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 #1872516


WorkoutMachine
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 Up to size???

Hey all,

With everyone now talking about this year’s breeding season being upon us, I thought I would try to figure out when my pastel girl would be ready. She was born July 7 of this past summer. She currently weighs 250grams. I was just trying to run some quick calculations to see if she would possibly be up to size by next breeding season...

She’s growing at a minimum rate of 90grams per month. And if I decide to attempt to breed her when she weighs 1500grams, that gives me almost 14months from now to get her up to size with my current progression. I’m not power feeding her at all... I give her one adult mouse every 5 days... I’m guessing that as she gets bigger, she will put on some weight a little more quickly mainly because she will be fed bigger mice. So maybe in about 12-13 months she will be up to size. Now this is all hypothetical if everything works out as I have projected. If she’s not up to size, then I’m not going to breed her next season...

But my main question is:

Is it possible for a female to get up to size in about a year a half?



10/01/08  05:32pm

 #1872521


McGornel
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   Message To: WorkoutMachine   In reference to Message Id: 1872516


 Up to size???

I’m not sure as far as the regular growth of all snakes, from what I have heard, each snake grows differently.

As for my experience, as soon as I switched over to rats, my BP has really started growing and putting on some weight.


-Mike
10/01/08  05:40pm

 #1872525


GA_Ball_Pythons
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   Message To: WorkoutMachine   In reference to Message Id: 1872516


 Up to size???

Size is not all that matter I would not breed a female under 18 months of age as a minimum.

Remember it is not a race, take your time and raise a strong healthy breeder do not jeopardize the health of your snake because YOU are in a hurry.





10/01/08  05:46pm

 #1872530


GA_Ball_Pythons
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   Message To: GA_Ball_Pythons   In reference to Message Id: 1872525


 Up to size???

They all grow at a different rate I have 06 that are Monsters and I have one that is only 850 grams not even sure she will even be ready next year either.

Time will tell right now it is too soon to tell whether or not your snake will be proper size.
10/01/08  05:51pm

 #1872532


WorkoutMachine
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   Message To: GA_Ball_Pythons   In reference to Message Id: 1872525


 Up to size???

GA,

I totally agree with you... that’s why I said if she’s not ready, then I’ll just wait till the next season. But you don’t think I should try breeding her (pending on weight) next winter??
10/01/08  05:52pm

 #1872547


Sra
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   Message To: WorkoutMachine   In reference to Message Id: 1872516


 Up to size???

Switch her to rats. Feeding rats over mice results in healthier, more robust snakes, plus mice are fattier, whereas rats are more nutritious.



10/01/08  06:08pm

 #1872573


GA_Ball_Pythons
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   Message To: McGornel   In reference to Message Id: 1872521


 Up to size???

I would but late in the season for example I bred my 06 Spider last season because she was up to weight (and I mean way up to weight) however I did not pair her until she was at least 18 months.

So if your BP hatched in July 07 and is up to weight I would start pairing in January 09.
10/01/08  06:29pm

 #1872657


WorkoutMachine
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   Message To: GA_Ball_Pythons   In reference to Message Id: 1872573


 Up to size???

Alright sounds good! Thanks! I was planning on pairing her as late as I could in the season if I felt she was ready... So that’s good to hear...

Sara...(and anyone else),
I was going to start breeding mice because she is only 250grams... and she is ridiculously picky, so she will only eat live... My worry with feeding rats was that they would be too big or grow too quickly for her. I just wouldn’t want to become over-run with rats because they grew too quickly for her. I have other snakes but I have an insane amount of F/T mice for them, so breeding rats for all three doesn’t work just yet.

Do you think I could successfully breed rats for one snake???
10/01/08  07:46pm

 #1872667


GA_Ball_Pythons
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   Message To: WorkoutMachine   In reference to Message Id: 1872657


 Up to size???

Quote:

Do you think I could successfully breed rats for one snake???

If that is what you want to do it can be done but since they grow so quickly you will either need to euthanize them and freeze them (so they would never outgrow the size you need) but of course it would require you to switch that BP on F/T first, you could also sell the surplus to pet store of snake owner near you (which is not always an option)
10/01/08  07:55pm

 #1872673


Sra
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   Message To: WorkoutMachine   In reference to Message Id: 1872657


 Up to size???

Quote:

Do you think I could successfully breed rats for one snake???



Sure! I am no expert on breeding, but sounds like if you only had one male and one or two females, then you could usually have some that are the right size for her. Just CO2 the extras and freeze them for later. I am not sure what other kinds of snakes you have, but I will again and again recommend rats over mice any day, except snakes that are really small and need mice pinkies or fuzzies (like hatchling corns/rats/kings/milks). But if you have snakes that are big enough to eat rat pinks/fuzzies, then that is another way you can get rid of excess babies. The sooner you can get snakes on rats, the better :).
10/01/08  08:02pm

 #1872921


Isabela
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   Message To: Sra   In reference to Message Id: 1872673


 Up to size???

Quote:

But if you have snakes that are big enough to eat rat pinks/fuzzies...


Are rat pinkies really more nutritious than mice? I thought the lack of development in pinkies of all sorts put them on the lowest side of the nutrition spectrum.

Hope I didn’t hijack your thread, Machine.



10/02/08  01:05am

 #1873869


WorkoutMachine
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   Message To: Isabela   In reference to Message Id: 1872921


 Up to size???

I think you’re correct Isabella... I’m sure someone with more experience knows the facts, but I’ve also read that rat/mice pinks are not very nutritional at all because they are still developing. I’ve heard to stick with at least a fuzzy of some sort.

And don’t worry about hijacking my thread... I don’t mind..



10/03/08  01:05pm

 #1873901


Rick247
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   Message To: WorkoutMachine   In reference to Message Id: 1873869


 Up to size???

Quote:

Are rat pinkies really more nutritious than mice? I thought the lack of development in pinkies of all sorts put them on the lowest side of the nutrition spectrum.



I would like to see some proof on this. This is just impossible to tell. It could be debated like humidty/temps.



10/03/08  01:39pm

 #1873909


Isabela
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   Message To: Rick247   In reference to Message Id: 1873901


 Up to size???

Well it seems to me like it would be fairly easy to research this subject.
Just take a pinkie rat and compare its body fat, vitamins, nutrients, protein, muscle development, whatever other goodies snakes metabolize in their prey, to that of a small mouse. IMO it seems the lack of development in a pinkie would cause significant differences in nutritional value but that’s an outright guess.

Now to find someone that is capable of doing this "research" or finding someone that already knows the answer. Most preferably the latter. Any snake veterans want to comment? : )
10/03/08  02:02pm

 #1873925


Rick247
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   Message To: Isabela   In reference to Message Id: 1873909


 Up to size???

Quote:

Now to find someone that is capable of doing this "research" or finding someone that already knows the answer. Most preferably the latter. Any snake veterans want to comment? : )



HAHA thats not me. Pinkies are sucking milk straight from the tit. Just a tought.
10/03/08  02:31pm

 #1873927


GA_Ball_Pythons
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   Message To: Rick247   In reference to Message Id: 1873925


 Up to size???

While the nutritional value of rat, mice and ASF is different the nutritional requirement of BP is not known.

Gram per gram, mice, rat, or ASF it’s all the same



10/03/08  02:35pm

 #1874027


Coop
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   Message To: GA_Ball_Pythons   In reference to Message Id: 1873927


 Up to size???

To the OP, GA is right but I think you may have confused her with the hatch date. Don’t pair until Jan 2010. I believe you said Born July 7th of this year not July of 2007 right?

Gavin.
10/03/08  05:20pm


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