Is BHB a quality breeder?

I've enjoyed watching snake bytes and Brians vlogs were what really got me interested in reptiles and BHB has seemed like a very good breeder that really cares about their animals. And I would like to get a BP from them.

But on a FB groupe people were saying bad things about BHB as breeders and Brian as a person. They said that the animal would die the next day or come with mites. And as a person they said Brian was a jerk.

The thing is alot of the people didn't seem to always know what they are talking about all the time. And thought perhaps it was some band wagon people jumped on with no hard facts.

Brian seems like such a nice guy that cares about his animals and the animals he sells. I want BHB to be a quality breeder and I also want Brian to be a nice guy.

But as far as this thread is concerned I just need to know how your experiences with BHB has been.

Thanks for the help :)

hi!! i got my first (and only) ball python from BHB. i was scared especially bc it was my first time receiving in animal in the mail like that, but it was great.
the package came right when it was supposed to. the price was pretty decent, and beautiful snakes as well. my snake came healthy, no mites, respiratory infections, etc.
so yes, my experience has been great and i would definetly recommend BHB.

I haven't bought from the guy, but I wouldn't have second thoughts about it. But if you really are concerned, there are many breeders with great reps.

I enjoy his YouTube channel, and I think it gives me enough entertainment that if I ever wanted one of his snakes, I'd buy one without question. Reality is that when you get as big as his operation, qc can be difficult to keep up with- more so with your staff then your livestock. This may or may not be the case with bhb.

No offense to some pet store workers out there, but the majority of pet store employees are actually terrible at their job and for some reason carry a god complex. I suspect it is the same with any major breeding opt, which leads to rude customer service and at times, poor quality animals. Again, I don't know about bhb, but I can say that I've met many breeders with bad reviews, but some of the bad rap just doesn't jive.

Personally, if this will be your only ball, I would look for a breeder that you are 100% comfortable with, and there are quite a few of them with unblemished reputations.

When you are successful people are going to hate. More often than not these people are too lazy or lack imagination. They don't have the get up and go to do for themselves. So they find it much easier to tear down some one who are accomplishing their goals. Brian is a good guy and he cares for his animals. You will be fine ordering from him. I wouldn't hesitate to order from him myself.

The dude with the gator in a little pool and obese monitors in racks? I'll pass.

Brian and his operation are a worldwide known business that has great reviews on Fauna Classifieds BOI (board of inquiry). I have purchased several animals from him in the past and present and have nothing but good things to say about the quality of his animals. Listen, anytime you have a huge operation as he does there is eventually going to be some issues, they are few and far between at BHB. Consider familiarizing yourself with his t.o.s. (Terms of service) before you purchase and speak to him or his wife as well. I know they stand by their animals and overall have customer friendly procedures in place.

BHB did have a problem with mites or a while but that really isn't a deal breaker as long as you quarantine your animals.
There are some things on SnakeBytes that I don't care for but I do also understand they are shooting for the "wow" factor and to attract people.
He really does have a strong passion for this hobby too.
There are lots of people that don't like him and I think many that don't have never had any personal experience and its just because their cousins uncles sisters brothers husband heard something he didn't like.
I personally wouldn't have and second thoughts about buying any animals from him if cash wasn't an issue.
Do keep in mind that his animals draw a premium because of who they are coming from too.

You can listen to an interview with Brian on the Snakes and the Fatman podcast where he addresses some of the issues he has had in the past and what they did to correct it. He stands by his animals and is willing to deal with any issues. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from him.

Thank you all for the great info! I understand that his animals are slightly more pricey. But without him I don't think I'd even be interested in snakes. So I'd like to support him.

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Originally Posted by The Breaker

Thank you all for the great info! I understand that his animals are slightly more pricey. But without him I don't think I'd even be interested in snakes. So I'd like to support him.

