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How long after the pre-laying shed
- Thread starter CornCrazy
- Start date
Melinie
Once Bitten, Less Shy...
Egg Timer
In 'The Corn Snake Manual' by Bill and Kathy Love (obtainable through their site at www.corn-utopia.com ), a 'must-have' book if you own corns, it says that they will lay their eggs about 10 to 14 days post-shed.
Please note the word "about".
Each snake is different.
I was up all night last night gathering and placing eggs into an incubation box, after waiting THREE WEEKS post-shed for one of my girls to give up her eggs!
And then there are the girls that will actually lay DURING the blue-eyed stage of the shed. Or so I've read. Mine tend to be slow-pokes.
So, try to relax, and let your girl do her thing in her own time.
Good Luck!
In 'The Corn Snake Manual' by Bill and Kathy Love (obtainable through their site at www.corn-utopia.com ), a 'must-have' book if you own corns, it says that they will lay their eggs about 10 to 14 days post-shed.
Please note the word "about".
Each snake is different.
I was up all night last night gathering and placing eggs into an incubation box, after waiting THREE WEEKS post-shed for one of my girls to give up her eggs!
And then there are the girls that will actually lay DURING the blue-eyed stage of the shed. Or so I've read. Mine tend to be slow-pokes.
So, try to relax, and let your girl do her thing in her own time.
Good Luck!
My procedure is such that when a female has her pre egg-laying shed, I will put in an egg laying box with her 5 days after that date. Generally, she will lay within 48 hours of my giving her that box, if she is satisfied with it.
Remember that the girl is carrying an entire next generation in her, so it would behoove (sp?) her to get them safe and sound in a hurry. Any predator that catches up with her, also wipes out that next generation.
What I have found is that once a female sheds her skin, she is immediately looking for the perfect place to lay her eggs. I suspect a female would lay even sooner if I put in an egg laying box immediately after the shed, but haven't experimented much with it. But with the way I am doing it now, most will lay 5 to 7 days after that shed.
A lot of people mention the magic 10 day number for egg laying. My belief is that is the point where the female is not longer critical of the place she lays her eggs. She has been searching for that perfect place, but all the time the eggs are growing and she gets more frantic to lay them. When 10 days have elapsed, then it's an 'any port in a storm' situation for her now.
The longer it takes for a female to lay her eggs, the more likely that she is going to have problems. The eggs are growing, she is getting weaker from frantic searching, and a situation is shaping up for egg binding.
Simply put: The sooner you give a female a perfect place to lay her eggs, the sooner she will lay them and the better off she will be.
Of course the question is going to be, "What is the perfect place?"
Most people make the mistake of not putting enough egg laying medium within the egg laying box. They leave a gap between the medium and the top of the box. We use Tupperware style plastic containers with a 2 to 3 inch hole cut into the top. Peat moss is used for the medium and is *packed* into the container. By 'packed' I mean pressed in tightly. The female will forcibly push her way into this container, and make herself a nice little burrow where she will feel safe and secure, and it will seem to be an excellent place for her to lay her eggs. Remember that a LOT of predators would just love to find a clutch of snake eggs to eat, so she is concerned about not only finding a place conducive to their getting the proper moisture and warmth to hatch, but they must also be SECURE against being easily found by predators.
Hope that helps a bit with the strategy of providing a female what she needs to lay her eggs and feel good about her job.
Remember that the girl is carrying an entire next generation in her, so it would behoove (sp?) her to get them safe and sound in a hurry. Any predator that catches up with her, also wipes out that next generation.
What I have found is that once a female sheds her skin, she is immediately looking for the perfect place to lay her eggs. I suspect a female would lay even sooner if I put in an egg laying box immediately after the shed, but haven't experimented much with it. But with the way I am doing it now, most will lay 5 to 7 days after that shed.
A lot of people mention the magic 10 day number for egg laying. My belief is that is the point where the female is not longer critical of the place she lays her eggs. She has been searching for that perfect place, but all the time the eggs are growing and she gets more frantic to lay them. When 10 days have elapsed, then it's an 'any port in a storm' situation for her now.
