Thinking about starting my own private business in the future

[PastelPython]

I will be getting my ball python very soon and even though I love normal BPs, I'm looking into getting a morph that costs anywhere from $150 - $600. Some morphs I've been looking at getting are Albino, Bumblebee, Mojave, or Pinstripe though I'm open to other morphs in my price range. Which of the morphs that I listed would be a good start? I saw a 2011 male mojave for $185 and I'm considering gettong him but I rather start with a female BP. Depending on how much money I have by next month's reptile show, I might try to come with an unrelated pair.

[mdfreak2]

i would go for a mojave and pinstripe

[OhhWatALoser]

I will be getting my ball python very soon and even though I love normal BPs, I'm looking into getting a morph that costs anywhere from $150 - $600. Some morphs I've been looking at getting are Albino, Bumblebee, Mojave, or Pinstripe though I'm open to other morphs in my price range. Which of the morphs that I listed would be a good start? I saw a 2011 male mojave for $185 and I'm considering gettong him but I rather start with a female BP. Depending on how much money I have by next month's reptile show, I might try to come with an unrelated pair.

From a pure investment standpoint, males are unless eaters until you have something to breed them to. also I would suggest you do as much research as possible, as you would find out, it doesn't matter if the pair is related or not.

also i would suggest reading over the threads that pretty much show 99% of people do not make profit doing this, its a poor thing to invest in, you pretty much have to see it as a hobby your sinking money into, or your bound for failure. Its not to say some people don't make a living doing it, but for the other 99% of us.... not a chance.

[HypoPita]

From a pure investment standpoint, males are unless eaters until you have something to breed them to. also I would suggest you do as much research as possible, as you would find out, it doesn't matter if the pair is related or not.

also i would suggest reading over the threads that pretty much show 99% of people do not make profit doing this, its a poor thing to invest in, you pretty much have to see it as a hobby your sinking money into, or your bound for failure. Its not to say some people don't make a living doing it, but for the other 99% of us.... not a chance.

What WatA said. With the basics scribbled out on paper, it sounds like it could be lucrative, but there a whole lot of things that one doesn't think of in the beginning. For example..when i bought my male and female, I was intending to breed them that year. She went three years without producing a single clutch, till this year. My woma that I bought when on a huge hunger strike and even though she should have been to weight at least a year ago...she's still too skinny for me to be comfortable breeding her. Also, in those three years, prices of hypos have dropped somewhere along the lines of 300$. All the while, you are incurring the cost of their food, bedding, and heating. Just some food for thought.

IMO, it should be looked at as a hobby, a passion. And possibly a way to recoup some of your cash in the process. Unless you are taking morphs that are thousands of dollars a pop.

As for what morphs to get, I would pick what you personally like, or pick a combo you would like to produce, and buy accordingly. From an option-based standpoint, I would for sure get a bee, as that will provide you two morphs in one, to grow and diversify your collection.

[PastelPython]

What WatA said. With the basics scribbled out on paper, it sounds like it could be lucrative, but there a whole lot of things that one doesn't think of in the beginning. For example..when i bought my male and female, I was intending to breed them that year. She went three years without producing a single clutch, till this year. My woma that I bought when on a huge hunger strike and even though she should have been to weight at least a year ago...she's still too skinny for me to be comfortable breeding her. Also, in those three years, prices of hypos have dropped somewhere along the lines of 300$. All the while, you are incurring the cost of their food, bedding, and heating. Just some food for thought.

IMO, it should be looked at as a hobby, a passion. And possibly a way to recoup some of your cash in the process. Unless you are taking morphs that are thousands of dollars a pop.

As for what morphs to get, I would pick what you personally like, or pick a combo you would like to produce, and buy accordingly. From an option-based standpoint, I would for sure get a bee, as that will provide you two morphs in one, to grow and diversify your collection.

Thank you for the tips . I really actually thought it about turning it into a business but now that I've learned more, it's going to be much better for me to have a 9 to 5 type job and just use breeding and raising Ball Pythons as a hobby as it would really be something I really enjoy doing because BPs are my favorite snakes.

As for morphs, it's really hard deciding which I like because those I listed are among my favorite morphs. I'm going to wait until I go to next month's reptile show and see what I can find.

Thanks for the replies everyone

[tcutting]

like the other person said keep it as a hobby. it will take all the fun out of it otherwise and in reality there is so much going on with co-dom traits you wont make any money off of it by time whatever you buy is ready to produce. unless you have one that is 2-3 traits.

[kevinb]

Agreed with everyone else. I know first wanted to turn reptile breeding into a career but realized quick that its like an other market and you have to know how to sell or your going to fail. Plus as stated above it would take the fun out of it and make it more of a chore than anything. I know myself with the job I have mow its a good job and a good field (I work at a vet hospital) but I dread going to work everyday for the simple reason that its required and I have no choice...with hobbies you can choose to keep or leave it. I stick to the simple motto KISS 'keep it simple stupid' good words to live by!

1.0 High Yellow Jungle "Bruce"
0.1 Mack Snow Tremper Albino "Ava"
0.1 Rainwater Patternless "Pita"
1.0 Albino Checkered Garter "Herbert II"
0.0.1 Common Garter "Lucile"
0.0.1 Eastern Milksnake "Tiffany"

[EverEvolvingExotics]

Personally I would buy a 2 gene male raise him up for a year or so and then buy 2 to 3 normal proven breeder females. When breeding a bumblebee male to a normal female you have the possibility to hatch out spiders, pastels, normals, and bumblebees. You can sell all the hatchlings you don't require for your future projects and raise up your holdbacks for a later time. You can use the money or trade snakes for additional future breeder females. After you have made the initial investment in racks, food, incubator, and all other equipment you can easily see how costly it will be to breed. Buying a hatchling female most always goes down drastically in price by the time she is ready to produce for you. I have yet to breed, I'm just in the process of raising as many female morphs I can afford up to breeding size. Hopefully this year will be my first year of hatching out some babies! As everyone else pointed out, there are no guarantees. First comes the passion and goals to produce snakes that make you go crazy. Have fun with it! When going to a show you will find a snake that screams BUY ME, you will know it is right.

[Justin Hatton]

Get a then male ubmble bee, and a couple female normals. Breed those for a chance at bees, patels, spiders, and normals...them raise em up and breed the pastel back to the bee for super pastel and queen bees (i think)...and you have chance at more patels, spiders, normals and bees...i love the bumble bees.

[iCandiBallPythons]

Your best bet if you have the funds would be to start with a double gene, or recessive, animal preferably female, Most base morphs have dropped very low in price your return would be pennies on the dollar compared to return on producing multiple gene animals. Honestly I feel this is something anyone can do, BUT not everyone is business minded. There are several reasons why people fail at this. For example, some when getting in they spread themselves to far too thin too fast, some hit a financial hardship and sell off their collection, some just get frustrated and throw their hands up and some are just careless with money period etc. etc. But the ones who make it are the ones that stick with it through good and bad. You can really do anything you want in life you just have to be determined enough to do it and stay focused. Rome wasnt built in a day.