Brumating and female size for breeding

[jstar]

Do most of you breeders brumate for 8 weeks? Do some of you go longer or less? Last year I went without food but with heat for 2 weeks. Then went for 8 weeks of dark and cool. Next question I would like to ask is if a 281 gm female is too small for breeding or close enough to the 300 gms most breeders seem to look for. I have a female that is 281 now and I am itching to breed her.

 

[bekers71]

Do most of you breeders brumate for 8 weeks? Do some of you go longer or less? Last year I went without food but with heat for 2 weeks. Then went for 8 weeks of dark and cool. Next question I would like to ask is if a 281 gm female is too small for breeding or close enough to the 300 gms most breeders seem to look for. I have a female that is 281 now and I am itching to breed her.

I wouldn't go any less than 300 grams just to be safe. If you pull her out in the next couple weeks, feed her until she's ovulating, she will probably hit 300. You need to make sure she is 3 foot long and in good shape, not fat.

 

[jstar]

Thanks Bekers. I have debated whether to keep feeding and then brumate or brumate and then feed. Just was hoping to breed her this year. My other snakes have been brumating for 2 months already.

 

[KDRGM]

i would have to agree with Bekers on the weigh side of thing at least 300 grams and for the brumating , i've had my corns away for 2 months now they come out on 16th feb cant wait to breed ist for me and my corns

 

[KDRGM]

1st not ist ( sorry slip of the finger) lol

 

[jstar]

Thanks again

 

[pgr8dnlvr]

I put mine down 1/2 way through October and will likely be waking them up just one week from now! I too don't brumate unless they are 300 grams or more and are healthy as can be. I kept up the slightly smaller ones and have fed them the whole time, if they look good, I'll try breeding them, but of course will have lower fertility rates due to no brumation

Rebecca

 

[bekers71]

I put mine down 1/2 way through October and will likely be waking them up just one week from now! I too don't brumate unless they are 300 grams or more and are healthy as can be. I kept up the slightly smaller ones and have fed them the whole time, if they look good, I'll try breeding them, but of course will have lower fertility rates due to no brumation

Rebecca

I've always wondered how accurate that statement really is. I have had females brumate and some not. The ones not brumated seem to lay just as many healthy eggs as the girls who were. I wonder if there's more to it than suspected. Hmmm...

 

[Buzzard]

'but of course will have lower fertility rates due to no brumation"


I dont burmate. I have large healthy clutches from my girls....I think burmating will set the biological timing for some snakes but I disagree with the fertility of a snake because of burmation.

 

[jstar]

If you do not brumate how do you choose when to breed? May be a silly question, just have never done this. I live in NY and it is much easier for me to shut down the breeders (save a little feeding $$) and take advantage of really cool weather (especially this year) I know you southerners do not necessary "brumate" the corns but how do you figure out when to breed?

 

[bekers71]

]If you do not brumate how do you choose when to breed?[/B] May be a silly question, just have never done this. I live in NY and it is much easier for me to shut down the breeders (save a little feeding $$) and take advantage of really cool weather (especially this year) I know you southerners do not necessary "brumate" the corns but how do you figure out when to breed?

When the weather changes around the middle to end of Feb, the females instinctively know the seasons are changing. They also begin gaining weight rapidly. Once they shed I put them with a male. About 99% of the time I can tell by looking at my females if they are ovulating or not. There's only been a couple times the females weren't ready yet but on next shed they would breed.

 

[Buzzard]

^^^^ What she said^^^^^

I look for the shed that comes in Feb/March.

I raise my own food so I save cash on food there. Also the temps around here flucuate so much it would be hard to keep a good cool temp for the burmation cycle.