Question for those of you with large collections

[swansonbb]

I recognize that I've gone from 0 snakes to 12 within 6 months, but I'm really enjoying it. I love how much my kids have gotten into it - my 9 year old daughter wants a corn for Christmas.

I realize I've yet to hatch my first clutch, but I'm thinking scale (I've got grandiose ideas). Watching the Snakebytes videos has got me thinking. Managing husbandry for a collection my size isn't that tough. But what about when you have several hundred (or thousand) animals?

Efficiency has got to be the key for bigger breeders. Feeding, cleaning tubs, changing water all seem relatively straight forward, even for large collections.

How do you keep the humidity up for the animals when in shed? I use a spray bottle now, but no way would that work with a larger collection - there has to be a better way. Maybe some sort of pump sprayer (I'm envisioning the type of sprayer used for pest control- that type of thing)?

How do you manage your records? Like who shed when, who ate when, etc...

I'm nowhere near ready (and may never be) for a several hundred animal collection, but these are the types of issues I think about. I blame the MBA.

[Annarose15]

When you get to that level of breeding, you typically have employees.

[Zombie]

I'd say once I get to a thousand I better have employees

[swansonbb]

When you get to that level of breeding, you typically have employees.

No doubt. And I'm by no means planning on building a business like that. But before you get big enough to need employees, you'd be doing it on your own. Even with employees, finding the most efficient way to take care of your animals has to be the key to a successful business.

[Annarose15]

Even with employees, finding the most efficient way to take care of your animals has to be the key to a successful business.

Agreed. It really depends on what space you have to work with. An industrial sink in the snake room would be a huge help to me, but I'm not willing to overhaul the plumbing in my house. I starting using a room humidifier this winter to save on misting any snakes not in shed - I refill it every other day. I use stackable water bowls so I can clean a full rack's worth at a time. Etc., etc. BTW, I have 36 BPs at the moment, as well as a carpet python, dog, cat, chickens, and a chahoua on the way.

[Mike41793]

I dont think a fancy sprayer like that would be practical. How would you know whose in shed?

[swansonbb]

An industrial sink would be helpful. I liked BHB's water bowl system.

@ Mike - I'm talking about spraying the tubs of the animals in blue.

[Don]

I have a whole house humidifier in my ball room. That takes care of the humidity.

My advice would be get used to the size of your collection and grow as you feel comfortable. The bigger you get, the more you work out the systems and methods that work for you.

I've visited and copied large breeders methods and have found that what works for them, doesn't always work for me. I'm a visual person and use a label maker and color coded dots to track what I need to track. Babies have index cards. I've changed methods several times and as my collection grows, I'll probably continue to make adjustments. BTW, I too have an MBA. Though, I don't let that get in the way. .

[swansonbb]

BTW, I too have an MBA. Though, I don't let that get in the way. .

No joke. It does make you think differently, though. I'm long past the "I have an MBA and thereby know everything" stage, more into the "I spent how much on my education? Can I do something fun with it?".

Even if I never significantly grow my collection, I like to think about the what ifs. Fun (in a sick way) to think about how I would do things if this became a full (or even a part) time gig.

[Mike41793]

An industrial sink would be helpful. I liked BHB's water bowl system.

@ Mike - I'm talking about spraying the tubs of the animals in blue.

Yes i realize that but how would you know whose in blue? Im picturing an industrial system being one that has some sort of nozzle/sprayer hooked up in every tub. If you just flipped that on how would you know who is in blue?

Even if you had 100 animals i still feel like itd be just as easy to use a spray bottle. You open the tub, see the snakes in blue, give a couple shots of water, and close the tub. I feel like on my own i could comfortably care for 100-150 balls. (Im thinking 10male and 40female breeders and 50-100 babies). Anything more than 50ish adults and id probably need some help from a significant other or friend to keep up. Bc at that point id probably be breeding my own rats too and would have to care for all of them. Thats yearsssss down the road though lol.