breeding

[angelboa]

So my husband and I where wanting to know your opinion on the proper size and age to breed red tail boas and what is the best way to go about doing it I have heard and read alot and get alot of conflicting info I've been reserching this subject for over a year and feal we are almost ready to bread them we hope within the year.:confused1:

[Masahiko]

I am FAR from an expert in this field.

From what I have read there are 2 ways to look at it:
- they are ready at a certain age
or
- they are ready at a certain size.

For example, some say at age 4 or 5 (whatever the # is) the female is ready to breed. Some say the boa needs to be of a certain size before it should breed, regardless of its age.

I hope to learn more about this topic, as well.

Good thread.

[danktat]

My Suriname had a litter of 16 live, no slugs and no stills in May. She was imported in '03 and was basically a worm on the way in. She was 6feet 11lbs when I bred her. Half of the larger breeders thought she was too small for a BCC and the other half said she has age so go for it. The male she was bred to was an '04 that was barely four feet long. The female was dense and muscular and the male was extremely eager to breed.

There is no real "formula" some have 8 footers that slug out. Some have 5 and a half footers that drop perfect litters. The main thing is age and good health. Size is important as well but not as much as maturity.

I know that didn't answer much but that is all I can tell you. Breeding boas is as much an art as it is a science That is what makes it great fun to discover.

	Boa Constrictor Constrictor

[angelboa]

our female is also an 03 and around 5 and a half feet and our male is an 02 and about 6 feet (I'm going to use the program on the computer to try and figure out how long they are) they have both been to the vet not to long ago and were in great health I dont remember what there weight was but your post does help thank you. The other questions I have are how long should I leave the male in with the female and if they both just ate how long do I wait to before trying and when do I stop feeding the female after she becomes gravid?

[danktat]

Well, generally the season starts in about late September. You can cool but I don't cool more than the natural temperature drop that happens in fall here. I do cycle light meaning I drop the light cycle to 10 hours day light (by covering the glass part of my cages with newspaper). After doing that for a couple of weeks I introduce my males. You generally leave them together until either the male stops courting for at least a week (preferably two or three). This is courting:



If you are lucky enough to see ovulation then you have a pretty good idea when to remove him but be careful, they can ovulate one side at a time so if he hasn't stopped leave him in with her. It is always good if you can actually see copulation to confirm that he is doing more than just courting and actually putting himself in a position to get the job done....this is copulation:





It is also nice to see sperm plugs to let you know your male is producing....(although if your male is six feet he is well past being ready)..this is a sperm plug:



After the Post Ovulation Shed (POS) Which usually happens between 2 and 4 weeks after ovulation (but not always) it is usually safe to remove the male.

Feeding should be very small and very spaced apart for the female (if at all) durring the entire breeding and gestation period. That is why it is important to not breed a female who is small for her legnth. Good weight balance is very important. You can remove your male every 3 weeks or so and feed him to maintain his energy to persue the female. Those should also be small meals. It usually takes about 105 days after that post ovulation shed to get you litter VERY FUN TIME if all went well





Any other questions feel free to ask. I hope that gives you a good start.

Patience is the key. It may take several weeks to several MONTHS before she ovulates after coutship has started. It can drive you crazy if you let it. So, just dig in and be prepared for the long haul.

[angelboa]

That is very helpfull thank you very much

[danktat]

no problem

[trendkill]

I don't mean to be a downer here.. but there are a few things you should consider before breeding.

Before you do anything, please make sure you'll be able to find homes for the babies, or be able keep the ones that don't sell. There is nothing wrong with a beautiful BCI (I assume that's what you have?), but the market often gets flooded with them, and breeders find it hard to sell them all.

Understand the risks involved. You could lose your female, the babies, or both. It's not "common".. but it does happen. Just about every serious breeder has lost a female here and there.. the risk is real.

But if you're confident that you can place all the babies (or keep those that are left), and if you do lots of reasearch, keep a super-close eye on the female's temps and enviroment to help ensure a smooth pregnancy, then good luck to you!!! Baby boas are so cute.. and producing your own litter will be a lot of fun.

	Boa Constrictor Imperator

[angelboa]

we have been thinking about breeding for over a year and have been doing alot of research but it is hard to find good info i like to here what other people think and what there experiances are alot of the people at my husbands work are intrested in buying them and a local pet store that does alot of reptile sales said they would help me find good homes for them and we do have room for any we dont sale.

[mpgt]

Hey Dank, how much weight did your female lose in the process?