70's so they have plenty of area to cool off in.
I leave my hot spots about 93-95 and the females regulate back and forth quite often during their cooling period, spending most of their time on the cool side and some of their time on the hot spot.
I feed heavily during Sept, October and November, each breeder female is offered 2 or 3 times a week and most of the big girls will eat 2 or 3 mediums a week during those months.
I slow them back down as they start to refuse, their feeding responses will slow down and they won't be acting like they want a piece of me anymore.

I do use cold water in my females bowls, they enjoy their cold bowl wraps :)
 
What is everyone's *personal* feeding/cooling/breeding cycle?
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I try to eat at least twice a day - don't always make it, but sometimes I eat 3-4 times; so I guess it all works out.
I prefer not to let myself cool down too much - in fact, I have a terrible time sleeping if I'm cold - but a fan in the bedroom works wonders during the summer.
 
hhmoore said:
I try to eat at least twice a day - don't always make it, but sometimes I eat 3-4 times; so I guess it all works out.
I prefer not to let myself cool down too much - in fact, I have a terrible time sleeping if I'm cold - but a fan in the bedroom works wonders during the summer.
Click to expand...

:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Harald you always make me chuckle. I love your deadpan sense of humor.

I cool 10 degrees starting at 8pm till 8am, I start this at the beginning of October and continue until late spring. After a month of this I introduce the males for 4 days on 3 days off, except a break the whole time the males are in shed. I try to feed my girls every 2-3 days, and will give them as much as they prefer to take. The males I feed once every 5-7 days. 5 for the younger guys and 7 for the larger older males. Then about 5 times a day I beat my head off the wall because it's not going fast enough. I must be sadistic to pick a hobby that requires so much patience, when I possess absolutely none.
 
I cool every year and have been extremely happy with the results. I kick day temps and light timers down a couple degrees in december and start raising temps and lights again in March. I drop the night temps about a degree and a half slowly starting in late November. I usually move the males to the bottom of the racks to cool more. My average temp runs 84 hot day 81 hot night with cool side at 72 to 74.

I have had very few slugs and high success rate using this method and plan to continue. However, I have some girls who start showing signs earlier than that and I accomodate them with a male every few weeks with a male who may be ready.

While very few breeders will eat during the cooler temps for me, I don't usually put anyone in unless they are able to handle it. I will wait another season for those who's weight is borderline or keep them in a non breeder rack with normal heat and try them later if they make it up.
 
hhmoore said:
I try to eat at least twice a day - don't always make it, but sometimes I eat 3-4 times; so I guess it all works out.
I prefer not to let myself cool down too much - in fact, I have a terrible time sleeping if I'm cold - but a fan in the bedroom works wonders during the summer.
Click to expand...

Smartass :p
 
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