Reptile & Amphibian Forums

just a general question, this is my second successful breeding season and i am for lack of a better term...hooked... i would like to start taking it from the hobby side to hobby/income side. My fiance' is the nervious type and is worried about me getting ahead of myself. So im just curious as to everyones take on breeding...is it just your hobby? is it your only income? and sizes of collections. I am currently still small (have 19 balls and 4 corns) and next year will be my first time being able to have more than 3 clutches (bought all babies to watch em' grow and their just getting to size). also difficulty of selling all the babies i havnt had any trouble yet but im good friends with alot of petstore owners that bought them.

I think reptile breeding is more love than money, but maybe someone will correct me. I know many many people on here use this as a supplement to a current income. I'm sure you can probably make a little money on the side. i'm sure someone else will weigh in but thats just what i have gathered from being on here
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

1.0 Basset Hound (Capone)
1.1 cats (San Quinton and Gracie)

Yes it is most deffinatly more of a passion to me than money, but it is pretty nice to have a hobby that can pay for its self and im just curious as to how everyone is setup. I really could care less about the money, i would just like to be able to keep growing my collection by buying pieces of the puzzles and breeding them together to get some morphs that i can not afford but obviously i dont want to keep every baby i produce.

My #1 goal is to make the hobby pay for itself...and I pretty much do that...I do not want it to be a job...I had a partner 3 years ago and thats what it was...a job...not want I wanted...and we had a lot of animals...after a bad parting of the ways I am entering my 2nd season of hatching on my own and this year is much better than last...Im adding to my collection things that I want/need and I am subtracting what I have too much off or do not need anymore...I will make money this year...I have paid for my year...I will pay for my family vacation to Daytona this August...and I should still have money left over after everything hatches...Do not be afraid to invest in something...do your reasearch...and I bet you will get that money back and then some...I paid $1700 for my 1st Pastel male...I got my money back and built my collection on that 1 snake...imagine if I would have spent some more and bought 2 or 3 other animals...god...I could have had a Female Clown and instead bought 3 Female Pastels...I could have been the 1st person to produce the Pastel clown...but it did not work out that way...Im happy though....
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Michael Enriquez

I also have a small collection at the moment. I think of it as a passion, I love Ball Pythons. But the money you make from the offspring can help you expand your collection.
Just my thoughts.
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Got Balls?
Josh Molone

there are very few breeders in this industry that breed for a occupation! and to me that would ruin it for me i dont ever want this to become work or a job for me! them breeders have to sell animals on a daily basis to stay afloat! and pet stores are fine to sell to but as we all know they arent going to fork out thousands of dollors for new designer morphs they only want normals & you might start seeing some other low end morphs such as pastels and other males morphs such as spiders and mojos etc. but as most breeders will tell you here do it because you love it and breed the morphs that really exite you and really thats what its all about! ofcourse this is just my opinion! regards

I did the same thing that you have done. This is my second shot at breeding for a supplement to my income as well as enjoyment. The first shot went bust do to me buying one pair of everthing and trying to produce 1,000 $100 animals a year. Also, it was the late 90's when all the overnight breeders dumped a glut of snakes on the market and killed the prices. This is my first year with BP's and my first year back to over 40 snakes. I chose my projects wisely and have already produced and sold enough snakes to make 50% of my total investment back with just 2 clutches. You can make money but do not quit your day job! Make NEW recessive combos even if it takes longer. My new goal is to produce 100 $1,000 animals a year. My wife was stressed too but now she is happy and is really into the egg hatching.
Good luck!
Kevin

Try those 66% double hets. My $100 2008 66% double het for VPI snow laid 9 eggs this year and I got 1 snow, 2 albinos, 1 axanthic and 5 normals.