Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Been in herps for years but have never taken on anything as a breeding project. Thinking about the cresteds since they're supposedly so easy. I actually read somewhere that "the only way to get them NOT to breed is to seperate them."

For some reason I'm skeptical of this. It can't be as easy as just plopping them in a cage together right?

Also, wondering about the market for cresteds if they're that easy to breed. Wouldn't the market be absolutely flooded with them? I would think if I shelled out the big bucks for a sexed adult pair of reds that are ready to breed, that within a few years, nice reds would be available everywhere and the return on my invesment wouldn't be very good.

Sorry if I'm looking at this too commercially, but I already have herps as pets...just trying to think of these as more of a breeding project than pets. Thanks!

They seem to be pretty easy. They will quit breeding if you drop their temps for a few months, but other than that, you would want to separate them so that the females don't keep producing and become depleted of all their calcium stores and other nutrients. I don't know if separating them is enough though, because the females may continue to produce eggs if they aren't cooled down.

As for the business end, you aren't going to make much by breeding one pair of Cresteds...at least not in my opinion. I do think that the market is going to be flooded with them...heck, go look at the classifieds and you'll see that it kind of already is. When you see advertised deals on 20 and 50 lots, that means that people are mass producing them and not selling them as fast as they'd probably like to. Considering how easy they are to breed and how fast they reach sexual maturity, you can't go into this thinking that you'll get rich off of them. That's not to say that you shouldn't invest in nice stock or that you can't make money breeding Cresteds. If you do pay the money for the nice red ones or top notch harlequins or whatever, you'll have an easier time selling your babies and you'll be able to sell yours while the other guys are still sitting on their plain buckskin babies. You just can't expect to get $250 each for them, just because that's what you paid for your breeders.

Personally, I think you'd be better off buying and raising a ten lot. Sure, it'll take you a year to start producing, but you'll be producing much larger numbers at that point.

Just my .02

-Anthony

>>Been in herps for years but have never taken on anything as a breeding project. Thinking about the cresteds since they're supposedly so easy. I actually read somewhere that "the only way to get them NOT to breed is to seperate them."
>>
>>For some reason I'm skeptical of this. It can't be as easy as just plopping them in a cage together right?
>>
>>Also, wondering about the market for cresteds if they're that easy to breed. Wouldn't the market be absolutely flooded with them? I would think if I shelled out the big bucks for a sexed adult pair of reds that are ready to breed, that within a few years, nice reds would be available everywhere and the return on my invesment wouldn't be very good.
>>
>>Sorry if I'm looking at this too commercially, but I already have herps as pets...just trying to think of these as more of a breeding project than pets. Thanks!
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Anthony Caponetto
http://reptiles.drivennewmedia.com

Thanks for your reply. Not looking to get rich, just wanting to get back a little more than I invest in them. I got a year old pair from geckosunlimited that are tan/yellow/orange for $200. Didn't go with the super high dollar stuff since this is my first attempt at breeding. If I can get a grand or so out of the babies over a period then I'll be more than happy. Just something to dabble in, have fun, and maybe get a little cash back to put towards other breeding projects once I've tried my hand at this. Thanks again!

Congrats. I'd say you'll do fine. They're definitely fun to dabble in. Realistically speaking, it's going to take you at least a couple of years to produce $1,000 worth of geckos from one pair of average Cresteds, but you'll definitely have fun with it, and that's what counts.

>>Thanks for your reply. Not looking to get rich, just wanting to get back a little more than I invest in them. I got a year old pair from geckosunlimited that are tan/yellow/orange for $200. Didn't go with the super high dollar stuff since this is my first attempt at breeding. If I can get a grand or so out of the babies over a period then I'll be more than happy. Just something to dabble in, have fun, and maybe get a little cash back to put towards other breeding projects once I've tried my hand at this. Thanks again!
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Anthony Caponetto
http://reptiles.drivennewmedia.com

Actually the breeder, Nathan, at geckosunlimited said they should produce about 7 clutches, or 10 if I don't rest them...which I plan on resting them anyway. And the hatchlings should sell for $50 to $75 a piece...at least these should, they have nice orange/yellow coloring and have dragon's den blood in their line. So actually it shouldn't take that long to get that kind of money...at least hopefully not. If so, then oh well, I'll have experience breeding a herp of some type at least which is really what I'm looking for.

Just keep in mind that crested geckos have very small clutch sizes...2 is the average I beleive. So even with 10 clutches, you could make $1000 - $1500 and thats before you subtract the expenses needed to feed and house the babies. Though this would be more an ideal figure than actual, as baby crested can go for less than $50, especially when unsexed.

However, good luck on your breeding crested geckos and have fun.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but you need to have reasonable expectations and remember to have fun with this.

Even if you could get 10 clutches (20 eggs) out of one female, you most likely aren't going to net 20 healthy babies from that. When you start pushing a female like that, the fertility rate of the eggs is almost certainly going to be compromised. Then, you have to remember that not every good egg is going to hatch.

As for the price, that's all up to you. I doubt they'll be flying out the door for $75 each, but you never know.

>>Actually the breeder, Nathan, at geckosunlimited said they should produce about 7 clutches, or 10 if I don't rest them...which I plan on resting them anyway. And the hatchlings should sell for $50 to $75 a piece...at least these should, they have nice orange/yellow coloring and have dragon's den blood in their line. So actually it shouldn't take that long to get that kind of money...at least hopefully not. If so, then oh well, I'll have experience breeding a herp of some type at least which is really what I'm looking for.
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Anthony Caponetto
http://reptiles.drivennewmedia.com

All I know is that all the breeders I've talked to on the phone over the past few weeks tell me that they average about 10 clutches a year with the clutch size being 2, that they don't have any trouble selling their babies at those prices, and always sell out at herp shows. Just regurgitating the information that I was given...that's all.

Let me begin by saying that this is my hobby/passion, and I simply try to produce enough offspring to pay for my ever-increasing cricket bill, research, and new projects. Jason, as I mentioned to you on the phone, this pair will produce some nice offspring, but, since this species is polymorphic, there is always the chance that you might get some"drab" looking specimens (or highly colored specimens for that matter). In my collection, most of my females produce 10 clutches in a season, and they have a two month "cooling" period. I have about a 95% hatch rate, which I understand varies greatly between breeders and collections. I have been rather fortunate.

Jason, I mentioned to you that I don't like to emphasize the "business" aspects of gecko breeding. If you make a little extra money then that is great, but too many folks get into herps expecting to make some serious money. I'm sure that the IRS is ready for me to make a little money!! After speaking with you on the phone, your interest in this species is obviously sincere, and I do understand that it is also an investment. I have drastically dropped the prices of my cresteds this season, but, since they are such great producers, I've still done well with them and have a waiting list for my cresteds. As Anthony mentioned, you have to have several cresteds to see any sort of profit.

Let the morph war begin!!

Nathan

np

The pair is actually from some of my best stock, and he got a killer deal. I understand your point, but none of my geckos are average (they're my babies, man!). LOL!! The male is from Kevin Dunne and Phil Tremper's line, and the female is from Noe Perez and European stock.

Nathan

I had no idea they were from that kind of stock....sorry for using the word "average." I'd be appalled too. LOL

>>The pair is actually from some of my best stock, and he got a killer deal. I understand your point, but none of my geckos are average (they're my babies, man!). LOL!! The male is from Kevin Dunne and Phil Tremper's line, and the female is from Noe Perez and European stock.
>>
>>Nathan
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Anthony Caponetto
http://reptiles.drivennewmedia.com