Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been watching closely the classified corn site. Seems to me that it must be difficult to sell the new babies. Looks as though folks are almost giving them away for a few bucks if you get 25 or so. So I'm wondering if I really want to breed my snakes next year. I've always enjoyed the breeding part when keeping various kinds of animals. But what is the concensus as far as marketing the babies? Do you almost have to give them away or are you "stuck" with them until they are yearlings or so? What are you all doing with all your new babies?

>>I've been watching closely the classified corn site. Seems to me that it must be difficult to sell the new babies. Looks as though folks are almost giving them away for a few bucks if you get 25 or so. So I'm wondering if I really want to breed my snakes next year. I've always enjoyed the breeding part when keeping various kinds of animals. But what is the concensus as far as marketing the babies? Do you almost have to give them away or are you "stuck" with them until they are yearlings or so? What are you all doing with all your new babies?

I have also noticed the increasing numbers of people selling corn hatchlings.( and other species also).
I think the first thing you need to decide is if you are willing to keep any hatchlings you may produce. Then of course, you will have to decide how many you are willing and able to keep.
If you have decided you truly want to try and breed your snakes and have decided how many you are willing/able to keep, the next step is to research a market for the remaining offspring.
If you begin your research now you will have just under a year to find outlets for your babies. It could be a show close to your area next summer, it could be friends, it could be a local herp club or even a local pet store. Most of these options aren't going to be very profitable with a small number of snakes but if it is just as a hobby then that shouldn't be a problem.
You could also start your own club and use some of the hatchlings to get prospective members introduced to the hobby.
Just some thoughts and ideas I have been intertaining before I start my breeding projects.
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Jimmy (draybar)

Funny thing... I went to a local pet store after my kingsnakes hatched, and wanted to know if they wanted to buy them. they told me that they really only sell corn and rat snakes, and if I had some of those they would talk to me.

One thing I'm hoping to get started on this upcoming school year, is starting a club at the high school where I teach. If not this year, then next year. The hope I will have is that I can encourage the students to learn more about snakes and reptiles, and improve the reputation that these animals have.

With parental permission I won't mind selling some of my hatchlings cheap to students and helping them to learn how to keep these animals. Also this will be a great way to be an outlet for any of the snakes that the kids might have and suddenly not want. If I can increase herp awareness it will make the raising of the baby snakes worthwhile. Never profitable, but worthwhile.

All of this is good in a rural Arizona town of less than 15,000 people where the instant reaction to ANY snake is "KILL". Now the students bring me snakes they find instead of killing them (mostly, so far I've been brought 4 live ones and one dead one) But that's four snakes that are still alive. Hopefully I'll hear less stories about kids who didn't know how to keep their Red-Tail Boas and left them unheated until they died, or worse decided they didn't like them anymore and flung them up into a tree in the desert.

Anyway, I think that small approaches to increasing the hobby is worthwhile, and it may never make me money, but that's my plan.

>>I have also noticed the increasing numbers of people selling corn hatchlings.( and other species also).
>>I think the first thing you need to decide is if you are willing to keep any hatchlings you may produce. Then of course, you will have to decide how many you are willing and able to keep.
>>If you have decided you truly want to try and breed your snakes and have decided how many you are willing/able to keep, the next step is to research a market for the remaining offspring.
>>If you begin your research now you will have just under a year to find outlets for your babies. It could be a show close to your area next summer, it could be friends, it could be a local herp club or even a local pet store. Most of these options aren't going to be very profitable with a small number of snakes but if it is just as a hobby then that shouldn't be a problem.
>>You could also start your own club and use some of the hatchlings to get prospective members introduced to the hobby.
>>Just some thoughts and ideas I have been intertaining before I start my breeding projects.
>>-----
>>Jimmy (draybar)
>>
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~Sasheena

>>Funny thing... I went to a local pet store after my kingsnakes hatched, and wanted to know if they wanted to buy them. they told me that they really only sell corn and rat snakes, and if I had some of those they would talk to me.
>>
>>One thing I'm hoping to get started on this upcoming school year, is starting a club at the high school where I teach. If not this year, then next year. The hope I will have is that I can encourage the students to learn more about snakes and reptiles, and improve the reputation that these animals have.
>>
>>With parental permission I won't mind selling some of my hatchlings cheap to students and helping them to learn how to keep these animals. Also this will be a great way to be an outlet for any of the snakes that the kids might have and suddenly not want. If I can increase herp awareness it will make the raising of the baby snakes worthwhile. Never profitable, but worthwhile.
>>
>>All of this is good in a rural Arizona town of less than 15,000 people where the instant reaction to ANY snake is "KILL". Now the students bring me snakes they find instead of killing them (mostly, so far I've been brought 4 live ones and one dead one) But that's four snakes that are still alive. Hopefully I'll hear less stories about kids who didn't know how to keep their Red-Tail Boas and left them unheated until they died, or worse decided they didn't like them anymore and flung them up into a tree in the desert.
>>
>>Anyway, I think that small approaches to increasing the hobby is worthwhile, and it may never make me money, but that's my plan.
>>
>>
>>
I think you have an excellent plan.
Good Luck
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Jimmy (draybar)

