Feeding during breeding....

[Sojourn]

Should you/Do you feed during breeding? And if so, How long do you keep them seperated for digestion afterward?

Also, for a bit more info on whats happened during our first breeding attempt please check out the link(long post)...

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=160359,160359

Any experienced insight will be greatly appreciated. Thanks all.

Jesse

[honkyfb35]

Sorry I'm no help Jesse as I have yet to experience the breeding, but I wish you the best of luck with it and hope you get your answers! Kyle

[Randy_T.]

from all I have heard on the subject feeding once the active courting/breeding starts is not a good idea, it can result in a stoppage of action and a missed window for the breedings success...


sounds like they are doing a good job..Good luck with them Randy T.

I posted this same thing on the ks forum..

Later Randy T. :'(

[Panama_Red]

Jesse,
Im geussing here but maybe the females regurge was from the swelling associated with ovulation/ pre ovulation. I have 1 gravid female right now that just wont eat a thing, I'm geussing it's from the feeling of being too full already. Maybe thats why she regurged she was so swolen already. I have also dabbled with feeding my boas during courting and have found it to complicate mattersmore than help, this is why it is so important to have your breeders conditioned well enough to not need to eat for a few months. Good luck on your breedings, Try not to hover over the female too much.LOL

[Sojourn]

I definitely think both male and female would be fine to just not be fed during their endeavors. He has absolutely no interest in eating anyway. But, our female has ALWAYS had a voracious appetite, which has not gone away the least bit.

Thank you very much for your thoughts. It's so hard not to hover. ;D

[bcijoe]

I personaly would not split them up from courting to feed, unless they had been courting for a long time, meaning 3-4 months...

Last season I fed 2 of my gravid bci's until a few weeks before giving birth.
The trick is to feed them smaller than usualy items so to not to disturb them by having them need to attack and constrict the prey.
I would offer f/t items and simply set it down near the head of the snake for her to be able to eat it with minimal movement.
I wouldn't wave it and blow the scent towards her to get her excited and active for it, like I would with others when feeding f/t.
Sometimes they refused, sometimes the ate.
One ate more than the other - that girl is now ready again for this season, having lost MINIMAL weight.
The girl that didn't feed much is STILL a loose bag of skin and will deffinately need to wait until next year... and i've been giving her 2, 3 and 4 jumbo rats at a time since!!! (she's almost 9 feet long)

Oh well, hope that helped, and good luck!

[Sojourn]

Thanks for the advice.

Anymore opinions will definitely be appreciated. The more the better! :'( Thanks everyone.....

Jesse

[Jon-e-Boy]

Don't if you absolutely don't have to. If the male is still breeding the female, then he certainly has enough energy to do so and doesn't need any food. It will only interupt the breeding. And the female has much more bodyfat then the male so don't worry about feeding her as long as your not feeding the male. Of course, I have fed during breeding, but I have since stopped even though there were no noticeable side effects.

Jon Falco