The longer it takes for a female to lay her eggs, the more likely that she is going to have problems. The eggs are growing, she is getting weaker from frantic searching, and a situation is shaping up for egg binding.
Simply put: The sooner you give a female a perfect place to lay her eggs, the sooner she will lay them and the better off she will be.
Of course the question is going to be, "What is the perfect place?"
Most people make the mistake of not putting enough egg laying medium within the egg laying box. They leave a gap between the medium and the top of the box. We use Tupperware style plastic containers with a 2 to 3 inch hole cut into the top. Peat moss is used for the medium and is *packed* into the container. By 'packed' I mean pressed in tightly. The female will forcibly push her way into this container, and make herself a nice little burrow where she will feel safe and secure, and it will seem to be an excellent place for her to lay her eggs. Remember that a LOT of predators would just love to find a clutch of snake eggs to eat, so she is concerned about not only finding a place conducive to their getting the proper moisture and warmth to hatch, but they must also be SECURE against being easily found by predators.
Hope that helps a bit with the strategy of providing a female what she needs to lay her eggs and feel good about her job.
CornCrazy
What's one more???
Thanks for the replies...
I have already given her a hide box. I put it in with her before she shed, so could she be too comfortable with it? It is quite full of moss, but I could probably squeeze a little more in. I will give that a try. First stop on my way home is the store to get some more moss!
And I DO have the Corn Snake Manual...but I think it accidentally got packed with some of my toher books and is in storage. I'm going to have to hurry up and find it!
Thanks again for your help! I'll let you know how things go!
I have already given her a hide box. I put it in with her before she shed, so could she be too comfortable with it? It is quite full of moss, but I could probably squeeze a little more in. I will give that a try. First stop on my way home is the store to get some more moss!
And I DO have the Corn Snake Manual...but I think it accidentally got packed with some of my toher books and is in storage. I'm going to have to hurry up and find it!
Thanks again for your help! I'll let you know how things go!
Melinie
Once Bitten, Less Shy...
Laying Box
Yeah, thanx Rich!
(And thanx for my new Lavender, too!
)
I thought my Anery girl was going to totally EMPTY her box of peat moss while roaming around in it for the past weeks.
Next time I'll really PACK IT IN!!!
And I'll let y'all know if she goes any faster.
But she was 'slow to go' last year, too.
Fortunately, she bounces right back, packing away food like it's going out of style!
P.S. We ended up with 23 eggs!
Yeah, thanx Rich!
(And thanx for my new Lavender, too!
)I thought my Anery girl was going to totally EMPTY her box of peat moss while roaming around in it for the past weeks.
Next time I'll really PACK IT IN!!!
And I'll let y'all know if she goes any faster.
But she was 'slow to go' last year, too.
Fortunately, she bounces right back, packing away food like it's going out of style!
P.S. We ended up with 23 eggs!
CornCrazy
What's one more???
Well...
My girl layed her eggs while I was at school today. She didn't do as good this year. She layed more eggs (23 compared to 19 last year), but only 11 of them look fertile. I don't know if it was her or because I bred her to a male who has never been bred before. Is it possible that it was him? I also bred him with another female, but she isn't due to lay her eggs yet. I'll let you know how hers turn out.
My first female double clutched last year. After I fatten her up, I'll breed her with the male that she bred with last year. Maybe that will give me a clue as to why I got so many slugs this time.
My girl layed her eggs while I was at school today. She didn't do as good this year. She layed more eggs (23 compared to 19 last year), but only 11 of them look fertile. I don't know if it was her or because I bred her to a male who has never been bred before. Is it possible that it was him? I also bred him with another female, but she isn't due to lay her eggs yet. I'll let you know how hers turn out.
My first female double clutched last year. After I fatten her up, I'll breed her with the male that she bred with last year. Maybe that will give me a clue as to why I got so many slugs this time.