You know as a former clown breeder I do have to say that breeding clowns isn’t as easy as selecting your male and your female and putting them in the same enclosure.
First, you have to make sure your female is ready to mate. If you put a male and a female together when the female is not ready, you’re going to waste time, effort, and supplies. Really, check your clowns for readiness to breed! Each breed of clown is ready to mate at different intervals (as little as 14 day cycles to as long as 3 years), so it’s probably best to do your research on your clown’s schedule. It’s fairly easy to decipher if she’s ready, once you’ve gotten down the basics of what clown readiness looks like.
This female is not ready to breed. Her natural markings are still very bright and colorful, and her “fleshy” tones only really extend on her hands and somewhat on her face. An inexperienced clown breeder might consider this clown ‘ready’ because she’s getting rather mono-chromatic with her markings on her legs and arms, but this should never be mistaken for the fleshy tone that signals a female is ready.
This female is ready. The flesh tone has extended from her hands up to her elbows, and I’d bet you money the tone extends beneath the knee as well. Her facial markings are much brighter, and her variety and intensity of color tell me this clown and well and truly ready to mate. How exciting!
Second, your clowns have to be properly fed. I know people have previously gone over proper clown care and feeding (fresh spun cotton candy is a must, they’re obligate candyvores), but introducing the breeding pair can be a very stressful time for clowns. It’s a good idea to supplement your candy diet with some fresh salted popcorn, or maybe giant novelty lollipops- you know, regular clown treats. This will help your clowns feel more at ease as they transition into your breeding tent.
Finally, clowns can be particular about when they mate. You’ll know it’s happening because of the distinctive high pitched honking both breeding partners produce. It can take up to a week for clowns to acclimate to their mate and the tent you’ve transferred them to, so don’t get discouraged if you put your clowns together and nothing happens for a few days! They may just be skittish. Feel free to introduce additional toys and treats like a fresh batch of balloons or a unicycle to try to help them feel comfortable.
What I’ve found with my clowns, back when I did this, is that most clowns seemed to prefer breeding between four and seven a.m., when chances for frivolity and merriment are low regardless. Now, the honking is extremely loud, so if you are going to breed your clowns, invest in some earplugs and a white noise machine.
That’s how you can get your clowns to mate, but this is getting really long, so I won’t go into clown gestation specifics for now, or how to care for the young. Just know your work is far from over.