new to breeding. Some questions!

[MikesReptiles95]

1. how long does it take for them to lay after mating?
2. I have females and a male, should I introduce the male to each female separately? or introduce the females to the male separately? or introduce the male to both females? ooooor introduce both females to the male?
3. my male is 68 grams and the two females are both 62 grams, are they at the correct weight?
4. should I use hatchright for the eggs or vermiculite?
5. how long do I keep the male with the females?

Im sure I have more questions... but answer the ones that you know please!

 

[SC Geckos]

I would suggest (buy the amount of questions you have) to purchase a book like Ron Tremper's (Geckos The Next Generations) This book will help you a great deal along with alot of research before even considering attempting to breed these animals. JMHO

 

[MikesReptiles95]

man o man. you just dont like to answer questions do you? well... i looked all up instead of using this forum for its intended purpose. on all the articles i read on breeding... it is the SIMPLEST concept ive every seen with reptiles. No day/light cycle... no heat drop... and you get to literally choose if you want male or females during the process of incubation. you should of asked me some questions about me before assuming im an uneducated 12 year old that "wants cute little babies!". I breed and sell reptiles and would love to get into a new breeding project. But i have not yet found someone with experience that can actually give me simple, personal advice.

 

[MikesReptiles95]

ever*

 

[SC Geckos]

man o man. you just dont like to answer questions do you? well... i looked all up instead of using this forum for its intended purpose. on all the articles i read on breeding... it is the SIMPLEST concept ive every seen with reptiles. No day/light cycle... no heat drop... and you get to literally choose if you want male or females during the process of incubation. you should of asked me some questions about me before assuming im an uneducated 12 year old that "wants cute little babies!". I breed and sell reptiles and would love to get into a new breeding project. But i have not yet found someone with experience that can actually give me simple, personal advice.

I never said you were not educated. I like to help people on this forum but when I read several very basic questions about breeding It tells me that there has been very little research done. I suggested the book because it has very good information. Just like If you asked the same questions about breeding BP's (which are also dirt simple to breed) I would have recommended Kevin McCurley's book.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I don't think Brad was assuming any of those things you're accusing him of - he was just providing a simple quick answer to a list of easy to answer questions you obviously could look up in just a few minutes (seeing as there was only an hour between your original post and your second). I agree with him that you should know the answer to most easy to answer questions before breeding leos. They are not hard to breed and produce offspring like bunnies. The more difficult part is producing top quality babies that are super healthy and not hurting your breeding females in the process.

That said, I introduce my male to females that are ovulating. There's a sticky in the breeding section that shows pictures of ovulation. How long it takes to lay is variable it can take as little as two weeks but may take longer, especially for first time breeders. As long as they're getting along, I leave the male in with the female for most of the season. Over 60 grams is generally a safe weight to breed at. For some of the giants or genetically larger geckos they they would be better off waiting until 70 or 80 grams. Breeding is hard on females. If they're not 100% healthy they can hurt themselves and may produce unhealthy or deformed babies. I use perlite to incubate my eggs at a 1:0.8 ration of perlite to water.

 

[MikesReptiles95]

I did all the research i need to do. The male/female introduction is based off of personal preference. I also checked if my females are ovulating and found that one possibly could be starting and the other one is not. ill probably check every once in a wile. It could also be my lighting in my basement. And i wasnt saying i was going to try to pair them up before knowing how.. Thats why i asked so many questions to not only findout what i need to know before pairing, but to also compare opinions to choose which ones sound best. Once im 100% positive on everything, ill start pairing.

 

[katie_]

If you have done all the research you said youve done, youd know simple answers like how long it takes for eggs to be layed...

I dont think anyone is trying to give you a hard time, but sometimes you need to be asked hard questions to know if youre doing the right thing. Personal experience is one thing, but you didnt ask for personal experience.

I agree you need to read a good book. I also think you should skip breeding this season and wait for the next. By then hopefully you'll know the basics and wont have to ask "newbie" questions.
You need to quarantine your new male anyways, so it gives you lots of time to read, read, read

 

[MikesReptiles95]

everyone has got to start somewhere. Just some questions. And also, i never did say that i was going to pair this season. Some of my questions and statements may have implied, yes. But anyways, i have a friend who breeds them that just told me he would help me with whatever i need help with (which i probably wont). Ill just cross my fingers on late ovulation.. And if not, ill just collect some more in the meantime. On the bright side, i have some beautiful blood pythons, ball pythons and cresties that are excellent breeders . Thanks for all the info! Oh and, what breeders would you recommend i buy my leos from?

 

[acpart]

If you want to try to get more local geckos so as to avoid paying shipping charges, check to see if there are any reptile shows near you. Many of these shows have websites with lists of vendors. Check out their web pages, do a little googling to see if people have reviewed them. That way you can get a sense of whether you want to buy from them. If you go to a show, avoid vendors that have a whole lot of other species and just 1 or 2 leopard geckos. Chances are high that they don't know much about them, got them in trade for something else and are just trying to move them at the show. I would also recommend avoiding vendors that have a tub of tiny baby geckos crowded together at $10 each.

You can also click on the banners of the breeders at the top of the page and look at what they have. Any of them are recommended.

Aliza

 

[SC Geckos]

Thanks for all the info! Oh and, what breeders would you recommend i buy my leos from?

There are dozens of great breeders on this forum. If it is a lesser known breeder you can also check out the Business Inquiries and Reports section on this site to read about other peoples experiences with a certain breeder.

 

[MikesReptiles95]

I do go to a monthly show that is the biggest in michigan. The problem is, I've noticed that there are less and less leopard gecko breeders there. The only ones that are there are the ones like you said, that specialize in another species. But i don't usually worry about shipping rates.

 

[katie_]

My personal favourite place to get geckos is TUG.
Youre in Michigan, not very far away from them at all.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Do you go to the show in Kalamazoo or Grand Rapids? Not sure i know any Leo breeders that go to those but Ohio Gecko tends to be at the Taylor show most months and magical geckos turns up once in a while. There are also a couple good shows in IN and OH that I know are more Leo friendly but those might be a bit too far depending on where you are.