Thinking of starting a snake breeding business. - Page 4

rmfsnakes32 · 09-29-12, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skumbo

BTW guys he hasnt logged on since he posted this thread, lol.

He must not have been happy with the responses. He was probably expecting people tell him what he wants to hear

Strutter769 · 10-01-12, 01:13 PM

This thread is awesome! Fantastic advice as always from this group.

So, since you all "scared away" the OP (kidding), I'm going to pretend I started it. :-)

As some of you may remember, I recently asked for name ideas for a name for my small breeding endeavours and am currently working with a designer on a logo. I do plan to get or share a table at shows, FB page connected to a couple domains etc, So I really take all this advice to heart.

Thank you and keep the feedback coming! I'm "all ears (eyes)!"

mykee · 10-01-12, 01:35 PM

Quote:

"The only real profitable breeding business in the reptile industry is breeding rats and mice.... "

This is a load of bullshyt.
There is a tonne of money to be made breeding snakes if you keep your overhead down, and focus your attention on one species.
Though there is a trillion dollars out there to be made breeding and selling the food that ALL of our reptiles eat, breeding snakes can and is still a very profitable venture.
I had $4800 in expenses last year: water, electricity, paper towels, bedding, rodent food, frozen rodents, disposable water cups, Post-Its, sticky labels, shipping supplies, etc.
I made over 20 times that last year alone.
This year is even better and I consider myself a mid tier breeder, I don't even do this full time.

**millertime89** · 10-01-12, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I really dislike when people say this type of stuff. It's the snake snob-i-ness coming out I suppose

Just because it's not something everything is working with doesn't mean it's automatically going to make you a ton of money. For example, no body really works with the rubber boa but that doesn't mean you'll make money hand over fist breeding them. There's still limited people who can or want to keep them. Especially with the more difficult to keep animals.

The reason people breed those animals en masse is because there's a large demand for them and because it's SO easy to keep them. There's always a beginner out there but there's not many people who can handle white lipped pythons on a day-to-day basis.

That comment of mine was directed towards 2 things, even the people shooting for 2, 3, 4, etc. gene animals (I think BHB hit a possible 7 this season) still produce 1 gene and normal animals; and I've seen a bunch of BP breeders at shows recently that have a table full of balls and then a few dozen baby retics. I've spoken to a few of them and they view the retics as "easy money" because you can have 1.2 and still make several thousand off of 50 dollar babies because you get so many of them and I've started seeing a crazy number of baby hets/poss hets, albinos, tigers, and sunfires at shows and other retic people have noticed it as well.

I think I admitted in another thread I've turned into a reptile snob, if not I admit it here. Its not that I don't like seeing new ball pythons and corn snake morphs, its just after seeing 70% of breeders in a room with nothing but them I just want to see some variety. There are so many awesome species out there that people are having success breeding that don't even have any morphs that you just don't see at expos and it saddens me. I don't get why there's a demand for one species and not for some others. I know not everyone likes the other stuff but I just don't get the draw of ball pythons. Heck I just picked up a Savu python and a Vietnamese Blue Beauty at the last KC expo because of my affinity for the weird and uncommon. That and I've been looking for them for a while and got a decent deal on them.

red ink · 10-01-12, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykee

This is a load of bullshyt.
There is a tonne of money to be made breeding snakes if you keep your overhead down, and focus your attention on one species.
Though there is a trillion dollars out there to be made breeding and selling the food that ALL of our reptiles eat, breeding snakes can and is still a very profitable venture.
I had $4800 in expenses last year: water, electricity, paper towels, bedding, rodent food, frozen rodents, disposable water cups, Post-Its, sticky labels, shipping supplies, etc.
I made over 20 times that last year alone.
This year is even better and I consider myself a mid tier breeder, I don't even do this full time.

Fair enough... but you must take into consideration how long you have been at this for and the stock you keep. Yes I can turn around a tidy profit from snakes if I invest 100k in the latest high end stuff (all adults and breeding). Starting off maybe not so much of a profit.

The OP or any new reptile mogul would not have that luxury... cages to build, animals to acquire (knowledge to acquire) etc etc ect... As with any new business venture investment in the capital is the key.

Skumbo · 10-01-12, 09:53 PM

95K after expenses isn't a bad deal, lol. What volume of snakes are you moving though? Mostly mid-high end morphs profit wise?

**Aaron_S** · 10-02-12, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millertime89

That comment of mine was directed towards 2 things, even the people shooting for 2, 3, 4, etc. gene animals (I think BHB hit a possible 7 this season) still produce 1 gene and normal animals; and I've seen a bunch of BP breeders at shows recently that have a table full of balls and then a few dozen baby retics. I've spoken to a few of them and they view the retics as "easy money" because you can have 1.2 and still make several thousand off of 50 dollar babies because you get so many of them and I've started seeing a crazy number of baby hets/poss hets, albinos, tigers, and sunfires at shows and other retic people have noticed it as well.

