Farm Bread Ball Python????

[probe7899]

Hi I have another quick question I was wondering if any body has a farm bread ball python and if so what is your opinions on them???? I just purchased a farm bread ball python and am being told that it was a mistake to do. She did eat for me. The reason i purchased a farm bread snake(its farm bread in africa) is i was told by a couple of people its hard to breed balls in capativity. Also does any one have any websites where i can purshase a captive bread ball.
Thanks again
Brian
P.S. what are the main concerns with purchasing a farm bread python from africa?????

[Big Mike]

I don't know much about snake breeding farms in Africa but I would think that they would be susseptable to decise and infestation by paracites. Just with the amount of snakes in one location there is a higher risk of health problems.

Balls are not that hard to bread, as far as I know. They do have small clutches so it's hard to get a lot of them. It's probably really cheap to breed them in thier natural enviromental conditions like in africa. I have heard that they are shipped by the thousands to North America and quite a few don't survive. Of course they are dirt cheap so that's why they are in petstores.

Any good breeder will sell animals that are healthy and have eaten at least once. If you do a search for ball python breeders you will come up with lots. Find one in your area or find a show/sale close to you.

Don't give up on the one you have though...it might turn out to live a long and healthy life.

Good luck :)

[tightsqueeze]

dude ball pythons are easy to get CB depending on the time of year some times they are a dime a dozen(figure of speach)

just post an add saying your looking for a CB ball python and i gurentee you you will get atleast a few hits with in the first week!!


jay

[Lisa]

I don't know about hard to get captive bred (corey and others make a living selling CB BPs) but i think farm bred is just another name for captive hatched.

If you deside you want another snake just look in the classifieds here or contact one of the breeders that are listed on this system.

[PO_0784]

I have no problem with Farm raised ball...mine is farm raised and he is a smooth gentleman without any problem :)!

[probe7899]

PO o784
Yea I havent had a problem with mine yet eather... She isnt aggressive, she ate twice for me and seems very calm.
Thanks for all the feed back every one....
P.S. PO 0784 did you take your farm bread snake to the vet to get checked for any type of parasites???????

[Lovley Monica]

Gee, Everyone Has Ball pythons, Yet I Dont have one.. :( thats Unfair...hehe!!! THey are Such Beautys.....

[probe7899]

You should deffinately get one I find them great. I have a corn also but the balls are always out looking around unlike my corn who is always hiding........

[MidnightIris]

I believe that my ball is farm hatched, and she's great. She's doubled her size (both length and girth) in six months and eats whatever I give her, fingers occassionally included :0)

[Jeff_Favelle]

That's great and all that your farm-raised, CH, whatever Ball Pythons have lived and are thriving nicely. But for every one that does, 100 die in transport, collection, pet stores, etc etc etc.

If you knew/saw the conditions and the number of wilds coming to N. America, I guarantee you that you'd switch to pure Captive Bred in a heartbeat. At least, I'd hope you would.

[Tim_Cranwill]

For me personally, nothing could even tempt me to buy a "farm raised".

1. CBB balls are available almost all year round.
2. CBB balls are only a little more expensive, at least where I live.
3. CBB balls SHOULD be guaranteed disease and parasite free.
4. CBB balls you purchase don't support poachers/"farmers".
5. CBB balls should adapt easily to captive life and feed regularly.
6. CBB balls you purchase support your local breeders who drive this hobby we all love.

The ONLY reason I can think of to buy a "farm raised" ball is to diversify your gene pool and I don't think you need to worry about that will balls. There are probably 1000's of different bloodlines in North America being captive bred and born every year.

Just a thought...:)

[Jeff_Favelle]

Cranwill my man, that was one dynamite post! Good stuff man! :D

[probe7899]

I understand what you all are saying but the truth of the matter is that I was told that ball pythons were difficult to breed and most places that you get a ball python from would be farm bread in Africa this was a mistake I made being a beginner with ball pythons. But the one I have has eaten and does not seem to be held. Do you suggest getting rid of it and buying a captive bread or keep this one I have and avoid buying farm bread in the future??????????????????????????

[Jeff_Favelle]

Nobody is suggesting you do anything. All we are stating is that we find the trade in WC animals, Ball Pythons in particular, immoral and unnecessary, due to the fact that sooo many are being bred right now. I didn't even really try this year and I had 2 clutches. And I live in frozen Canada where we are 10 years behind in terms of herpetoculture!! There are THOUSANDS bred in the States every year so to say that none are available is a lie.

But again, the choice is totally yours and for every person that chooses CB only, there are 10 people that will buy WC to save a few bucks.

Do what's best for you and your situation.

