| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| xolderfog |
Posted - 23/03/2012 : 19:48:33
Hey, just wondering if I could get any tips/suggestions from any of you proffesional guys...
Ive been looking into breeding my 4 year old anery female, she has laid 2 healthy batches of 20 and 25 eggs before (this was before I bought her). Anyway, I want to breed her but I dont want to have to buy and/or keep a male corn snake...
Is there any sort of thing like a rent-a-snake for a couple of weeks in order to introduce the male into the females enclosure and give them time to do their stuff and then return the male snake after the female is impregnated?
Any suggestions/comments?
Thanks a lot for reading! :) |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| marc_sg |
Posted - 26/03/2012 : 20:06:38
there one thing that is bothering me here that i dont think anyone has notices. font take me wrong when i say this but... your not willing to own and/or house a male on a perment terms. however if you cant get rid of the hatchies, will you have the patients to care for 20-40 babies. you need a lot of time and patients.and more importantly house them.
i had 7 hatchies out of 1 clutche that point blank refuse to eat. i ended up keeping them back for about 4 months trying all methods to get them to eat. it took all that time before i finally got them to eat on their own. but you end up with containers for babies taking up a big deal of space and freezer full of pinkies. yes the satisfaction was worth it in the end, but that was my first clutch and ive thought long and hard and decided to give it another fo this year. but im more prepared this year. |
| Sta~ple |
Posted - 26/03/2012 : 17:44:45
It's not worth it unless you know your going to get something super special. While your petshop may say they will take them now, they may go back on their word as I'm sure they will have lots of animals comming their way soon and a load of common morphs, specially if they don't sell well. Ones here have done it plently of times, trying to flog two animals togther in the same enclosure and when someone asks about eggs and babies they go "yeah we will buy them off you" only for when it to happen they go "No, we don't want that morphs, try somewhere else or in the paper". It is a great expereince when you not stressing about them not dying due to not feeding and other health issues and vets ect.
Not dissing common morphs, I love them, I've had hatchies of them, just never would ever do it again unless I knew the outcome of the morphs. |
| xolderfog |
Posted - 24/03/2012 : 08:51:22
By "in heat" I simply meant when they come out of brumation and they have a clutch of eggs ready to be be fertilised by a male. I appreciate your comments and I dont want to come across as naiive but I really want to know what im up againts before I really dive in, and the last thing I want is for my snake to get hurt.
Again I appreciate your thoughts, and I know I sound like a noob, but thats why im on this forum to get help before I mess something up. At this point Im all ears, and will continue my research and seriously consider everything and anything that you guys have to say about the topic.
Thanks again! |
| kdlang |
Posted - 23/03/2012 : 22:27:43
I suggest you do ALOT more research on the breeding of corn snakes before you even think of putting a male in with your female. Female corn snakes do not go 'in heat'. They do not have seasons like dogs and cats.
At this point I will bow out of this discussion as I am probably not in the best frame of mind to be objective |
| xolderfog |
Posted - 23/03/2012 : 21:36:51
I agree completely...
But having looked at how the mass production of corn snake breeders do it, dont they introduce the male to the female when she is in heat and if they are compatible, she will later produce fertile eggs and in which time you remove the male snake to avoid stress and any threats of cannibalism... or would it be best to cohabit (i think thats what its called) the two snakes together in the same enclosure, and then house the male sepperately when necassary.
Also I think its worth mentioning that I have a local exotic pet store that I know fairly well who is quite willing to buy anything from hatchlings to yearlings from myself, and of course im sure it is tragic and heart breaking to see such tiny creatures die, but I feel that the joy and satisfaction of producing real life beings would be such a reward, and more than that the experience and responsibility would look outstanding on a personal statement!
Im just thinking that even if I get 1 or 2 batches out of her it would be a serious but fun and rewarding project.
Thanks again, and please let me know your thoughts... Constructive criticism is happily accepted :) |
| kdlang |
Posted - 23/03/2012 : 21:15:18
My thoughts and opinions although some may not like them.
1. It's really not a good idea to borrow another snake for breeding. It's recommended that new snakes are quaranteened for at least 3 months before allowing them near your existing snake which would not be possible if you were just borrowing it.
2. Are you prepared to risk the health of your female in order for her to produce eggs. There is always a risk of eggbinding or other problems of breeding and if that happens then it is sressful, heartbreaking and expensive.
3. Do you have room to house, money to feed and time to care for 20-30 baby snakes. There are no guarantees that you are going to be able to sell them quickly so you have to have the means to care for them long term.
4. Are you prepared to have to deal with malformed hatchlings? Can you cope with non-feeding hatchlings?
5. Do you really want to add to an already exploding population of corn snakes which will most likely be flooding the rescue centres in a few years?
I was going to breed one of my females this year but when I really thought about it, I answered no to all of the above questionss. As much as I want to have the experience of breeding, the cons just aren't worth it. For now I am just enjoying my snakes as pets. |
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