I've been mulling this one over for several months now... We had a thread several months ago about breeding leopards and it turned to,
'how long can they retain sperm and produce offspring in the absence of a male?" Several people suggested three years or so. One person had a friend with a 1.2 group and the male died. The two females were still producing healthy babies 5 years later.
Recently GB pointed me toward a great Russian tortoise article. In it the authors recommend keeping the males separate from the females most of the year and only briefly introducing them in the spring for breeding after hibernation. Here's the article for those who want to read it:
http://www.dght.de/ag_schildkroeten/pdf/ehorsfield.pdf
Most people just keep groups of one male and several females together year round. This is what I've been doing, but I'm rethinking it. Specifically, I'm proposing this theory for russians and sulcatas which are both very aggressive tortoises and very aggressive breeders. This probably is not necessary for species like leopards that are fairly peaceful with each other most of the time, although I don't think it will hurt anything either. I'm seriously considering (and planning) building a separate pen for my male on the other side of the ranch and letting him live alone most of the year. He won't care one bit, but the females will get a much needed break from his constant harassment. He breeds them everyday all year long. IF I even wanted to breed them, I'm quite certain I would have the same fertility results if I just put them together a couple of times a year. Somedays I put him outside the pen and let him run loose around the ranch, and on those days the females seem a bit more outgoing and relaxed. They stay out more and graze more. I think this will improve the overall health of my herd. If someone's intention is to breed and get viable offspring, I don't think this would do anything to set you back, and it might actually help.
Anyone have any thoughts on this? Any experience with it? Any reason to NOT do it?
'how long can they retain sperm and produce offspring in the absence of a male?" Several people suggested three years or so. One person had a friend with a 1.2 group and the male died. The two females were still producing healthy babies 5 years later.
Recently GB pointed me toward a great Russian tortoise article. In it the authors recommend keeping the males separate from the females most of the year and only briefly introducing them in the spring for breeding after hibernation. Here's the article for those who want to read it:
http://www.dght.de/ag_schildkroeten/pdf/ehorsfield.pdf
Most people just keep groups of one male and several females together year round. This is what I've been doing, but I'm rethinking it. Specifically, I'm proposing this theory for russians and sulcatas which are both very aggressive tortoises and very aggressive breeders. This probably is not necessary for species like leopards that are fairly peaceful with each other most of the time, although I don't think it will hurt anything either. I'm seriously considering (and planning) building a separate pen for my male on the other side of the ranch and letting him live alone most of the year. He won't care one bit, but the females will get a much needed break from his constant harassment. He breeds them everyday all year long. IF I even wanted to breed them, I'm quite certain I would have the same fertility results if I just put them together a couple of times a year. Somedays I put him outside the pen and let him run loose around the ranch, and on those days the females seem a bit more outgoing and relaxed. They stay out more and graze more. I think this will improve the overall health of my herd. If someone's intention is to breed and get viable offspring, I don't think this would do anything to set you back, and it might actually help.
Anyone have any thoughts on this? Any experience with it? Any reason to NOT do it?