introducing blackthroats

[prcdslnc13]

well i tried to introduce my pair of blackthroats night before last as a kind of a trial run. i introduced the female into the males enclosure on opposite ends. things went pretty well i think. no blood was drawn and he tried to mate instead of kill. she wasnt receptive which isnt all bad cause shes not up to weight like i think she needs to be. i was wondering if anybody has any tips for me on the next attempt to introduce them. which we are planning on doing here in the next few weeks after she gains a pound or two.

[V.hb]

Probably not trying to mate, but displaying dominance. As i've learned also, Females will even do this to males. Keep a close eye on them. When I first introduced my pair, the male was the aggressor, but changed soon after to the female chasing the male. I left them alone and they eventually stopped however, i no longer keep a 1.1 pair together, I keep females seperate from the male unless I see signs of cycling (which iam not good at noticing at all).

[prcdslnc13]

the only reason i really assume it was mating was he locked onto her and popped 'em out lol :) . i understand what your saying though. they currently arent in the same cage as its not near big enough to house both of them. they are both currently in 6x2x2 cages and in about two months here with be in 8x3x3 unless they can tolerate each other in then i will prolly do somthing like 8x5x3 or somthing of that nature. any other tips guys

[crocdoc]

Originally posted by prcdslnc13
i introduced the female into the males enclosure on opposite ends. things went pretty well i think. no blood was drawn and he tried to mate instead of kill... i was wondering if anybody has any tips for me on the next attempt to introduce them. which we are planning on doing here in the next few weeks after she gains a pound or two.

The tips I would give would be:
1. Feed the female up like mad for a few weeks, keep the male a bit leaner (don't allow him to get too fat and lazy)
2. Always introduce the male into the female's enclosure
3. Have the nesting area set up before they even mate
4. If they don't get along when introduced, look for signs of the female cycling before introducing them. This is trickier if you haven't seen it before and are not sure what to look for, but the female usually gets a bit swollen mid-body (not as far back as when she's eaten a large meal). This can be very subtle, or very obvious, depending on the individual. The female may also hang her belly down when she rests.

Other signs may be (again, depending on the individual):
'Nesting' behaviours, such as digging
Reduced appetite or refusal of food

Oh, I forgot to add, Vhb was correct about the 'mating' behaviour possibly being a dominance thing, even if you saw hemipenes evert etc. I've had two males get into the mating position, with one male even inserting his hemipene into the other's cloaca, all as part of their dominance display.

When you said yours locked up, did you mean in the mating position or did the male actually bite the female?

[prcdslnc13]

croc doc- what foods do you recommend for getting her ready. ive been giving her a large rat every other dayand a little bit of boiled turkey. i havent had her real long and from what i know her diet wasnt the greatest before i got her so i havent been pounding her full like i do my male. but shes drinking well and pooping about 24 hours after i feed her and she hasnt had any runny stools yet so everything is looking good. you have any recommendations of other foods to give her

[V.hb]

I feed my albigs as much as they'll eat every 3 days or so. Sometimes my big female will eat 15 mice/chicks. I never feed chicks exclusively though, only in combination with rodents. I find it loosens their stool if its fed as a staple. If the large rat every other day works for you, go for it.. I havent been too fortunate in regards to breeding these guys yet.. But i do feel my feeding routine is pretty good.

[crocdoc]

prcdsInc13, I tend to feed my female daily, or every second day, when getting her plumped up for breeding. Partly, though, this is because she has just come out of winter (first mating for my pair is always two weeks after I start feeding her in Spring) or she has just laid a clutch (they tend to mate two weeks after she's laid) so I'd be fattening her up, anyway. Usually I feed her just chicks and mice, but at other times I've also been known to throw extra things into the mix, like table scraps (salmon with skin, steak gristle etc), chicken necks and SDZ turkey diet (sometimes with kangaroo meat instead of turkey). For the most part, though, I give her mice and chicks, especially after she's laid a clutch.