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This is really important. Anyone/business who gives you something of value should always be given your consideration when it comes to purchasing. Sure, his snakes are on the pricier end, but few other breeders put that much money and effort into media that you consume for your education and entertainment. There's a cost to that, and they have to pay for it somehow. The problem with the internet is that it becomes a forum for stupid. I read on a forum once about how someone didn't like Brian when he asked Brian something along the lines of how he (the questioner) can become so passionate with reptiles. I think Brian's response was to find the species you love, breed them, and do it for the bonding experience and not the money. The guy said he was mad at Brian for that response, because he didn't want to be a breeder nor did he mention it to Brian. Well, he asked for Brian's opinion. He got an honest one, and now he doesn't like Brian. What an idiot.

He's really well known and seems very passionate. It's a large operation and there are always risks with that. I personally wouldn't buy from the company simply because I didn't agree with the way he/the staff keep or kept their ATBs but that's just my personal bias. /shrug

Like another poster mentioned, my first and only ball python is also from BHB I've had her since February and haven't had any issues, plus she has never missed a meal! (Even when I switched her over to rats). Another plus is that she was actually even more beautiful in person than in her photos.

However, lately I've heard a lot of negative things about Brian and his business. He has A LOT of animals in his facility and that's not always a good thing. So just be sure to do lots of research on breeders that you are interested in and only go with a breeder that you feel really confident in.

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Originally Posted by Kira

Like another poster mentioned, my first and only ball python is also from BHB I've had her since February and haven't had any issues, plus she has never missed a meal! (Even when I switched her over to rats). Another plus is that she was actually even more beautiful in person than in her photos.

However, lately I've heard a lot of negative things about Brian and his business. He has A LOT of animals in his facility and that's not always a good thing. So just be sure to do lots of research on breeders that you are interested in and only go with a breeder that you feel really confident in.

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If he has a lot now I wonder what it was before he downsized. He has a smaller building and less animals according to several interviews. I also heard from the breeder I got mine from that Brian had downsized. From looking at the videos it does still seem like a lot.

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Originally Posted by Bmocken

If he has a lot now I wonder what it was before he downsized. He has a smaller building and less animals according to several interviews. I also heard from the breeder I got mine from that Brian had downsized. From looking at the videos it does still seem like a lot.

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Hopefully he actually has downsized. It's hard to keep up with quality control when you have thousands of animals. In the past I've seen several large snakes (burmese pythons I believe?) kept in pretty small spaces...like they didn't even have enough room to fully uncoil and stretch out. Well maybe he has learned and is doing better now!

Brian also was the first breeder I talked to. He is very personable. He responds to my messages. I love his Vlog as well. Keep in mind there is one person who has started a crap storm about him and basically stalks him. He cares for people and his animals. I have looked up reviews on him, the BBB also and people are pleased with his snakes. He is a good guy and yes I would absolutely support him!!! He is a leader in the industry.

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Originally Posted by Kira

Hopefully he actually has downsized. It's hard to keep up with quality control when you have thousands of animals. In the past I've seen several large snakes (burmese pythons I believe?) kept in pretty small spaces...like they didn't even have enough room to fully uncoil and stretch out. Well maybe he has learned and is doing better now!

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He mainly downsized in the colubrid area.Over half his collection was colubrids.I think he stated once he has now 12,000 animals in his collection down from around 30,000
I bought from him in the past. wouldn't hesitate to do it again

I live a few miles from him, my wife worked for him for a little bit, I have many friends who have worked for him. I don't have any proof of many issues and things I don't agree with, but ive either witnessed or have what I consider reliable sources, enough for me to never feel good about buying another animal from him. Many of my collection came from him, two did have mites show up after a couple days. The mite issues are annoying but have no bearing over my decision to never buy from him again.

However there are public controversies with him you can look up for yourself, his phone and social media accounts being hacked of some kind, revealing very "personal" photos of him, his wife, employees, and female hobbyist. Impling very heavily he is not monogamous and likes using his celebrity status. However personal issues don't speak to a person's ability to care for animals, sure doesn't look good for a celebrity in our hobby.

