Ultrasounds and Ball Python Breeding

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An ultrasound is used to track follicle growth during the breeding season. The 2012-2013 breeding season was my first opportunity to integrate the machine into my pairing schemes and I have been kicking myself for not getting one sooner. Knowing exactly how far along a female is in follicle development is priceless. Males can be paired at just the right time to maximize their breeding efforts so that no energy and sperm is wasted, leading to more clutches being sired by each male. 

Are Ultrasounds Worth It?

Ultrasounds are not cheap, but their value pays itself off once your breedings have been optimized. Consider these two scenarios: 

  • A high value male has gone off feed during the breeding season and you breed him selectively to avoid overexertion. At the same time, you are breeding females with what I call 'fluffer males,' which are males you introduce to females for the sole purpose of stimulating follicle growth and not to father the clutch. All it takes is one of the fluffer males locking at the right time and BAM, you have a female gravid by a fluffer and you have potentially lost value in your clutch since it could have been fathered by the high value male. 
  • You have a younger male that's less than a year old. He starts courting mid-late season and eventually locking up. Due to his age, you decide to only breed him to a couple females. After multiple efforts with both females, they end up not going and no eggs are produced. In the meantime, you have two other females sitting in their tubs with big follicles just waiting for a male to come along! To make things worse, you have now lost value in the male's offspring because you will have to wait at least another year until he produces and by then the market value for the morph has dropped dramatically.

These accidents do happen and could be avoided by performing regular ultrasound scans. By keeping track of a female's follicle size, you have a great idea of when to use fluffer males and when to use the real male you want to father the clutch. You also know which females to put the younger male.
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Learn the benefits of ultrasounds