Culling?

I was thinking about it today while I was checking out some breeders websites. Do snake people cull? Like normals are as popular or anything as the morphs are. so say a breeder has a clutch and they are trying for something and they get a bunch of normals do they cull them or use them for later breedings? I havent seen a lot of normals for sale on websites so i was just curious to see what happens to them.

Most respected and strong breeders would never cull.
If they get normals, they sell them or breed them in the future.

If there is culling going on.. I haven't heard of any.

I cannot speak for all but im sure that culling is only done when the animal can not live a happy healthy life like severe deformities. I cannot imagine why anyone with a heart would kill perfectly healthy animals just because they were not the hot new morph they were aiming for.

sadly.. i have seen post on kinsnake that say they kill unsold snakes... very very sadening

I know it happens all the time with dog breeders. Like if they dont get the color they want or for example the Rhodesian Ridgeback is born without the ridge they will cull it as well. I was just wondering how snake breeders compared to dog breeders.

i am glad to hear it isn't a big part of the breeding!

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

I know it happens all the time with dog breeders. Like if they dont get the color they want or for example the Rhodesian Ridgeback is born without the ridge they will cull it as well. I was just wondering how snake breeders compared to dog breeders.

i am glad to hear it isn't a big part of the breeding!

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Any color of a breed that disqualifies it from show is often culled. White german shepards for example. Too much white on whipits and some other breeds.

Its done a whole lot more than just for disqualifications. i have one pitbull who i rescued when a breeder told me to get it because it wasnt the right color fawn she was breeding for. There are plenty of other examples of dog culling, I used to show for a bit and the topic went round..

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Originally Posted by pitbulls4me

Its done a whole lot more than just for disqualifications. i have one pitbull who i rescued when a breeder told me to get it because it wasnt the right color fawn she was breeding for. There are plenty of other examples of dog culling, I used to show for a bit and the topic went round..

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I can imagine. :[

My Neemo was headed to the freezer when his previous owner got him, all because he had a small kink in his tail when he hatched, it's hardly noticable now he's 4 and an absolute angel.

I used to breed goldfish, and culled the (BADLY) deformed ones that couldn't have a proper life.

But jeez for snakes? As long as it's not too bad (I haven't bred snakes before but I assume serious deformities in snakes are much more uncommon than with goldfish) I'd keep a snake. Hell someone would buy it for 40 bucks as a pet. Culling because of color or slight imperfections? That's just wasting money. That's the breeders loss and the snakes loss of life...

Normals are usually sold to local pet stores rather then advertised on the internet. Not many people are willing to pay more for the shipping then they are for the snake. So, normals usually aren't shipped but sold locally

I know of someone who had done it with normal baby retics. They were used as food for someones cobra.

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Originally Posted by AjBalls

I know of someone who had done it with normal baby retics. They were used as food for someones cobra.

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That's not culling. That's raising feeder animals.

He did not want to bother trying to feed/raise/sell them because he did not think they would benefit him. Just wanted the morphs.

I cull any and all animals that have any deformities, including kinks. But I don't cull any just because they're normal, or not the morph I wanted.

I guess because the normals are being sold locally, thats why I never saw them being advertised on the websites. Thanks for the clear up! and I am glad culling is not a widely used practice amoung snake breeders.

Normal males are rarely advertised on breeder's website but they are available.

I chose to advertise mine locally rather they put them up for sell online and have the buyer pay for shipping.

Some people also wholesale them to pet stores.

Now are some normal males being culled because they are normal males, yes sadly I am pretty sure it happens.

I usually sell them locally, or if someone is looking for a local pet and contacts me, I sell it very cheaply to them. I always keep a few for those people..

I abhorr culling just because someone doesn't have space...

But if there is any health issues that cannot be corrected by veterinary care, I will cull for the benefit of the animal.

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Originally Posted by blueapplepaste

I cull any and all animals that have any deformities, including kinks. But I don't cull any just because they're normal, or not the morph I wanted.

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Same here.

