To breed or not to breed

[Abyss]

I used a 12x12x18 with a large cork den for the female and two vertical branches beneath a live plant for the male to retreat in. Fortunately both used the intended areas.

The female was often in the open when the male was around, and they even slept next to each other often. The male spent a majority of the time in he verticals branches and even laid a sperm web up there. Once he male was removed, the female started to web up her cork and has been in there since. I actually just fed her two large crickets a moment ago.

How big is your female and do you recall when her last molt was?

I was keeping track of moult dates for all my T's but my 0.1 lady child (1.5 yrs old) thought that note pad better served scattered around the house lmao.
It has been a month or 2 an shes pushing 6" im sure. Shes a big girl (grew fast too). I plan to use the enclosure i pictured as is unless anyone has some suggestions on needed changes. Will rehouse her next weekend most likely and can technically introduce the MM whenever we want

 

[viper69]

This is one of the more difficult species to breed. I would contact the USA expert in breeding this species, ie the person who cracked the P met code, and bred them for the first time in the USA.

 

[Abyss]

This is one of the more difficult species to breed. I would contact the USA expert in breeding this species, ie the person who cracked the P met code, and bred them for the first time in the USA.

Whos the USA code cracker haha
I want/need all the info i can get

 

[Toxoderidae]

Whos the USA code cracker haha
I want/need all the info i can get

I think Kelly Swift.

 

[Abyss]

I think Kelly Swift.

Here on AB?
An is that swiftsinverts?

 

[Toxoderidae]

Here on AB?
An is that swiftsinverts?

Yessir.

 

[viper69]

Here on AB?
An is that swiftsinverts?

Yes

 

[Angel Minkov]

I still don't understand why he shouldn't try with P. metallica because its his first pairing attempt? Just because they can be tricky and are Poecilotheria honestly doesn't mean squat. Its actually very easy with Poecilotheria - large enclosure, female 1 month after molting, toss male in, leave him in there until he's eventually food. Simple.

 

[viper69]

Just because they can be tricky....Its actually very easy with Poecilotheria

Well either P. met's are more challenging, or they are easy, can't be both.

 

[Angel Minkov]

Well either P. met's are more challenging, or they are easy, can't be both.

I meant Poecilotheria in general in regards to mating.

 

[viper69]

I meant Poecilotheria in general in regards to mating.

Makes sense, thanks for clarifying.

 

[Abyss]

Yea im not worried that its my 1st attempt as much i just wanna fact gather and make sure i do thing the correct (or recommended) way.
I have really only worked around the "nastier" species aside from my beloved GBB's an versi's lol
I have a larger then normal enclosure setup the male will have "escape room" an shes 2 months post moult now and still eating so either gonna give it a go this weekend OR hope the MM hangs on a few more months till she moults again. Undecided on that as of yet.

 

[Christian Jocson]

Yea im not worried that its my 1st attempt as much i just wanna fact gather and make sure i do thing the correct (or recommended) way.
I have really only worked around the "nastier" species aside from my beloved GBB's an versi's lol
I have a larger then normal enclosure setup the male will have "escape room" an shes 2 months post moult now and still eating so either gonna give it a go this weekend OR hope the MM hangs on a few more months till she moults again. Undecided on that as of yet.

I'd say give it a go as soon as you get the mm

 

[Abyss]

I'd say give it a go as soon as you get the mm

Well that can technically be this weekend. I want to lol but i feel like i have alot more homework to do 1st. I did PM @louise f to see exactly how she crafts her incubators and pick her brain on that end of it.
I wanna have a decent handle on what to expect and what i need in that reguard and i have questions about ewl's, when to pull the sac (if all goes well) and when to divide the babies into individual deli cups. Things like that.

 

[Nokturnal1980]

Honestly seems like with all the research you have and are still doing you should do just fine with this. I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to seeing how this progresses for you.

 

[Abyss]

Honestly seems like with all the research you have and are still doing you should do just fine with this. I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to seeing how this progresses for you.

Me too, im hopeing for big fat sac!!!!!!!

 

[Abyss]

How long do (or should) you cohab for breeding?
I have seen/heard a fair variety of opinions here. Some say just overnite each nite and some say as long as a week to a month at a time.
I really dont want the guys male to get eaten but we both know thats a risk, and cohab seems to be the go to pokie breeding practice, the debate is simply how to cohab.

 

[Christian Jocson]

How long do (or should) you cohab for breeding?
I have seen/heard a fair variety of opinions here. Some say just overnite each nite and some say as long as a week to a month at a time.
I really dont want the guys male to get eaten but we both know thats a risk, and cohab seems to be the go to pokie breeding practice, the debate is simply how to cohab.

Keep the males enclosure near the females and see if he starts drumming. When the time comes, introduce the male and see if they show interest with each other. Any hostility is a dead giveaway they are not ready. In a perfect world, they'd mate on the spot and you can separate. That wasn't in the case for me. My pair showed interest in each other but never bred in my presence, hence why I left them together for some time.

Did you move your female into the large enclosure already? It'll be a good start if you get her nice and settled in there

 

[Abyss]

Keep the males enclosure near the females and see if he starts drumming. When the time comes, introduce the male and see if they show interest with each other. Any hostility is a dead giveaway they are not ready. In a perfect world, they'd mate on the spot and you can separate. That wasn't in the case for me. My pair showed interest in each other but never bred in my presence, hence why I left them together for some time.

Did you move your female into the large enclosure already? It'll be a good start if you get her nice and settled in there

Rehouse tomorrow after work, im letting it dry out a bit more before i do so doors are open an lid is off. That'll give her a few days at least to settle. And good to hear, i had planned to house the male rite beside her in her old enclosure in the hopes her webbing gets him excited haha. Figured i would let em live beside each other a few days an watch/listen as much as possible before introducing them

 

[Abyss]

Maybe a dumb question BUT males are decently easy in most cases to tell if they are mature but how can you tell if a female is ready?
Shes good size from what i read about P. met sizes and is nice an plump. She destroyed the last moult so i couldnt measure but most of what i have read says they max in the 5-6" range an im sure shes there or darn close to it. The moult before last measured a DLS of just over 5".
I ask because she'd be young, shes only about 2.5 yrs old so its not like i know shes mature cause shes been in my care for many many years or anything