Breeding BRB's

[JDouglas]

I am interested in hearing detailed info on how to breed BRB's. Any successful breeders care to share their secrets. I know the basics about breeding them so please don't respond with the obvious (cooling, introduction, warming). I am interested in specifics from those that have successfully done this. Favelle this means you LOL...
Do you cool your BRB's?(I spoke with Brian MacDonald and he said he never cools his and has had litters 3 years in a row.)
What day do you begin cooling your BRB's?
Do you eliminate the hot spot gradually or all at once?
Is it a gradual cooling for the ambient temp? If yes please give details on how you accomplish this including timeframes/dates/and temps.
When do you stop feeding your males and females?
What day do you introduce them?
What are the signs of breeding/courting activity in BRB's?
How long do you cool them?
When do you bring the heat back?
Do you gradually bring the temps up/how do you accomplish it?
How hot of a hot spot do you give a gravid female?
What do you provide for a birthplace?
BCI lay about 100 days after POS. Has anyone compiled this data for BRB?

I am looking forward to hearing from you. I am in the process of adding breeding info to the caresheet that is linked to my website. If I use your info I will make sure you are credited for it!
CARE SHEET (http://showcase.netins.net/web/reptiles/brbcaresheet.html)
I know this is a lot of info and you can email me at
strikingserpent@netins.net if you like.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Favelle this means you LOL...

Do you cool your BRB's?(I spoke with Brian MacDonald and he said he never cools his and has had litters 3 years in a row.)



I've done it both ways with equal success. Cycling is easier and it gives me more control, and thus a greater degree of predictability with my animals, so I chose the cycling method a long time ago. But it CAN be done without cooling. Especially with seasoned breeders. They just KNOW its time to go.

What day do you begin cooling your BRB's?

Friday, how about you?

Ha ha, JK. Usually Nov. 15th. That seems to work for my climate. May not work someone in Arizona, or someone in England, or even someone in Toronto. But the 15th of November is perfect for me.

Do you eliminate the hot spot gradually or all at once?

Ke-bang, buh-bye hotspot all at once. But not really, as you don't COOL Rainbows like a colubrid. Warm days (normal) and cool nights. That's how its done. So one day, the heat pads just go off for 14 hours a day. Its different for every room, for every collection, for every city, for every climate, etc etc etc. So don't copy me and say that I'm full of beans, ha ha!!! :D

Is it a gradual cooling for the ambient temp? If yes please give details on how you accomplish this including timeframes/dates/and temps.

Ambients go down by default, yes. By turning the heat pads/tape off, the whole cage ambient goes down. 72-76F at night, back up to normal during the day. Doesn't matter how its done, I just make sure to do it.

When do you stop feeding your males and females?

Males Nov. 1st, females when they become gravid (around March/April).

What day do you introduce them?

December - April, and every day inbetween.

What are the signs of breeding/courting activity in BRB's?

Sperm plugs EVERYWHERE (water dish, substrate, glass, walls, each other, etc etc. Its gross). Also, copulation is rarely less than 5-10 hours, so I ALWAYS see it (or so I assume). And they copulate off and on for 3 months, so you'd really have to neglect your snakes to not witness it.

How long do you cool them?

Same question as:

When do you bring the heat back?

I bring them back..... well.... it varies. Sometimes on January 15th, somtimes later. This year was 2 days ago (Jan. 22), because we had a cold spell here until Jan 19th. I didn't feel like wasting electricity, so I waited. I usually cycle at least 6 weeks though. Its doesn't reall matter though, I don't think.


Do you gradually bring the temps up/how do you accomplish it?

It all happens quite easily as the reptile room ambients are thermostatically controlled, so I just warm the nights back up. Nothing really gradual, as my temps weren't lowered that severe anyways. I also bump the humidity back up (yes it was lowered) in a speedy fashion. This really gets them going.

How hot of a hot spot do you give a gravid female?

88-90F localized.



BCI lay about 100 days after POS. Has anyone compiled this data for BRB?

I forget to count every year. LOL! And I just started recording that kind of data on a Palm Pilot this year, so I should be able to tell you. I know its over 100 days after POS.

[JDouglas]

Jeff,
Your post has a lot of great info! Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions and thanks for the info. It is very helfpful. Next year hopefully I can get mine to go at it.

[JDouglas]

After you introduce the pairs I assume you leave them together the entire breeding season? Is this correct or do you seperate and reintroduce?

[JDouglas]

OK I have began writing the breeding info for my care sheet. I am still interested in hearing other breeders experiences with breeding BRB's. Click on the link and tell me what you think.
Care Sheet (http://showcase.netins.net/web/reptiles/brbcaresheet.html)

[Jeff_Favelle]

After you introduce the pairs I assume you leave them together the entire breeding season? Is this correct or do you seperate and reintroduce?

Nope. The male is in the same cage with the female for around 2-5 days. If there is 2 consecutive days without any copulation, I move him on to another female, or combat him, or give him a rest. Plus I feed the females right through, and I don't want to feed in a cage with two 7-foot Rainbows. LOL! The males will eat, trust me!

So it works out just perfect (usually) and when they stop, I move the male on and then just feed the female. But they get paired up again in a few days, etc etc. Plus I have more females than males. If I left the male in the whole time, there would be females that would't get bred. And that would suck. :D

[JDouglas]

OK that makes sense. We only have one male so we can't combat him. We have two females so I plan on moving him back and forth between females. Have you had good results from combatting? Maybe I need to get another male?

[Jeff_Favelle]

I'm not sure how to quantify good results from male combat, as it is not known what would have happened had I not done it. Impossible to guess. I will say that 9 times out of 10, if a male wasn't breeding and was then combatted for 2-5 minutes, we will be all over the next female. For sure.

[BoidKeeper]

Great info Yoda.
So I just paired mine last night. If I don't see anything in 5 days I separate them and feed him? What about her, do I feed her while he's out. What about the temps now that they are together?
Thanks,
Trevor

[Jeff_Favelle]

Chewie, other way around man. Males don't get fed. I said they WILL eat, but I don't feed them from:

Males Nov. 1st, females when they become gravid (around March/April).


All my snakes are out of cycling (somewhat), so my temps are normal 24/7. If I was still cycling, then my night time lows would be low 70's. But day time temps would just be like normal.

[BoidKeeper]

Ah very good.
Thanks,
Trevor