Reptile & Amphibian Forums

possible? who here JUST breeds snakes? how hard is it

I dont know about Alex Hue but I make it a point to buy off the little guys.I've personally been screwed by a "big breeder".Not only that some of the nicest,best priced animals I've seen have been on a little table in the corner of the room at the repile shows.No flashy banners and no car sales men like sales pitches.If you have quality animals and your in it for the right reasons,people will buy.As for a living,I dont know.My 2cents,Rich

Life is nothing without hope's and dreams.So don't give up on your hope's and dreams you only live once.

Also check out what Brian had to say if you haven't already.

http://www.[url ban]

When the bills come due you can get pretty desperate and jaded. Truths get shaded. Integrity takes a back seat. Ethics, morals, and scruples become less important. Cash flow and bill paying come to the fore. All I've got to say is, just make sure you're well capitalized and in it for the long haul.

Then again, some people just get off on making the deal, just as a used car salesman would. "I just screwed that sucker." and "Just hit a home run with that idiot." A whole lot of bait and switch. A whole lot of puffery. The novice is dazzled by expertise and authority. The herp is simply a come-on, a prop. That's pretty much the way it is in the commercial pet industry. The animal is nothing but a lost leader, a come on, the hook. The money is made with the ancillary supply items and accessories.

OK. That's just my cynical opinion. Now let me add this caveot -- there are plenty of good people and plenty of good outfits in the herp business. Keep this in mind, though. It's easy to get in. It's hard to make it. It's even harder to make it without sacrificing some integrity, going down that slippery slope, and becoming as snakey and crooked as the serpents you sell.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
jsc

You know its like ol uncle Arch Bishop Don Majic Juan once said...

If only they were as easy to sell as they were to breed, we'd all be rich.
Gotta love it! You've either got the fire in your belly or you don't. It's not about that big pay check.
jsc

I am just starting to breed so I dont have any experience selling offspring. If they are difficult to sell as soon as you would like, what if the prices were lowered more than anyone else? for example, sell albinos for $500, sunglows and snows for $900. It would be annoying to sell for cheaper but would you make more sales?

Thanks,

Mat

I was being facetious. A little levity. A little humor.
You do what ever you think is best.
jsc

damn let me get your number when you use those prices haha

Most of the full-time breeders are so busy day to day that most probably won't have the time to reply. From what I've heard from full-timers over the years, it's a tough business to succeed in.

One of the really neat changes they've made to Reptiles Magazine is the section where they focus on a reptile specialty store...it's nice to hear the background stories about those that have succeeded with making their hobby into a full time living. However, I'm willing to bet that more have failed than succeeded simply b/c the overhead and costs/expenses can be difficult to overcome. I am a teacher and reptiles are simply my hobby. While it would be nice to make a profit...it is too tough considering the cost of rodents, electric bills, etc. I'll be happy if someday I simply make enough to support my hobby!
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Sincerely, Jason
www.NortheastSnakes.com
NortheastSnakes@verizon.net

The biggest point that many people skip over/jump the gun on is the fact that the animals you produce have to sell themselves. To be successful you have to take YEARS to build a viable collection, ( and be willing to put the $$$$$ down to acquire the best animals in the trade ) and by doing so the network you've created will sell alot of the offspring for you. The internet has revolutionized this trade, but the dirt is going to the shows,shops,whatever to actually meet not only the guys that are/have been successful, but the newbies and up-and-comers that may become potential customers down the road.

It takes money to make money.. The higher you can buy, the more chance you have at making money.. If you buy cheaper stuff, you will be chasing your tail while trying to build the collection that will make you money.. 2 animals can make you more money than 20 animals. Your best bet is to figure out your budget, if it doesn't at least include a $40,000.00 down payment for the RIGHT animals, caging, feeders and misc costs, depending on ur lifestyle you probably won't succeed at this full time.. Even if you do have the cash to buy in, that's only 1/3 the battle... Producing babies and taking the time to get your name out there so you can sell your animals at a good price are the other 2/3... Just think, you can also buy one sick snake and lose your entire investment.. Its a crap shoot, if the odds are in your favor, you can do well.. There are many odds against you though.

I,d say yes you can if your willing to dedicate the time and money. There is no exact formula, but undoubtedly hard work is the only sure thing you need win or lose. Hard work. And it will be very difficult, I mean any business too, not just herps.
Also, any time a hobby becomes a business, you lose a little of the fun (maybe more than a little).
All of the breeders I see that are successful have good sized facilities, many breeders, and plenty of equipment. They might have started out small, like in a basement or spare room etc., but reinvested in their projects for many years before making a decent buck.
My point is any business venture is possible but never easy. I wish you luck and would never discourage anyone from achieving a goal or following a dream, just being realistic. Thanks, Bill

It is possible to make a living breeding reptiles, but I can tell you from personal experience that you have to be willing to put in years of time and work, and invest and re-invest a lot of money.

I have kept reptiles as pets since I was very young. When I was in college, I bought a pair of day geckos with the intention of breeding. I soon purchased some leopard geckos, bearded dragons, and veiled chameleons. Having some success with those, I decided I'd like to become a full-time reptile breeder once I graduated from college. I decided to get a degree in biology and I also took some business and computer courses. I think those classes actually help me more now than the biology classes! It took me years of trial and error with many species to figure out which ones I was good at breeding, and which ones were the most marketable. I put all my extra money that I had, which wasn't much considering I was a college student. I also got into quite a bit of debt with credit cards- I don't recommend doing that! Luckily, my parents were very supportive and let me keep my collection in their basement. I think it took me about 6 years of breeding various species before I started making an actual profit. I eventually purchased my parent's house from them. It was easier for them to move to a house nearby than it was for me to move my collection. After a couple more years, I was doing well with my collection and outgrew the space I had. My wife and I bought a new house with some land and put up our 3500 square foot facility. Since then, we've expanded our collection. We have a huge collection of leopard geckos, crested geckos, and bearded dragons. We also have a very large collection of ball pythons, boa constrictors, green tree pythons, and some others. We are not even close to getting rich from reptile breeding, but it is paying the bills and we are putting some money away. I can also safely say that I still have the passion for what I do that I've always had. That is so important with any business. I wake up every morning and I can't wait to get out to work. How many people can say that? I also don't feel that a full-time breeder has to compromise his or her ethics to "make a buck". Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you I'm as trustworthy and honest as they come.

Breeding reptiles as a career is a lot of work. There are a lot of aspects of it that isn't very fun. I spend a lot of my days just cleaning poop from cages. How fun is that? Its also a little stressful to know that if your animals don't breed well, you won't have anything to sell. That means, no money to pay bills. Overall though, the reward of doing something you absolutely love, and built up for yourself, is worth it. I can't see ever havning a different career. I do know that many people try this and fail, but if you do it smartly, are willing to work long and hard, and have a lot of patience, it is possible to succeed.

Thanks,

Garrick DeMeyer
www.crestedgecko.com
Royal Constrictor Designs
CrestedGecko.com/ Royal Constrictor Designs

I forgot to mention that while I was in school full-time, I worked 2 part-time jobs and took care of my collection. That didn't leave a ton of free time.

Also, I have been breeding reptiles full-time for almost 8 years now. Its a lot of work, but I love it!

Garrick