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Feeding Pre- and Post-Partum mommies, please!

CornBoy

CornBoy

New member
First time breeding for me and for the snakes too! :)

Queen Wrath's time frame:
Pre-lay shed 18 days after mating, laid 19 eggs 31 days after mating.
Today she is STILL in a cool hide, 16 days since laying her clutch, still alive, not shed yet. Had tried to feed her right after laying, but got refused.
Should I be concerned? should I try to force her out?

Jenny's time frame:
Pre-lay shed yesterday, 47 days after mating. She appears gravid and is starting to hang out in the lay box. She should be ready to lay soon, should I still offer her a mouse? I'm just afraid it might not digest well if she is hanging around the cool lay box...

Thanks for advice!
Rob
 
My females are generally eager to take a small mouse straight after laying, then go into their post lay shed. 16 days after laying would worry me, personally, I'd try her in a feeding tub with a hot hopper/weanling overnight
 
I think it's likely the mom who hasn't eaten for 16 days has gone straight into blue. After she has her post-lay shed, she'll be hungry!!
 
Thanks, she must be ready to shed (and eat) any day now... :)
After I had first discovered and then stolen her eggs, she stayed in the open lay box for a couple of days, and had no interest in any food. When she finally did leave the box, she went straight into hiding under the newspaper lining beneath the substrate on the unheated end of the tank and she hasn't moved since. Regular weekly feedings came and went, she wasn't interested. I check on her from time to time. She last ate 22 days ago, reluctantly accepting one of the two mice offered - that was 6 days before laying.

It is such a different scenario between the two mothers, both bred at the same time, the one still expecting was actually bred a day earlier than the postpartum one. Jenny ate 9 days ago, so I'm not that worried about her, just wondering if it would benefit to keep feeding at this point.

I guess I'll thaw one mouse and see if anyone wants it... :)
 
OK here's the update, postpartum Queen Wrath shed yesterday morning, 18 days since laying. On a whim I offered her 3 FT's, she scarfed them all down.

Gravid Jenny did eat 1 FT three nights ago, seems no worse for wear, spending her time going in and out of the laying box. :)

Thanks again for the replies!
 
My females actually never loose there appetites, even when there a week from laying (like most do) I will greatly downsize the item of food they get right before laying though because I'm worried about clogging up there tube shaped body's before they are ready to go into labor. All of my corns (and snakes for that matter) are on rats because that's what I breed and pre-kill to feed them. I've had no luck with breeding mice. because of this my feeding schedules are a little different since rats are a heavier meal item. I feed females every other week, unless they need weight put on along with my males, males just get a smaller food item. my boys typically get a rat fuzzy, while my girls get a pup. I have one very large female who eats large weans. she gets skinny if I give her anything smaller. point being (sorry about bunny trails)

If this is their first time breeding, it is normal for them not to want food. This must be confusing for them. although instincts take over, its still something they have not yet experienced. I would not worry about your girls unless you notice them loosing weight, if that's the case try to offer a small pinky or fuzzy to entice, or off to the vet with them for a post lay checkup.
 
Mine are usually hungry except when they are really close to laying. A few smaller things like hoppers or fuzzies is easier on them than a bigger mouse. After laying I offer food, most of mine eat right away but some won't until after post lay shed. I usually feed smaller items after they lay too and gradually work my way back to adult mice.
I like to feed females that just had a clutch a bit more often in case they need to build up reserves for a second clutch.
 
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