Snows and Ghosts

SnowSnake · 05-20-03, 03:18 PM

Hi!

I would like to know who breeds snow corns and why.
Also, who breeds ghost corns and why.

Thanks
SnowSnake

Tinytim12333 · 05-20-03, 04:16 PM

I havent tried yet but it sounds like fun and a nice challenge and plus u get a little pocket change also.

Katt · 05-20-03, 10:55 PM

Why not?

marisa · 05-20-03, 10:58 PM

Tinytim12333 Its doubtful to make any profit with most corns because you have to dedicate much more money to supplies for raising the parents, housing them, feeding them, then the babies food and housing and supplies. You'll find it hard to make any true profit until you get HUGE.

I bred my snow corns this year because I like snows. I think they are so very variable that they are one of the most beautiful morphs, if one of the most common.

Marisa

Tinytim12333 · 05-20-03, 11:24 PM

I want to become huge one day. I know you may not make much of a profit if at all lose some money with just two corns but anyway my color is really rare and goes for around 200 wholesale and That us dollars. I think that may be profit for just one baby if not even for one year.

Simon · 05-20-03, 11:34 PM

tinytim,

I don' t think that I get your question on why breed these. I breed snows and ghosts and lots more other morphs. In this hobby, it's not really like that we are getting money from any of this. It's the process of enjoyment that we like. So maybe to answer your questoin of why....it's because of enjoyment?

I don't think that you really want to get HUGE since breeding snakes is not too profitable.....unless you are willing to keep more than 300 snakes in your house then you are not even talking about huge......and more than 300 is considered small.....for example Rich Zuchowski has more around 500 adult females and around 10000 hatchlings a year....and he is just making some money.....so if you are really considering in making money from snakes...then I would advice you to reconsider...

Good luck

marisa · 05-20-03, 11:35 PM

haha dude thats cool but 200 will most certainly not be profit.

I can tell you, although I am sure others could tell you better, that it takes far more than 200 dollars to breed a clutch of cornsnakes eggs. First you have a cornsnake.

One cornsnake cost: approx....20-100$, their enclosure can cost from 10-100 bucks....lights and paying for the electricity to light those lights costs money, I can't say how much but it costs. Substrate....feeding...mice can cost a person anywhere from 2.00-10.00 a month for ONE snake.

Now double that for the snakes mate. And add another year because they will need to be at least two before breeding, sometimes three.

Already we are at a far higher cost than 200.00 bucks.

Then you have hatchling housing, heating, feeding, money to incubate them (the heat/electricty again!) vermeculite, etc.

It would take more like 3 clutchs of babies worth 50 or so bucks to even get what you put out back in the end. And none of this is counting time spent which is around 2-3 of caring for the snakes before you even get to babies.

Its true.

Marisa

vanderkm · 05-21-03, 08:34 AM

When we breed it is partly for the enjoyment of the animals but also because of fascination with the genetics involved. Breeding snows and ghosts is important to me because they are each a combination of two recessive genes in one animal and they provide a means to test-breed to detect hidden recessives. Both colors also have a lot of variation between individuals in the degree of yellow and red pigment expressed, so there is the opportunity to select for and develop those colors. There are also suggestions that the hypo gene in combination with the snow results in different color expression, so the combination of these traits is potentially very interesting. In my mind, the more recessive genes that can be combined within a single animal, the more genetic play you get relative to the amount of feeding you have to do.

Profitable animal breeding is certainly possible with a sound business plan but I would beware of trying to cash in on a popular color or rare morph because odds are that by the time your animals are ready to produce, the market will have bottomed out. The best advice I have gotten on these forums was when one of the best breeders in the business suggested that people keep and breed only animals that they really enjoy working with - because it is a lot of work.

I would love to see a photo of your rare corn morph that is going for $200 US wholesale - always like to see examples of outstanding corns,

mary v.

SnowSnake · 05-21-03, 03:37 PM

Thanks everyone! I think that Mary and Simon have very well discribed why I own herps and why I want to breed them, genetics is sooooo fun!!

Simon, could you plz send me an email at jean_p13@hotmail.com plz.

Thanks!!
SnowSnake

drewlowe · 05-21-03, 04:08 PM

i breed corns Snow and amel. I do it for the enjoyment and excitment i get from doing it. Not for profit but as a hobby. I truely love these snakes i think they are so beautiful. and having a chance to work with them and breed them brings a sliver of happyness into my life as i'm sure to the other people that keep & breed them. And any money i do make off them i put right back to them or the other reptiles in my collection.

Hope this helps you.

gonesnakee · 05-21-03, 05:35 PM

In reguards to making any $ this will be my 3rd year & I can only hope to try & break even & thats on cash that I have already spent over the last 3.5 years. This also relies on me (or should I say my snakes, heh heh) producing some high end animals to sell. Oh & I forgot to mention the countless hours spent daily/weekly with or in reguards to animals cleaning etc. that I will never see a red cent from. If you can have a wicked hobby such as this & turn it into a business where you can break even & get a few animals for free you can consider yourself lucky. A get rich quick thing will never happen. I've seen it attempted/failed on multiple occassions & seen people take some serious losses because they were counting on eggs hatching that were never even laid. Treat it like a hobby & expand with your experience & never count on it to make $, as it will more than likely do nothing but cost you cash. Mind you it is all money/time well spent if you enjoy what you do. Beats the Hell out of working in the oilpatch, mind you I do miss the huge paycheques, but I do have a life now. Can't say I miss working 500 hours a month on the road too much, but I would definitely miss my snakes. Mark I.

Tara Garratt · 05-21-03, 09:46 PM

Hi,
I have no experience with breeding snakes, but I have bred other animals over the years. I can honestly say that I never seem to make money on my animals. This does not mean that I am not successful. To me, success is best measured by the enjoyment I have with my animals. In my opinion, most successful breeders do not make much money because they are more concerned about the animals' welfare than the expense of keeping everyone healthy and happy. Believe me, keeping everyone healthy and happy is expensive enough, but if you factor in your time it is almost impossible to make money. Any money that is made is usually funnelled right back in (improving housing, buying more animals, vet expenses etc.). Perhaps if making money is the primary concern for breeding, you may want to reconsider. Animals are easy to make a hobby of, but challenging to make a viable busness with.

That said, I wish you well, and I would love to see your pictures.

Tara Garratt