This is my first year breeding, but as far as culling, I would only cull an animal if the animal could not live a healthy, normal, life. Other then that, I would not cull. As a breeder, I have the responsibility of each and every animal I help bring into this world and just because it isn't the color I wanted, or the sex I wanted, doesn't mean I should just get rid of it because it serves no purpose to me. If it is not what I wanted, and no one will buy it, then I need to make sure I have space in my rack and enough time and feeders to raise it.

I also don't believe in culling dogs. I bet there are plenty of people out there who want a purebred dog but can't hand over $2000 for one, so why not sell the "less desirable" ones for less instead of killing them?

And by culling, what is meant is that I sell the normals as pets or give them to local schools. I DO NOT KILL. To me, you should never kill any snake.

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Originally Posted by southb

And by culling, what is meant is that I sell the normals as pets or give them to local schools. I DO NOT KILL. To me, you should never kill any snake.

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Then that would not be culling in the sense that we are referring to...

Dogs are much harder to unload than ball pythons, because there is such a surplus of them around. Anything imperfect and less-than-show-quality is just as hard to find an owner for as dogs at a shelter. Unfortunatly since these breeders make a business out of it and compete in a world with such surplus, culling is the financially logical option. This is partly why I will never buy from dog breeders, even the good guys of the business who don't cull and take good care of the dogs.. Supporting part of the business helps keep the business as a whole.

Ball pythons, even normal males, are pretty easy to find homes for(even if you don't make much or any $ out of finding that home) just about anywhere in the US, and I don't know anyone who culls based on anything other than deformities that impact an animal's health, though I have heard of it happening.

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

Then that would not be culling in the sense that we are referring to...

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exactly....Culling means different things depending on who you ask.

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Originally Posted by southb

exactly....Culling means different things depending on who you ask.

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No, it doesn't. It means what it is defined as. People don't have the option of creating their own definition.

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To reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal (as by hunting) of especially weaker animals ; also : to hunt or kill (animals) as a means of population control

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I understand culling from a point of deformities and health issues but for looks and what I do not. With dogs, I understand it to a point. I dont think a lot of people out their breeding dogs should be breeding them. The only breeder i would buy from woul be a working dog breeder (one who doesn't show but uses the dog for its original purpose and proves its working ability before breeding).

I think maybe snake breeders dont cull either because they are easier to house than say 10 puppies. Either way I am thrilled that it is not practiced by snake breeders.

Thansk everyone for their input as well.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

No, it doesn't. It means what it is defined as. People don't have the option of creating their own definition.

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Bill Clinton can! .....as well as most other politicians.....so why can't we?

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Originally Posted by southb

Bill Clinton can! .....as well as most other politicians.....so why can't we?

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A word becomes a word when enough of the population uses it in a specific sense. Same goes with a definition.
You are the minority and by this logic your use of the word is inappropriate at best.
Get a dictionary, or become a politician.
-Steven

OK, this is annoying me. I agree that the way the word cull was being used in the context of this thread should have been obvious. However, there is nothing wrong with what southb said; all of you jumping on him for using it wrong are the ones that are wrong.

I think it was especially ridiculous of MarkS to post the 2nd definition to prove his point, and pretend the 1st definition doesn't exist. Here is what it really says at Merriam-Webster.com:

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1: to select from a group : choose <culled the best passages from the poet's work> 2: to reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal (as by hunting) of especially weaker animals ; also : to hunt or kill (animals) as a means of population control

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According to dictionary.com, neither Random House nor the American Heritage Dictionary even have the word "kill" (or anything synonymous) in their definition at all.

Random House:

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–verb (used with object) 1. to choose; select; pick. 2. to gather the choice things or parts from. 3. to collect; gather; pluck.
–noun 4. act of culling. 5. something culled, esp. something picked out and put aside as inferior.

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American Heritage:

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tr.v. culled, cull·ing, culls 1. To pick out from others; select. 2. To gather; collect. 3. To remove rejected members or parts from (a herd, for example).
n. Something picked out from others, especially something rejected because of inferior quality.

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