Breeding Ball Pythons - Some things to consider...

great post Jamie. and i really agree with the time aspect it does take time. and my wife yells at me because i'm in there room for about 1 hour every day just checking and watering then the weekly cleaning not to mention feeding then double checking to make sure they have eaten. so with the small group i have i still spend 10 hours a week at least

I find that I am spending about 6 hours a day with my new pets, at the MINIMUM and I'm not even breeding. I take great pains in making sure the cages are spotless and that everything is EXACTLY the way things need to be. I have seen a HUGE difference in my snakes' behavior as well just in the few days I've had them. They are much more active, their scales seem to have more of a luster and they are just all around more content, at least in appearance. As with anything else in life, you'll only get out of your snake what you put into it in terms of care and wellbeing.
Excellent post Jamie. Ya know, when I first brought these snakes home I had no intentions of breeding them, but after seeing all the breeding posts and pics of clutches being born, I am finding myself wondering what it would be like to take on this awesome responsibility as well. We'll see how things go.

Such a fabulous post.

I have learned some HARD lessons.

We got snakes with mites. We had to treat ten animals, bug bomb our snake room, clean everything over and over... spend a small fortune on mite treatments, and take our aggressive one to a vet and pay to get her treated since she would bite us if we tried to demite her ourselves.

We got snakes with RIs that we couldn't yet see. We stupidly put one of them in with a few others. One snake died... even after several hundred dollars in vet bills.

I learned who to get snake froms (Thanks 8-ball, and other great breeders!!) and who NOT to get snakes from (idiots) and how to house and quarantine and care for our animals.

Now, we're ready to get started breeding!

Above all we love our snakes. They are pets. Every single one is loved and handled and admired for his/her quirks and unique look and personality. I want my snakes to go to loving homes- not people who will grow bored of them and give them up. Maybe it's because I come from the world of dogs, where any good breeder makes sure any new home is committed, for life- to be or find the best home possible for the dog. We have found pet homes for snakes we cannot breed, so that we can keep giving all of our snakes the love and attention we think they deserve. A snake bought as a pet/companion could live twenty years, and it deserves not to be disposed of when a new girlfriend or boyfriend fears it, or a baby arrives, or whatever other excuses there are.

We have our first pet male- he'll be eight years old in June!

Anyway, I think all of the points made in this thread are worth really understanding. If you can't afford them, hold off. Adopt one from a reliable herp rescuer or buy one pet from a reputable breeder, and learn from other peoples' mistakes and losses! (like mine!)

What a wonderful post.

I don't think I can ever read that post enough and still wonder if I'm ready. So many things in that post need to be spread around on all of the forums and maybe on KS or CL too, maybe it would help a little.

I definitely agree with the vet bills and the time part. I've been fortunate not to have had any husbandry problems with either of my balls but I've got a fund saved up just in case I should have to.

Thank you again for sharing this post with us,
JoAnne

The rodent issue is a big one, not everyone realizes how much work they are, and the healthier the rodents the healthier the snakes.
I used to breed Syrian hamsters so the snakes for me are easier and I might actually at least break even with them.
Also corn snake hatchling season is a busy time every year in the lab, its a crazy time, its rewarding to see them hatch out and the different colors especially when I was going to school and in the lab 14-20+ hours a week but its crazy. And cleaning constantly, then you go to put the box back and spill the water and have to clean it again. With any snake,even if you can handle the adults the rest of year, hatchling season will test your sanity. I love hatchling season, but then again I don't have much sanity to test in the first place. I can't wait to have my own babies.

Hey guys really liked your post alot but i did want to ask you a question. I kinda had the feeling you are talking about breeding multiple snakes at multiple times. What happens when if i just wanted to breed one snake is it still a big hassle. I mean is it easier thanks alot

awesome post!:gj: When i help people get into snakes that want one they tend to not believe a 14 year old kid when they say how much commitment it takes.

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Originally Posted by SPJ

This part is often overlooked. I spent almost $600 between vet visits and lab work recently and that was on ONE snake.
There are many extra expenses you may not think of and when you have a bunch of babies, it can get get very costly. Don't fool yourself thinking breeding is a quick money making thing.

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Do you mind listing some of those extra expenses?

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Originally Posted by jzoot3d

Do you mind listing some of those extra expenses?

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I'm not a breeder, just a pet owner and this week I spent money on:

1.) A new heat pad when one just stopped heating up for some reason.
2.) A new scale, same thing, the old one stopped working.

I still have the old Reptitherm thermostats that I really need to replace with a more reliable one. Just saving up some money to afford the herpstat. It would be super bad if those break on me.

Last year my house got hit by lightning and I had to buy new stuff for the vivariums.

A few months ago the supply store that sold rat food moved to a different location so they couldn't order the rat food for a while (they don't stock rat food, it's all special order). I had to buy rat food from Petco for 4 times the regular amount.

So yeah, I can see how a breeder that's doing this as a business will have to have money on hand to cover these types of expenses.

As a aspiring breeder I find this post very educational. I've a friend who got more than he could handle and lost his passion. So posts like this really does help someone on the outside looking in. I'm glad I found this forum because it seems like a group of good people here. Thanks for the good advice.

I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE THINGS ABOUT REPTILES :) :snake: