Ah well, for any one "doing their research" here is the plan.
A jumbo rat weekly or a 150gm rat every four days.
Thanks Helikaon for the pm.
Thought about posting this as a separate thread but until then or never here is the history of my coastals Bonnie and Clyde:
THE HISTORY:
Aquired a pair of Qld Coastals in July. (I'm the 3rd owner). Both about 7ft and 5yo
2nd owner states first owner kept them out in his shed in a wardrobe with chicken wire for the backing, so no heating or anything.
2nd owner states that they were never big eaters, slowing down to zero through winter. Looking at females condition and settup 2nd owner built, I figured that it was a heat issue and she definately needed more to eat. Male was not so bad.
2nd owner states that they never bred while he had them but had them sexed, and first owner apparently did breed them.
I took them home (now owner number 3), tried to warm up existing enclosure but ended up deciding a new one was more practical both for heating and access. During the final week of the build the electrics died in old enclosure, I like to think it was only a day, and this was the second heat source (globe first, ceramic second) that had gone. Any way got a couple of spare lids with 100w lamps in them to tie over while warming the new enclosure and waiting for doors. (All of 48 hours) New enclosure did not heat as well as expected so took a few weeks to get temps sorted but at end of day the snakes were warmer than in old setup.
With temps all good for a reasonalbe time I rehashed old ideas, and tried some new ones, for feeding over many weeks and finally on 19 September, my male started eating and has not stopped. My female on the other hand became reclusive and my concerns led me to the Vet and I was given injectable antibiotics and F10 to give in a 1:500 dilution via nebulizer. This worked really well and she had her last injection on 28 September and had a really nice shed on the 1st October (Male shed three weeks earlier and just before I got them the 2nd owner told of them only just having a bad shed and there was still evidence of the fact)
So I am thinking all is well, good sheds, male eating, but female still refusing. By the 21st October I had enough and booked another 10 am vet appointment, then cancelled it after going to get her only to find she'd started laying.
I thought breeding was more techinical than that and so did not expect this to happen. In hind sight the signs were there but not obvious. She was almost as skinny as a snake half her size (both are about 7ft, she weighs 1.9kg), I was handling her the day before and noticed some unusual bumps but thought they were bits you shouldnt feel on a healthy weight snake. Maybe eggs did cross my mind for a second, but either way it was all that which led me to make another vet appointment.
Anyway she did not take long to lay and then curl around them, and I had organised an incubator for late afternoon. About 13 eggs, two definately slugs, and others looking a bit dehydrated. It would be nice if some make it but more concerned for Bonnie to be honest, as I know this should never have happened).
Day after lay she became very alert, sitting on top of her log watching anything that moved past the enclosure, and striking (but not biting:?) at hands in the enclosure. Time for a feed, and yes she fed. Settled down for a day and then the next day same thing, and yes took another rat (25 Oct.) At time of writting had not offered any more feeds.
So thats it, she has taken two more feeds since that was written with yesterday being the most recent. Hope fully she will recover nicely from here on.
It has been a bit of a crazy ride but I have learn't alot and enjoy this herps thing even more as a result. Finally decided to post this just to give some meaning to the thread.
