I’ll keep this as short as I can. I am considering breeding my bci pair next year, and of course have been doing research. I wanted to post this here to get the input of more experienced people if my outline is correct
If any information is wrong or should be changed please let me know, I want to, of course, do this correctly.
March/April; Light cycles are 10-12 hours/just normal daylight
September; Lower temps ect
In late october; Introduce pairs.
Night time temp; 75
Day ambient; 83
Hotspot; 90 for 8 hours
Occasionally bump up hotspot to 93 for 8 hours. Especially after feeding if the snakes will take food.
8 hours of light
Mist with warm water once a day, allowing it to swing back down to low
Do not mistake courting for breeding.
Ovulation looks like a large swelling. Is hard as well.
Once the female ovulates
Night ambient; 78
Day ambient; 86
Hotspot; 94
128 days from ovulation to babies, possible 2 weeks and a shed
Following that should definitely yield Results for you. They’re pretty easy to breed. I changed absolutely nothing with my enclosure temperatures, etc., put a male in in January, female is currently pregnant.
I don’t really think you need to make it that complicated. I didn’t cycle any temps or lights for my boas and so far had 2 successful litters. The tricky part is really getting to know your animals, when to pair, when to pull, how to feed, etc.
The first pairing attempt I made I started out feeding the female medium rats every 2-3 weeks vs her normal large/XL once a month, and the male got his normal small but every 2 weeks instead of 3. After what I thought was an ovulation, I waited for the male to avoid her for at least 3 straight days without any visits to her and separated. She remained swollen and looked gravid until I decided to move all the snakes to a bigger room, and then was also told not to feed during courtship/gestation. Nothing ever cam of that pairing, and she didn’t slug out. So back to giving her food and building her back up to try again the following fall. (Good to note here I also tried pairing her during the summer ~April, the litter that took I paired Oct-Dec).
The following season, I stuck to my guns and she got a medium every 2 weeks while being courted, and a small every 2 weeks while gravid. This time I got a litter. Lol
The other litter I paired, I got babies the first try. But this time I decided to try feeding her much larger meals a little less often than normal. 250-300 gram rats every 6 weeks or so vs her normal 160-180 gram rats every 4 weeks. She ended up refusing to eat before ovulating and then dropped 3 weeks late. This coming season I might try her on her normal size rats during courtship and then a small or weaned rat if she takes and see if she still refuses.
So the most I do is change feeding during courtship but not really anything else, and not as much food as I hear others use. Once they give birth I feed them pretty heavily. Not necessarily as much as they’re willing to eat, my goal is to give them an entire year between pairings and not force them into another ovulation or anything.