HI,

I'm a school teacher too, and I also spend a little time in AZ every year. So, I understand, and I like what you're trying to do. However, I'd feel bad passing by your post and not warning you about selling to school kids for any price. Where I live schools really frown on a teacher selling anything to their students. They can even use that info against you, if they want to reprimand you, or worse, try to get rid of you. I do a lot of education on reptiles, etc, too, but have only sold snakes to the couple people who have come to my house during the summer. Parents that is. I never sell to kids, but have given a few away.

BTW, I have seen a lot of wild caught herps thanks to my kids. Sometimes I even have field trips where we all go out and catch stuff and/or do ecology studies in class. I give extra credit too to kids who bring in a herp and do a "show and tell". One of my students even located a population of rare snake that has never been recorded from our county, so we got a range extension.

PS: Where in AZ do you live? I'll be there in two weeks. Just curious...

TC

>>HI,
>>
>>I'm a school teacher too, and I also spend a little time in AZ every year. So, I understand, and I like what you're trying to do. However, I'd feel bad passing by your post and not warning you about selling to school kids for any price. Where I live schools really frown on a teacher selling anything to their students. They can even use that info against you, if they want to reprimand you, or worse, try to get rid of you. I do a lot of education on reptiles, etc, too, but have only sold snakes to the couple people who have come to my house during the summer. Parents that is. I never sell to kids, but have given a few away.

Well yes, again this is an idea I've been tossing around. I would not do it until/unless I had an actual school-sanctioned club, with a club budget, club rules, etc. It would be all within the rule structure of the school, and I would cover my rear end thrice. (In fact it's so much trouble trying to set up a club I doubt I'll do it this upcoming school year, but might gather more information and do it the year following). Heck I've even had students want to buy mice from me as feeders and as pets, but I've been adamant about having parental permission, and when presented with that qualification I've only ever had one student who took a mouse home, and she was 18. But yes, I'll be watching my back and my sides. I'm more likely to GET more herps that are unwanted than find a market for the herps I hatch.

>>
>>BTW, I have seen a lot of wild caught herps thanks to my kids. Sometimes I even have field trips where we all go out and catch stuff and/or do ecology studies in class. I give extra credit too to kids who bring in a herp and do a "show and tell". One of my students even located a population of rare snake that has never been recorded from our county, so we got a range extension.
>>
>>PS: Where in AZ do you live? I'll be there in two weeks. Just curious...

At the moment I'm in western phoenix area, but hubby and I are purchasing a house out in Buckeye. We'll be moving in a couple of weeks. (if all goes well) Haven't been able to get involved in clubs and things before now with a 35 mile commute and only one person who drives in the family (hubby drives, my eyes were ruined by Lasik surgery, so I don't drive unless it's a short distance).

In any case, I do try to increase the awareness of herps as animals deserving respect, and if that is all I'm able to accomplish (being a MATH teacher) then that is fine. Hubby teaches science at the same school starting next school year, so he'll have more opportunities.

~Sasheena
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~Sasheena

Hey, Shesheena. Sounds like you're doing more than your part with educating the kids. Sorry to hear about your eyes. I wish you the best. My eyes aren't the best either. I can't see detail too well anymore, but at least long range is still good.

I know a man, J. Feldner, in Mesa, who's involved in the Arizona Herp Association. His wife is a teacher in Phoenix too. Maybe you could hook up with them someday. Anyway, I'll probably be visiting them the first week of August.

My place is in Green Valley, south of Tucson, off of I-19. I don't spend much time there, yet, but will be retiring there in a few years, I hope. The Santa Rita Mtns. are very beautiful and I love herping there.

Best of luck with your snakes and educating those kids and their parents. The world sure needs it.

Terry

I was curious about this too. I had been planning to breed some of my corn snakes next year, but now I'm not sure. It seems like the market has dried up here (middle TN), and I dont want to get stuck with a bunch of babies. How are things going in your area?

I think a lot of those folks are just breeding a LOT of snakes, and don't have the time or patience to market them on an individual basis, locally.

I plan to sell mine through ads, a local herp show, and if that fails, then I may sell them through a local pet store (if I can get them to agree to put them in a proper setup....one of the local stores is better than the other, but neither are perfect...I hope to encourage the good one that seems to be more open to suggestions).

But I'm not going to have 1000 baby snakes to try and dispose of.
They're probably taking what they consider low-end color morphs, or ones that didn't turn out as perfect as they wished, and selling them cheaply quick to avoid the expense of food and care.