Happy Holidays

[Tim_Cranwill]

Now you know and knowing is half the battle.:)

Spread the word...

[Lisa]

I prefer to buy Captive Bred and Born snakes. Sometimes you don't have the CBB option for certain species, but Royal/Ball Pythons are not one of those species being as common as corn snakes.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Exactly Lisa. I mean, if you were trying to work with Boelen's or Timor Pythons and you needed a colony to get started, then WC would be your only option. Fortunately, Ball Pythons are not like that anymore and haven't been for the last 10 years.

[royal]

I don't know If you got your question answered by any of the latest posts, but in addition to what everyone is saying, keep your farm bred, but think about cbb more closely for your Next ball.

It is too late for your first ball to be happily cbb, but that is not his/her fault, so you should definetly give him/her a good home.
Again, that is my opinion. Good luck in your decision.
And congrats on the ball.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Cranwill IS GI Joe.

Believe it.

[Tim_Cranwill]

Damn! You caught me...;)

[MidnightIris]

I understand everyone's outrage at the live animals trade. It's not right and it's not moral. But in some areas (and i know this for a fact) it's next to impossible to buy a CBB baby. Period. When I set out to buy my ball I tried to find a breeder in the area, but the only one I could find was this guy who housed his balls in a cramped, overcrowded cages and had spiders (and god only know what other bugs) running around his facility. While the babies looked fairly healthy, I was scared to buy from him. When I went to another store, they had a clean cage, clean water and better conditions. The babies were fatter and more active then the babies at the breeder's and reptile guy (who I know to be honest) said that the babies were definatly hatched in captivity by a responsible professional. I don't know about you, but I'd rather buy a ball who I can visibly see is healthy, even though it might be CH (I'm not sure), rather then a sickly baby who I could have a lot of problems with later even though they're proudly bred in America. From now on I plan to try and buy online, but since I'm not out on my own yet, I'm not allowed to be begging for rides to the airport or staying home from classes to wait for my snake.

[marisa]

I just wanted to share my little story...

As much as you think its more convient MidnightIris to buy CH or WC....in some cases it can be a disaster. Although you and this other person (thread starter) have gotten lucky. many people have horrible experiences when they buy a WC.

I personally made the IDIOT mistake of taking a WC Amazon Tree Boa....and sure many people have had WC Amazons with no trouble, but then again most are a pain. Mine had both internal parasites and external mites, he had layers upen layers of shed on him which I never was able to 100% remove, and after a couple vet visits, force medication at home, and many emails to Darren Hamill and others who might have been able to help me, he died.

This is not a good experience for someone just getting into snakes, thats why most people strongly believe that you should only be buying CB. Which is what I do now. Only CB. If I can't find CB, I don't get that snake. Impatience can lead to a bad experience. :)

marisa

[probe7899]

Thanks for all the replies. I will deffinately get a cb ball python the next time. The main reason for my mistake was not enough knowledge on my part. Since I was told most balls that are sold are farm bread. But thanks to all of your replies I know better and I appreciated your replies.
Thanks again
Brian

[MidnightIris]

Marisa, I'm not saying that there aren't problems when dealing with WC (and there's a difference between WC and FH), and I'm not saying that every keeper should go out and get a WC individual because it will end well. I'm just saying that you shouldn't condone a person for buying a HEALTHY FH baby that you've looked over and found to be healthier then a CBB individual. If I had been hasty with my decision, I would have bought from the breeder and aquired an unhealthy individual. I know I took a risk for both me and the snake, but it was an educated risk.

[marisa]

I am not trying to condone or not condone what I was trying to do was show the newbie to snakes person(s) reading this thread that although two people got lucky, its almost *never* a better decision to choose FH or WC or CH over a CB.

And I am sorry you didn't have a chance to visit a proper breeder because I can assure you not all CB babies are "less healthy" and generally its the other way around. And I think its important for the "newbies" or even new to snakes people that they read this, instead of taking a chance on something other than CB because two people online had good luck. Just MHO.

Marisa

[MidnightIris]

No, i fully understand what you are saying! I would never buy a WC corn snake, or even a WC ball python. Like I said, I got lucky! I would love to see a proper breeding facility someday. I don't think that FH should be a first choice, or even a second and hopefully someday it won't be a choice at all. I was simply telling the person who orignially posted this not to be ashamed to have a FH baby (they were considering getting rid of the baby.) You can't depend on having good luck with FH babies, I just wanted to share my (abeit rare) success story.

[probe7899]

Im the one who started the post and MidnightIris I apreciate you telling me your success story but I also now learned that balls arent hard to breed in capativity and I even found a place close where I live who selss CB balls so thats good for my next one.
Thanks again for all the help......