The way he keep his animals is criticize​d, Satan being the most famous target and this one particular snake I will 100% defend Brain on, as being to his facility multiple times and seeing how the snake acted, I would of done exactly what he did for the snakes safety. Keeping Satan in the enclosure he did was the right move. The rest of the criticism I would call debatable

You can follow his transparency with the scaleless project up until a certain point, then the female has never been seen again. This alarmed many people and Brian refused to answer questions even to people who invested heavily in the project.

His qualification for dealing with venomous and being a face for hots to the world has been a hot topic also.

The way they antagonize snakes on his show has been criticized as long as snakebytes has been around.

The choice is up to you. Your title asks if he is a quality breeder, which is completely an opinion, personally I would say no, not imo.

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Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

I live a few miles from him, my wife worked for him for a little bit, I have many friends who have worked for him. I don't have any proof of many issues and things I don't agree with, but ive either witnessed or have what I consider reliable sources, enough for me to never feel good about buying another animal from him. Many of my collection came from him, two did have mites show up after a couple days. The mite issues are annoying but have no bearing over my decision to never buy from him again.

However there are public controversies with him you can look up for yourself, his phone and social media accounts being hacked of some kind, revealing very "personal" photos of him, his wife, employees, and female hobbyist. Impling very heavily he is not monogamous and likes using his celebrity status. However personal issues don't speak to a person's ability to care for animals, sure doesn't look good for a celebrity in our hobby.

The way he keep his animals is criticize​d, Satan being the most famous target and this one particular snake I will 100% defend Brain on, as being to his facility multiple times and seeing how the snake acted, I would of done exactly what he did for the snakes safety. Keeping Satan in the enclosure he did was the right move. The rest of the criticism I would call debatable

You can follow his transparency with the scaleless project up until a certain point, then the female has never been seen again. This alarmed many people and Brian refused to answer questions even to people who invested heavily in the project.

His qualification for dealing with venomous and being a face for hots to the world has been a hot topic also.

The way they antagonize snakes on his show has been criticized as long as snakebytes has been around.

The choice is up to you. Your title asks if he is a quality breeder, which is completely an opinion, personally I would say no, not imo.

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Good insight, thanks! I think from your personal experiences, and also some things I've seen regarding his care and treatment of some of the large reptiles, that is also enough for me to say that I wouldn't buy from him.

Being THAT large of a breeder, of course there is the higher likelihood of bad reviews and crap happening. Sometimes life happens, accidents happen. But once there is known undisclosed information about deceased animals, injured animals who quietly get switched out for a new animal, even one or two cases, it's enough for me to not support. And those who have had a poor experience with a seller does not immediately make them "a hater".

I purchased a female albino bp from brian several years ago. My experience with brian was great. He supplied the np a promised, she was mite free, disease free and just a beautiful albino.

In my situation, Brian met me at a prearranged location to deliver her since I'm in Michigan also.

No complaints from me.

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Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

I live a few miles from him, my wife worked for him for a little bit, I have many friends who have worked for him. I don't have any proof of many issues and things I don't agree with, but ive either witnessed or have what I consider reliable sources, enough for me to never feel good about buying another animal from him. Many of my collection came from him, two did have mites show up after a couple days. The mite issues are annoying but have no bearing over my decision to never buy from him again.

However there are public controversies with him you can look up for yourself, his phone and social media accounts being hacked of some kind, revealing very "personal" photos of him, his wife, employees, and female hobbyist. Impling very heavily he is not monogamous and likes using his celebrity status. However personal issues don't speak to a person's ability to care for animals, sure doesn't look good for a celebrity in our hobby.

The way he keep his animals is criticize​d, Satan being the most famous target and this one particular snake I will 100% defend Brain on, as being to his facility multiple times and seeing how the snake acted, I would of done exactly what he did for the snakes safety. Keeping Satan in the enclosure he did was the right move. The rest of the criticism I would call debatable

You can follow his transparency with the scaleless project up until a certain point, then the female has never been seen again. This alarmed many people and Brian refused to answer questions even to people who invested heavily in the project.