I think I admitted in another thread I've turned into a reptile snob, if not I admit it here. Its not that I don't like seeing new ball pythons and corn snake morphs, its just after seeing 70% of breeders in a room with nothing but them I just want to see some variety. There are so many awesome species out there that people are having success breeding that don't even have any morphs that you just don't see at expos and it saddens me. I don't get why there's a demand for one species and not for some others. I know not everyone likes the other stuff but I just don't get the draw of ball pythons. Heck I just picked up a Savu python and a Vietnamese Blue Beauty at the last KC expo because of my affinity for the weird and uncommon. That and I've been looking for them for a while and got a decent deal on them.

It's rather simple when you come out of the clouds and realize what truly makes these animals desirable in one's collection. It does have to do with the colour and patterns you can get but also there's plenty of people with just normals as this forum can attest too. It's based on the care, space and requirements for these animals.

We'll take your savu and blue beauty as examples. They both have a reputation for being nippy and not easy to handle. (yes there are exceptions but with ball pythons nippy ones are the exception and not the "rule") The blue beauty can get up to 7 feet and that's no easy snake to handle or deal with when it's musking you and trying to bite you daily.

I get what you're after. You want to be "different" for the sake of being different. Do you not like woma pythons? They were 2k a snake 10 years ago (before your time I'm sure) and now they can be had for nothing. I bet you don't like them because they aren't "weird or uncommon" anymore.

I'll say it, and mean it, get off your high horse and realize basic animals in this hobby aren't just for the beginner or the money-maker, it's for everyone. They are amazing animals in their own right and you need to not look down your nose at them or those who keep them. One day, you're "weird and uncommon" snakes will have their day and you'll probably sell them or say "I was into them before they were popular." Who cares? Enjoy them for the sake of enjoying the way the species is or looks (and savus are wicked cool as babies) and not because you can feel superior as a keeper because you aren't "mainstream".

**millertime89** · 10-02-12, 12:11 PM

I prefer blackheads to womas, the eye-brow effect from the black marks over their eyes on that yellow head looks weird IMO, but I don't dislike them. Definitely before my time, I wish I had 2k when I was 13 period. Not weird or uncommon? Hardly, maybe Canada is different but I still rarely see them.

Yes my VBB and Savu are nippy (Savu got me the day I bought him and the VBB got me on the first day of feeding, neither broke the skin and they'll be coming out tonight so I can clean), but I didn't buy them to handle them. I bought them because they're another species that fascinates me. The parents of the VBB weren't nippy either (I'll gladly concede they were the exception here). Here's mom btw.

Basic? I think you're missing the part where there are loads of other "basic" animals, ones that are far more basic than BPs. There are plenty of other species of manageable size and temperament out there. Take your pick of any number of other colubrids. Children's and Stimson's pythons are great too. I'm not saying that BPs aren't great, they have their place, sure, but the sheer volume of them has become boring. I realize corn snakes and boas have both gone through this phase, and still are to a lesser extant than BPs, carpets are headed that way I think. I don't care if the weird ones that I have get popular, if they do, great, that means that other people will see the strange species for what they are and will get to experience the same fascination with them that I do.

I like my high horse, I wish more people would get up here.

Wildside · 10-02-12, 12:19 PM

Why don't the latest morphs fit into your category of weird and uncommon?

The shear volume of BP's becoming boring is why morphs are so desired. That and each time a BP, Boa, or Cornsnake throws out something amazing and never before seen it refreshes the market for that species. Not only that but puts on an amazing display of endless possibility regarding genetics and evolution throughout the animal kingdom.

**millertime89** · 10-02-12, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildside

Why don't the latest morphs fit into your category of weird and uncommon?

Just more yellow and brown. I seldom see a BP morph I like. I can appreciate the work that goes into getting them, but I just don't get excited about them.

**Aaron_S** · 10-02-12, 01:40 PM

We'll talk basic then. No animal beats the corn snake at size, temperment, price, ease of care, forgiving of keeper mistakes and not only that plenty of colours and mutations for anyone! Colours for anyone who likes it.

The ball python comes second due to it's feeding issues.

With all this it makes it simple that they're aren't more basic animals than this.

go look in the right places and you can find these "weird and uncommon" animals. You just obviously aren't looking in the right spot.

mykee · 10-02-12, 02:22 PM

Quote:

"What volume of snakes are you moving though? Mostly mid-high end morphs profit wise? "

Everything ranging from free normals to $5000+ quint genes.

Gregg M · 10-02-12, 03:32 PM

mykee,
I agree with everything you said but this one sentence.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykee

and focus your attention on one species.

I have noticed that since I have branched into other species, I have made a considerable amount more than when I was breeding just one or two species. You could be correct in general but my experience tells me otherwise.

mykee · 10-02-12, 03:47 PM

Gregg, I have found that those who were successful with their initial focus of one species and made their mark with them, then decided to branch out do well. It is imperative that you make your mark with your "signature" species prior to branching out.
Mark Mandic did it (balls, then boas), Corey Woods did it (balls, then burms, boas and bloods) Me (balls, then KSB) and on a faaaaar lesser scale; Aaron (balls, then Rough Scales).

Wildside · 10-02-12, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millertime89

Just more yellow and brown. I seldom see a BP morph I like. I can appreciate the work that goes into getting them, but I just don't get excited about them.

More Brown & Yellow? U srs?