breeding cal kings

[Syco]

What is the minimum size and weight to breed Cal Kings? I have a pair I would like to breed this year but don't know if they are large enough yet. The male is 1 yr old and the female is 2 yrs.
Thanks!

[Invictus]

WAY too young in my opinion. A 1 year old male is not likely to breed. Wait another year for both of them.

[marisa]

I don't really see a problem with the male but I would definitly give your female another year. How big are they? That's what really matters.

Marisa

[Syco]

The female is about 36" long and I'm not sure on the weight (don't have any scales, gotta get one) but she is healthy and eating really well The male is just slightly smaller, but not much. He caught up with her really fast. I don't want to push them by any means, I just didn't know how large they should be for breeding. I'll probably wait until next year, I'm in no hurry.

[marisa]

Another thing is if you wait an extra year she will be larger and in turn you most likely will get a larger clutch.

Marisa

[Jeff_Favelle]

If the female is big enough they'll go. I've bred Cal king males at 9 months. Won't harm the male in trying to breed (unless she eats him). Its the female you have to worry about.

[Vanan]

I've bred Cal king males at 9 months.

What Jeff's saying is that at 9mths of age, at the RIGHT SIZE. Right Jeff?

I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than 4ft for a female caliking. Some have bred theirs smaller but they got lucky that the eggs were small enough to be passed. I had an eggbound female who was around 4-4 1/2ft and girthy. She was eggbound probably cos of the huge size of her eggs. Also that it was her first yr breeding. Low number, but big eggs. So you see, it's a risk you take. A smaller female may breed early and lay fine but if she happens to be one to throw big eggs then you may have a problem.

An easy way is this. Look for pictures of breeder calking or find friends who have bred calkings and gauge it yourself.

Oh and the male should be ok to breed at 3ft, but like Jeff said, if he's morsel sized, he just might look like tonight's supper to your female.

[Vanan]

Oh oops. Didn't realise you meant 9mths for males. Still, size comes first, then age.

[Syco]

Thanks for all the help! I think we will just wait until next year and let them get some size on them. Like I said, we are in no hurry and don't want anything bad to happen to the snakes. What would you guys say would be the correct weight along with the size? I mean when you say correct girth, what size, weight are we talking about?

[Syco]

Jeff,
I know what you are saying about the male looking like supper That had me worried for a while because he was so much smaller than her but he has really been putting away the food lately and has just about caught up with her.