His qualification for dealing with venomous and being a face for hots to the world has been a hot topic also.

The way they antagonize snakes on his show has been criticized as long as snakebytes has been around.

The choice is up to you. Your title asks if he is a quality breeder, which is completely an opinion, personally I would say no, not imo.

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His personal life and or relationship with his wife have no bearing on his ability to be a quality breeder and that is what the OP question was.

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Originally Posted by bmocken

his personal life and or relationship with his wife have no bearing on his ability to be a quality breeder and that is what the op question was.

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thank you!!

I dont know or care about his personal life. Ive bought 3 corn snakes and 3 king snakes from BHB. All healthy, no mites, good eaters. Just my experience.

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Originally Posted by Bmocken

His personal life and or relationship with his wife have no bearing on his ability to be a quality breeder and that is what the OP question was.

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Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

However personal issues don't speak to a person's ability to care for animals, sure doesn't look good for a celebrity in our hobby.

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Being a quality breeder can have different meanings to different people, it is purely opinion. The type of person can play a big part in some people's definition. I just brought up things that are very easily searchable and discussed often. If I had proof of other issues I would share it.

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Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

Being a quality breeder can have different meanings to different people, it is purely opinion. The type of person can play a big part in some people's definition. I just brought up things that are very easily searchable and discussed often. If I had proof of other issues I would share it.

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They are very searchable and I did search them finding them to be false. Even a YouTube video made by someone who is blocked by BHB said the hacked posts don't show Brian's face and could very well be fake. All that is, is spreading slander and hearsay. If you have personnel experience with him then it applies. If not then it doesn't. Your post sounds more like an agenda against BHB rather then an objective answer as to if he is a quality breeder.

Brian makes nice healthy looking stuff. If someone has what I want, it is what matters most to me. I have respect for the guy. It is hard to run a large operation successfully. Anyone that does not understand that has never done it. Larger businesses come with sacrifice and to do it and not loose your soul is a difficult thing to do.

That said, being stuck in a small room with Brian would be a personal nightmare for me. While I admire his drive, a bubbly personality, coming especially from a man is very off putting to me.

As to his personal life, whatever it may be, it is none of my business. If he is not hurting people or breaking laws I could care less. It is going to have no weight on whether or not I do business with the guy. Business is business.

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Originally Posted by Bmocken

They are very searchable and I did search them finding them to be false. Even a YouTube video made by someone who is blocked by BHB said the hacked posts don't show Brian's face and could very well be fake. All that is, is spreading slander and hearsay. If you have personnel experience with him then it applies. If not then it doesn't. Your post sounds more like an agenda against BHB rather then an objective answer as to if he is a quality breeder.

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False? So whats the alternative? someone took the time to photoshop/spoof his text messages and collect various private images of people surrounding him? Then still hacked/gained access to his accounts to post it. Or the original story where a single device was hacked/gained access, which would be a hub for everything posted. I don't even understand why his face not being in the photos has anything to do with anything, why would it be? It's really hard to discuss this and keep it PG rated. And as we all agree, it has nothing to do with someone's ability to take care of animals. It however can speak about the type of person, which may or may not influence how you think of them as someone to purchase animals from.

As stated before, I have plenty of first hand experience with him and I know many others I consider reliable sources. However it's all hearsay without proof now isn't it? so I can't say more than what's already in public.

It's hardly an agenda when someone asks about him. Ask about the kick brothers and I'll show you all sorts of public posts about them, I've never even exchanged a single word with them. And there are people who will defend the kicks like it's a religion. We are all just haters you know.

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Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

False? So whats the alternative? someone took the time to photoshop/spoof his text messages and collect various private images of people surrounding him? Then still hacked/gained access to his accounts to post it. Or the original story where a single device was hacked/gained access, which would be a hub for everything posted. I don't even understand why his face not being in the photos has anything to do with anything, why would it be? It's really hard to discuss this and keep it PG rated. And as we all agree, it has nothing to do with someone's ability to take care of animals. It however can speak about the type of person, which may or may not influence how you think of them as someone to purchase animals from.

