Advanced Breeding Hacks to Save Your Season
No matter how much we strategize and plan, breeding Ball Pythons is inherently unpredictable. When the season isn’t panning out how you wanted, try these hacks to make the best of your bad luck – and secure a shot at astounding results.
Hack #1: Super-Stitching
The Scenario: One of your recessive males has stopped breeding for the year. It doesn’t matter what you do – he’s had enough. The problem? The females still need more locks to ensure a good clutch.
The Solution: Pair the females with a super form of an incomplete dominant mutation.
Why it Works: Your female gets the necessary breedings to produce a successful clutch. And because you backed up your recessive male with a super, you know exactly who the father is when the clutch hatches. Win-win!
Hack #2 – The Closer
Scenario: You have a crazy powerful male and want him to produce as many offspring as possible. The problem? He’s young. Or small. Either way, he can’t handle a lot of females, and you don’t want to overwork him!
The Solution: Initially, pair lesser-value males to your females. Let these other males get early breedings in from November – February while your ideal breeder grows and breeds occasionally. When your girls have good-sized follicles and are in the final month leading up to ovulation, put that perfect male to work.
Why it Works: You’ve kept his load as light as possible while maximizing output. Now, you have the potential to produce a large number of clutches from your prized male without jeopardizing his health. There is no guarantee that the warm-up males won’t sire clutches; however, the risk is often worth taking, considering the potential reward.
Note: When using two males of the same size and age, the last male to breed is most likely to sire the clutch. When using a proven breeder and a first-time breeder, the proven male will more often than not sire the clutch. Keep this in mind as you strategize!
