Sun's up, let's eat

[africancichlidau]

when you start to warm your pythons up with a view to breeding should you feed either animal before putting them together or leave them hungry?
Also how long should you leave them cool before starting to raise the heat again? If you do feed first, do you wait for a poo before putting them together?
Thanks in advance guys and gals

 

[Morelia_man]

with the feeding i was wondering the same thing?

cheers
charles

 

[Slateman]

Good question Afro. I would like to know to.

 

[cyber_crimes]

I introduce during cooling,but if you are going to bring the temps back up before introducing I would have them feeding 1st for 2 weeks while you raise the temps.This will give the females a quick feed before they go off food again due to being gravid.

 

[pythonss]

suns up

hi guys and girls

once we warm animals for breeding they are not feed at all.

you are running steps in a programe. when the male is warmed he has one thing on his mind and the last thing you want is to give him somthing else to think about. same really goes with the female. Just remember the vent on a python has many uses so one use at a time makes sence

once males have done there job you will then have plenty of time for feeding and at this time you can also offer females food..some will some wont eat while gravid. offering small feeds works best with gravid females as we feel that big feeds while developing eggs maybe uncomfortable for females and this may be a reason why some dont feed.
cheers paul.

 

[Slateman]

Thanks Paul

 

[africancichlidau]

Thanks Paul, did Mark tell you that bit about multiple uses? :twisted: :twisted:

Thanks APS for being there again

Thanks to you too CC but think I'll go with Pauls method.

 

[cyber_crimes]

One of the reasons I introduce while still cooling is so the females are not off the food for as long and don't lose as much condition.(Also so I get earlier clutches which I benefit from by having my lot sold in time to buy from other breeders)
I never thought about it the way Paul described in regards to keeping the snakes minds on the game but I see where he is coming from.IMO either way will work with Pauls method prolly showing more interest in the male but my personal choice is I'd prefer my females eating earlier in the season so as not to lose as much condition as she would if subjected to a 3 month cooling with no food then 2-3 weeks warming back up with no food (and often times not eating while gravid).
As I said Pauls way does seem more feasible but I like my females to serve thier purpose as quickly as possible without much loss in condition so they are easily up to scratch the following season without bulk loading them with food.

PS
If I was to re-warm before introducing now I'd compromise in the way of feeding the females while bringing the temps back up but leaving the male hungry and hes mind on the game plan.Again its all personal choice!

 

[pythonss]

suns up

it really makes no differance weather cooling together or seperate/warming together or seperate as far as when eggs are produced. they will only ovulate when there temp is right.. if you lived in a cold place you could produce eggs after cooling at any time you like as long as you follow the steps in reproductive behaviour. we live in the tropics and have eggs hatch in november. would be as early with most species as anyone else . if the cooling is done right the animals wont lose condition. the females take the same time to gestate the eggs no mater when you pair them.
a female that wqs in good condition before breeding will return to condition very quickly after laying with no need to power feed. but if you breed from a female thats not then of course shes going to need extra help after laying..

lets say a female has eaten before introducing the male. after wintre she will hold that food item for as long as possible. if she holds that low in the bowel this will restrict space at the vent. a male trying to deposit sperm at this time will be wasteing more. maybe resulting in less fertile eggs.
wait for her to pass the food item instead will infact take longer that the warming process with out food anyway.
just some thoughts.
cheers paul.

 

[cyber_crimes]

Makes sense to me.
My first guess would have been to feed while raising the temps back up but you have cleared the air of this preceedure.All in all its a personal choice and a clutch will come from either method (feeding before or after IMO) but I do agree with you 100% in terms of keeping them on the ball and having a clear passageway for delivery of eggs and entry of sperm,I never thought about this before and it has me thinking could egg boundness be a result of feeding during this time do you think?.However my method is a mere personal choice.As I said I introduce while still cooling so am unaware of the situation at hand in regards to the question asked,I would have automatically thought that feeding would be a top concern in regards to keeping females healthy and having calciums etc to share with embryo's hence my initial suggestion.I have only bred once after cooling this was my first time at breeding and I fed both male and female for 2 weeks while raising temps before introduction (I also combatted the male at this time).I raised 28 young from this preceedure and figured this was the best way to go but now I'm guessing not.
Cheers for the thoughts Paul,It really makes you wonder!