Looking into breeding.

[Greenling]

So let me preface this by saying I am not looking at becoming a business, this is more or less a hobby for me that I just got into. I have two Ball pythons, a normal female who is maybe a few months old and a pastel male who is also just recently born, she is obviously quite a ways away from being ready to breed and so is he. few years at least. In the mean time I have been educating myself on what they require as a species to successfully breed. being mature and of age is important as well as weight. My goals with this is to raise my snakes right learn about them create the right environment for them and hopefully in time raise a few babies. Do I intend to sell the offspring, some yes, others no I will keep a few maybe all lol. Later on I might get into trying to breed different kinds of color patterns I find these animals beautiful and amazing. Such as these amazing specimens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SShBr_K_jI That being said I would really love to have a super pastel as well. What would you recommend I read up on over the next little while to prepare for this? Thanks all

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I would start there http://ballpython.ca/breeding/ , http://ballpython.ca/genetics-101/ for the basics.

Breeding is a vast subject everyone does it a little differently.

Also ask yourself the right questions

Can you afford to lose money breeding?

Do you have the time and space to start breeding?

Do you have a venue to sell your hatchlings?

Can you afford keeping them if they don't sell?

Do you have a food source near you or will you breed your own feeders when it will be time to get your hatchlings started?

Will you use maternal incubation or will you buy or built an incubator?

etc

Breeding is not complicated however it does include more than just putting 2 snakes together.



Will you buy or build an hatchling rack?

[Greenling]

Thanks Deborah for the feedback. To answer your questions. Money is not an issue, like I said viewing this more from the hobbyists stand point than a money making venture. I actually have a whole room dedicated to my snakes as is, I intend to grow my collection as I go along. I do have a venue for selling snakes if I decide to sell like I said I may just raise the clutch and keep them. I can afford to keep them as I will be getting a rack in the near future. I would be building my own home made incubator not using maternal. As for feeding the snakes I do have a local breeder that I know on a first name basis who sold me my male pastel and he raises his own feeders and sells them as well. He also builds racks and sells rodents for the purposes of breeding so if I ever needed to raise my own that would be an option.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Thanks Deborah for the feedback. To answer your questions. Money is not an issue, like I said viewing this more from the hobbyists stand point than a money making venture. I actually have a whole room dedicated to my snakes as is, I intend to grow my collection as I go along. I do have a venue for selling snakes if I decide to sell like I said I may just raise the clutch and keep them. I can afford to keep them as I will be getting a rack in the near future. I would be building my own home made incubator not using maternal. As for feeding the snakes I do have a local breeder that I know on a first name basis who sold me my male pastel and he raises his own feeders and sells them as well. He also builds racks and sells rodents for the purposes of breeding so if I ever needed to raise my own that would be an option.

Since you already asked yourself all the right questions (lot of people fail to do this and are often unprepared), and appear ready, I think you will do just fine

[PitOnTheProwl]

Seems you are already ahead of most.