Getting Started

If you had 3k to spend on strictly balls for breeding what would you buy? Male, Female, Normals, Morphs?

Also I was looking at some of the rack systems and was curious if I started out with say 3-5 snakes should I just start with a level or two and build it up in the future or get an entire rack and prepare for the future?


Thanks for any information,
Jeremy

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FIREball

If you had 3k to spend on strictly balls for breeding what would you buy? Male, Female, Normals, Morphs?

Also I was looking at some of the rack systems and was curious if I started out with say 3-5 snakes should I just start with a level or two and build it up in the future or get an entire rack and prepare for the future?


Thanks for any information,
Jeremy

---

MMMMM...

Male Enchi or male woma

Id build a huge rack, then get a buncha normal females and a male lesser and cinny.

Well, here's my advice:


Take your time and do a great deal of research to start with. Too many times, I've watched people spend money on "exciting" snakes, only to either change their minds later and want to do a different project, or they encounter life changes (some unpredictable, but some they should have seen coming) that cause them to have to get rid of their snakes. Either way, they end up selling out and have little-to-nothing to show for the money and time they put into it in the first place.

So....research and PLAN. Decide what YOU are passionate about and work toward that goal. Decide how you want to house multiple snakes, and figure out how much of your $3k is going to have to go into that. Make sure you have a steady income for purchasing feeders for multiple snakes. In addition to seeing people buy morphs the either do'nt really want or can't keep, I've seen people buy up dozens of animals in anticipation of big breeding projects....only to find the food bill for that many animals is staggering. Or they can't find a steady, consistent supply of that many feeder rodents each week.

Enjoy this phase of it. Save your $3k and add to it while you take this time to study all the myriad of options available and figure out your own desires. Do you want "instant morphs"? Or are you willing to put in the years it takes to raise up recessives and breed for much more rare morphs and combos? How will you house them? How will you feed them? How will you handle the babies when they come?

There's just so much more to consider than which snakes can I get for X amount of dollars. The FUN part is learning and figuring all that out! :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FIREball

If you had 3k to spend on strictly balls for breeding what would you buy? Male, Female, Normals, Morphs?

Also I was looking at some of the rack systems and was curious if I started out with say 3-5 snakes should I just start with a level or two and build it up in the future or get an entire rack and prepare for the future?


Thanks for any information,
Jeremy

---

Man you have so many options with 3 stacks dude.

AS far as the racks go, I jsut built a rack for about 40 dollars and 2 hours of my time. after I get the flexwatt, thermostat and tubs I will only have a little over $100 invested and it will hold (9) 32 quart tubs so there is definite room for growth. I put a thread with pics of my rack on the cageing area of the forum.

Thanks for the replies so far, so ill definately go with a rack system. Any particular manufacturer you recommend? Will I still need "hides" since they will be in the rack.

If you want immediate and an eyecatching combo, you can always go with spider/pastel to make bumblebees too.
But you should always go with something that catches YOUR fancy. It could be any number of things, and even a non-proven something.
Planning ahead is always a great idea. Getting your racks and all is best, and don't forget quarentine! Right now, I have a q-rack in my living room! LOL.

racks,


www.herpenclosures.com the elite series!

www.reptilebasics.com

www.freedombreeder.com


vaughn

Well heres what Im looking for Pied, Albino, Spider, and Pastel. Does it matter if I get some males and some females. Or should I get all males and the normal females.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FIREball

If you had 3k to spend on strictly balls for breeding what would you buy? Male, Female, Normals, Morphs?

Also I was looking at some of the rack systems and was curious if I started out with say 3-5 snakes should I just start with a level or two and build it up in the future or get an entire rack and prepare for the future?


Thanks for any information,
Jeremy

---

EASY! I'd get the best piebald I could for $3k. Preferably female, but a male could breed sooner.... then I'd start saving for another pieb or a het pie. :)

Wow! What a great position to be in! Do your research up front and then decide which snakes you really like.


I agree that you need to go ahead and purchase a rack and the other husbandry requirements (thermostat, temp gun or thermometer, humidity gage, hides if you decide to use them in a rack, water bowls, tub cleaner, substrate, etc.) before your snakes. Set it all up at least 4-5 days before you buy your first ball - a wekk or two would be even better. Then you can make sure everything is on target.

If you eventually want to breed, I would suggest getting females of the recessive morphs (pieds or albinos), normal females and maybe a co-dominant male or two (pastels, spiders, lessers, butters, etc.) next year. The females will take a couple of years to grow up before they are ready to breed. Don't forget that if you buy multiple snakes from one person, you can usually negotiate a pretty good deal on a package.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

For the morphs you want to work with here's what I would do:

Rack, T-stat & accessories - 500ish
spider male - 500
pastel female - 300
het albino female - 400
het pied female - 800

With the remaining 500 you can get some normal females. Maybe one adult so you can try your hand at breeding the spider male next year. Rest hatchlings to grow up. Next year you can get males to plug into your albino and pied projects. Hets or if you have the money visuals. These prices are just off the top of my head. You can probably get better deals. Then with the extra money you can get an extra pastel female or maybe a spider female. Hope this helps.

So this is what Im thinking (went over budget, but what Im shooting for)

Males : Albino, Pastel
Females: Pied, Spider,Het Albino, Normal

Figured I could breed the Albino to the Pied and Het Albino and the Pastel to the Spider and Normal.

What do you guys think?

With 3k, you're probably only going to be able to afford a female pied and a male albino if you find a good deal. Female pieds are usually in the 2.5-3k range, and male albino's are ~$800-1k, depending on the breeder. I would much rather spend more money from a reputable breeder that would help me if something goes wrong than your average joe that's 'trying to get rid of his collection'. I would personally get a het pair for caramel albinos, and a spider female then a rack system, then a pair of het albinos and a pair of axanthics.

I was just originally quoting 3k, I know the prices and can spend more than that I was just trying to get some opinions. I like the albinos, pieds, and bees so figured this would be a nice start. Figure females and rack this year, males the next, and breed the 3rd.

FIREball, I'd definitely take my time doing a lot of research. After all that's one of the most exciting parts shopping around and day dreaming about what to get. Remember your going to be the one taking care of these animals for many years to come so buy what attracts you the most cause that's whats really important.

Happy hunting.