Have you ever been overwhelmed?

Thanks for all the replies. I know I haven't hit the "overwhelmed" mark yet. I have 14 (soon to be 15) Bp's. I had 2 a year ago. I had 7 a month ago. The only reason I have ballooned is my friend offloading to me with great deals. But I've told him that this one he's getting me tomorrow is the last. I am in enough debt to him as it is. LOL!

And while my wife loves the snakes, she's worried I am gonna turn into BHB with snakes everywhere. I laughed and told her no way. I could see myself have 100 someday but certainly not thousands. I don't want to have so many that I'd have to hire help. LOL! Right now I am focusing on not being financially overwhelmed. I am coming off a bad year but I've put my foot forward on the breeding in the hopes that I'll hit some good numbers to help make back the money I've invested.

Anyways, keep the replies coming. :)

Awesome topic! Very applicable to this hobby

For the specific reason of avoiding being overwhelmed, I've kept my collection pretty small (1.2 BPs, 0.1 pine snake, a couple geckos). My boyfriend has his male BP, and his daughter has a leopard gecko. The pine snake was my last one until we have a better living situation, and I don't want to get any more ball pythons until I've had my first season with my oldest pair. I knew I wanted to breed from the beginning, but it was a motivation to try to create my favorite designer morphs from the best looking breeders I could afford. Before I can do that with peace of mind, I need to just try it with one pair and subsequent hatchlings :P

Everyone has a different point of being overwhelmed, and while I don't think I'm anywhere close to it I can see how it could easily get to that limit. For me it'd probably be 20 snakes, but having more resources in the future and being careful with scheduling, etc could mean more. I think it's tempting to bite off more than you can chew because there are just -so- many different morphs and combos, not even touching all the different reptile species! It can seem deceptively easy to get "just one more" (we all know how that works out ;) ) since snake care is also incredibly easy compared with other pets.

While it can be difficult to admit, it's up to the individual to avoid being overwhelmed, or adjust if it has already happened. Hoarding happens when people can't see it, and it puts the animals in jeopardy. Again though, it's different for everyone, people have to figure it out somehow and for some it's the hard way

I'm strictly a hobbyist and have met my limit with 6 bps, 1 milksnake and 1 boa - I am just way to fastidious with my collection to ever let anything go - I drive myself nuts with worrying about them too much. I overdo everything in regards to their care so I know for myself that I don't need any more snakes.

That is easier said than done - but I have decided to not let myself get any more snakes.

I forgot to also mention that - you also need to keep in mind all the money that "can" be spent on vet bills in the event one or all get sick. I've had one snake with a hemipene problem that set me back thousands - didn't anticipate that so this also scares me away from getting anymore - I want to be able to provide the best possible vet care my snakes may need and I can't honestly say that I could do that with many more snakes.

I've not felt overwhelmed at all and have no specific number in mind that would be the breaking point. Like Brian, I set my mind to something and do it...and since this is my hobby, if it starts to feel like more work than play, I'll know then that it's time to start cutting back.

I can vouch it is all too easy to fall into the "just have to have another" trap. I see so many new morphs and new combos, and I think "Oooh, I have half of the ingredients to make that same morph, if I bought a so-and-so I could make that!" Then I start thinking ok, if I get a so-and-so, what else can I breed it to and make what with it. Then I start thinking I could breed so-and-so to my current snakes and produce a such and such, BUT if I bought a so-and-so and a such and such, I could make so on and so forths! The next thing you know, you went from thinking about adding one new snake to adding three or four or even more.

I had to snap myself out of that dangerous mind set in a hurry. I had to remind myself the entire reason I decided to breed ball pythons was to produce the pied I have longed for since they were first imported, not to make one of every morph out there. So I refocused myself and my efforts to only those few morphs that make attractive pieds and pied combos that I can afford and that also sell well. I have a total of 21 snakes right now, four of which are actually my husbands breeding stock. I don't spend as much time with them individually as I once did, but they all know me and respond to me, and I know I give them good care.

I have reached my limit currently, I am content with my collection right now. There are a few more morphs I want to add in the next few years, to expand my pied offerings, but I no longer want to produce a pied of every morph I see.

Gale

Never felt/am feeling overwhelmed myself, but I know I have a limit but I don't know what that limit is yet. I will slow down here soon after acquiring a couple species that I really want to own and work with, and wait until me and my bf can get a larger place. I believe that when I quit enjoying the little things (even taking them out to clean some poo because I like to see handle my snakes and take care of them) is when I reached my point and need to stop adding more. All my snakes are permanent family members though, and if I couldn't get rid of the two baby bunnies that my two older rabbits accidentally had (vet said that they were both girls...ahem) then I defiantly can't see me getting rid of my snakes!