Breeding: Best snake to start?

DonMeyer · 05-19-04, 11:07 AM

I kinda know what everyone is going to say....but I'll just wait

Haha....

Ron · 05-19-04, 11:12 AM

The best snake is a species you like and wouldn't mind keeping all of the babies.

DonMeyer · 05-19-04, 12:18 PM

I was thinking of getting an adult pair of corns to start with

Ron · 05-19-04, 12:31 PM

Since you already have a pair of BP's why don't you start with them?

Leviathan · 05-19-04, 12:46 PM

I agree with Ron and so do alot of other breeders I know. Find a snake that you want to work with! All snakes can have a possible problem but of course there are ones that are easier to work with as well. Corns are probably by far the easiest to breed but if you don't like them don't bother.

Alecia

Lisa · 05-19-04, 06:20 PM

corns are supposed to be the easiest... but you didn't ask that...

first ask your self... why do you want to breed?

Classic · 05-19-04, 06:27 PM

Corns are easy to breed apparently but...there was absolutely no effort with breeding pueblan milk snakes. Put them together and wait. How can that be comparible to anything else, except not having to do the burmation period with corns.
Also, the point of 18 corn eggs or 8 pueblan eggs.
Brian
hwh

DonMeyer · 05-20-04, 09:43 AM

I am breeding for my own experience...and to be able to feed my snakes too. SO its half and half...but mainly for my own enjoyment.

I will maybe get a pair of Peublans who knows. Next show I will probably pick up a pair of something.

Lisa · 05-20-04, 04:02 PM

Breeding for the experience of breeding is one thing (that's why we bred our corns this year)

don't expect to make money from breeding snakes, by the time you pay for food, setups, incubator, electricity, substrate, your initial investment in the snakes... you would be lucky to break even... You've already got a pair of ball pythons, i'd stick with those... maybe not as easy as corns but appearently they're not hard either. Also you're not garrarnteed eggs, offspring or live hatchlings... We got 8 eggs this year... If 1/2 of them hatch I'll be estatic.

the corns were 35$ each as hatchlings, no idea what we spent on food, cages for both, what we spent on electricity, water, books, etc.
we didn't spend much on the incubator, i think the aquarium heater was 15$ and the cooler was probably about $20-30. the temp sensor was another $10-$15... and that's just a makeshift incubator, next year we plan on having a nicer incubator with better controls etc...

then there's the food the babies will eat, their caging, etc

I don't think I'll make back what it cost me to get this far this year, even with 100% hatch rate and if we sold all the babies (providing we don't hold any back, it's our first clutch, we'll probably hold some back).

nita · 05-21-04, 10:09 AM

I agree with the majority, breed an animal you like. I love BP's and so that is what eventually I will breed. If you are expecting to make money on it you have a long way to go if ever. The usual theory is if you manage to break even you are lucky. The big breeders are excellent business people on top of being herpers.

Simon · 05-21-04, 11:13 AM

I agree with everyone

breeding corns is the easiest no questions at all (for me at least)

but as everyone stated, breed only the things that you like. If you're not able to sell the snakes out, at least you are willing to keep all the babies back.

But remember other than that you'll have to be financially ready to feed and provide a good home for your hatchlings~~