Do some breeders not quarantine there snakes?

I'm just curious because I know that some dont and have success with it.

Some dont with select ppl they Trust and know their routine and setup....

I can drive my car for years without wearing my seat belt and be completely successful doing so. Does that mean I shouldn't wear my seat belt?

There is RISK to not quarantining. How great that risk is, depends on how trustworthy the source of the animals is. Just like there is risk in not wearing a seat belt. How great that risk is depends a lot on who is driving, and the circumstances they are driving under.

You can choose to never QT your animals...and if you're lucky, it will never be an issue for you. If you're unlucky, you may have to deal with a serious mite infestation or something. If your luck has completely run out...you could lose your entire collection.

It's all a matter of choices...how much risk do you choose to accept? How much risk do you choose to take steps to mitigate? Even with QT, there are never an guarantees. There's always risk of some kind of contamination when introducing new animals into your collection. But with a solid QT, you reduce that risk considerably.

I have one specific person I buy from that I don't QT with. I've known him for a long time and I never have any doubt or second thought on any of his animals I bring home. Everyone else, yes I QT.

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Originally Posted by JLC

I can drive my car for years without wearing my seat belt and be completely successful doing so. Does that mean I shouldn't wear my seat belt?

There is RISK to not quarantining. How great that risk is, depends on how trustworthy the source of the animals is. Just like there is risk in not wearing a seat belt. How great that risk is depends a lot on who is driving, and the circumstances they are driving under.

You can choose to never QT your animals...and if you're lucky, it will never be an issue for you. If you're unlucky, you may have to deal with a serious mite infestation or something. If your luck has completely run out...you could lose your entire collection.

It's all a matter of choices...how much risk do you choose to accept? How much risk do you choose to take steps to mitigate? Even with QT, there are never an guarantees. There's always risk of some kind of contamination when introducing new animals into your collection. But with a solid QT, you reduce that risk considerably.

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True true. Just curious because there are people with big collections and very curious if they do go through quarantine. Or they just spray their tubs with provent a mite and stuff. I also ask this question because there are some who have qt racks, but to me it doesnt seem like a quarantine because you are risking your other snakes in the qt rack.

The more risk involved the more you will take quarantining seriously.
My collection has gone from a male yellowbelly and a few normals to some serious dollar amounts fairly quickly, I trust no one when it comes to bringing new snakes in, quarantine is a must.
No disrespect to any breeder I deal with, I take as few chances as possible when it comes to the health of my snakes.

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

I also ask this question because there are some who have qt racks, but to me it doesnt seem like a quarantine because you are risking your other snakes in the qt rack.

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This is an excellent point. And I've heard it said that if you bring a new animal into your QT collection, then the countdown for QT starts over again for all of them. Which sounds fine in theory...and might work if you only add a new animal once in a blue moon. But if you're buying a new animal every month? Every week?

:confuzd:

I don't know. I don't know how the "big" breeders do it. I'm sure there comes a point when everyone has to balance out the choices between going to all the trouble of PROPER QT...and accepting some risk of contamination. As mentioned...if you're buying from a deeply trusted source, then your risk is probably minimal to begin with.

But how many buy ONLY from a source that deeply trusted? I'm sure I don't know. All I know is I can only control my own risks. It gets too messy trying to worry about what everyone else is doing or not doing.

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Originally Posted by JLC

This is an excellent point. And I've heard it said that if you bring a new animal into your QT collection, then the countdown for QT starts over again for all of them. Which sounds fine in theory...and might work if you only add a new animal once in a blue moon. But if you're buying a new animal every month? Every week?

:confuzd:

I don't know. I don't know how the "big" breeders do it. I'm sure there comes a point when everyone has to balance out the choices between going to all the trouble of PROPER QT...and accepting some risk of contamination. As mentioned...if you're buying from a deeply trusted source, then your risk is probably minimal to begin with.

But how many buy ONLY from a source that deeply trusted? I'm sure I don't know. All I know is I can only control my own risks. It gets too messy trying to worry about what everyone else is doing or not doing.

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But even if qt starts over again, it seems stupid that you are putting your new snake in the qt rack. That new snake can contaminate the other snakes in the qt rack. I find it really funny when people are so serious about quarantines yet they have quarantine racks, which really doesn't help quarantine [anything].

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

But even if qt starts over again, it seems stupid that you are putting your new snake in the qt rack. That new snake can contaminate the other snakes in the qt rack. I find it really funny when people are so serious about quarantines yet they have quarantine racks, which really doesn't help quarantine [anything].

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I agree. It doesn't make any sense at all.

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

But even if qt starts over again, it seems stupid that you are putting your new snake in the qt rack. That new snake can contaminate the other snakes in the qt rack. I find it really funny when people are so serious about quarantines yet they have quarantine racks, which really doesn't help quarantine [anything].

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It doesn't make sense if you don't have many snakes, however if you are a big breeder and have enough snakes to even have a QT rack, even if you lost that rack you still have your main collection staying healthy. That at least takes away risking your whole collection, Yes you could lose your QT rack, but if they have a whole rack for QT who knows how many racks they have for their "main" collection.

Quarantine racks are for bringing in more than one snake from the same person, it doesn't mean you can add a new snake and start quarantine over.
I personally just keep snakes in tubs on heat pads in a separate part of the house from the collection.

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

Quarantine racks are for bringing in more than one snake from the same person, it doesn't mean you can add a new snake and start quarantine over.

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That makes sense.

QT isn't something I have to worry about much, as I don't bring in any new animals, as a general rule. :tears:

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Originally Posted by Ezekiel285

It doesn't make sense if you don't have many snakes, however if you are a big breeder and have enough snakes to even have a QT rack, even if you lost that rack you still have your main collection staying healthy. That at least takes away risking your whole collection, Yes you could lose your QT rack, but if they have a whole rack for QT who knows how many racks they have for their "main" collection.

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But why danger your snakes in the qt rack also? The snakes in the qt rack can have some high end morphs. Why care less about another snake rack that you might have invested a lot of money in?

New additions come in one at a time for me, period. I have one QT cage that is located in the Colubrid room (and vice versa for new Colubrids). I QT for 3 months minimum, sometimes longer depending on the source. I know some like to QT for longer periods of time and some for shorter, but I've found that this length of time works well for me.

I'm hoping to have a closed collection within 1-2 years.

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

But why danger your snakes in the qt rack also? The snakes in the qt rack can have some high end morphs. Why care less about another snake rack that you might have invested a lot of money in?

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Could be you don't have enough resources to QT individually where they don't come in contact with each other. I don't know about you but I only have so many rooms in my house i can separate snakes into. And if you are like me (at college in an apartment) then you are REALLY limited. It's all about risk reduction and trying to keep them all healthy. So if you have one come in that you are worried about then QT it separately (or if its super expensive and you want to make sure its ok then QT it separately). But again its about how much you trust the source. I think it would be hard to find a super expensive morph that comes from a breeder that does not take care of their snakes.