As stated before, I have plenty of first hand experience with him and I know many others I consider reliable sources. However it's all hearsay without proof now isn't it? so I can't say more than what's already in public.

It's hardly an agenda when someone asks about him. Ask about the kick brothers and I'll show you all sorts of public posts about them, I've never even exchanged a single word with them. And there are people who will defend the kicks like it's a religion. We are all just haters you know.

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Do you spend this much effort looking into the car dealer you use. You have confirmed 100% for me that there is something personal here. It sounds like an agenda to me because his sexual proclivities are irrelevant. Would you buy from a breeder who was gay? Snakes.... this is a snake forum ... just in case you forgot....

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Originally Posted by ElliotNess

Do you spend this much effort looking into the car dealer you use. You have confirmed 100% for me that there is something personal here. It sounds like an agenda to me because his sexual proclivities are irrelevant. Would you buy from a breeder who was gay? Snakes.... this is a snake forum ... just in case you forgot....

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My car warranty is through the make of this car, not the dealership, and when I buy my cars I put far more effort into research than me pulling out issues off the top of my head... The breeders word is my "warranty". I wouldn't buy from a breeder who I feel has a history of lying.

However you seem to be focused on one part of my post. I don't keep atbs but that community has attacked the way he keeps them. I don't keep Giants but that community has attacked the way he keeps them. Form your own opinion if that is traits of a quality breeder.

He promoted transparency with his scaleless project... Until the female disappeared all of a sudden. Then it was nothing but tight lips and shutting out people who invested in his project. This is another one that's tough because again there are things I can't prove. I will ask even his public actions through out the ordeal, are those traits of a quality breeder?

I don't keep hots, but that community seems to have no problem saying his education is misinformation and is hurting their part of the hobby. Form your own opinion there also.

His antagonizing snakes and numerous mite issue stories are hard even for the most loyal fan to deny. Are these traits of a quality breeder?

A lot of people will feel differently. Perhaps none of those issues bother you. It an opinion. My agenda now is to defend myself. Accuse me of slander? No I don't think so.

I have not vetted any of these for myself, so take with a grain of salt and do your own research, but this appears to be some of the more common complaints: https://fimbry-talks.tumblr.com/post...o-you-hate-bhb

My own two cents: when I was looking to get my first snakes I had initially looked at BHB. He had one female cinna pin listed for 400 + shipping, a not bad price at the time. But then I found one of our forum members also had a cinnapin female for sale right at the same time, and when he sent me pics I was blown away. Strudel has an almost perfect dorsal stripe, her colors are OUTSTANDING and her personality is flawless. And the topper is, I got her and Serket as a bundle deal for basically the same price as the one Brian was offering, and I think she is of a much better quality. Is Brian a good guy? I don't know. But there are hundreds of great breeders out there, including our own forum members whom I've gotten to personally know, that don't have any of this back and forth attached to their names, and produce animals as good as if not better than the ones he has, so personally, I don't really have any reason to do any business with him.

Alright people time to remember that this is an inquiry forum not a drama/rumor/dirty laundry forum, this is not what we do here......there is enough drama and rumors in this industry in general that it does not need to be brought here this is not what this forum is about.

Owal, I have a lot of respect for you as a snake guy. Your site is one of the "bibles" of the hobby. I put weight in your opinions. The problem on this occasion is that you mixed stuff in that puts the validity of your post in question. My integrity as a businessman has never been questioned nor has the integrity of my work, but I can pretty much guarantee by your post that you would not like the way I run my personal life. If you don't like it, it is your prerogative to determine if you would ever want to deal with someone like me. No sweat off my back one way or the other. The point is that this is not the place to hash that kind of stuff out and it just makes your post sound petty when you are in reality a very knowledgeable guy who's opinion should matter.

Moderator stepped in while I was typing. Please feel free to delete.

Focus on the business parts of my post then and form your own opinion.