!!!!breeding!!!!

[iloveleucie63]

i was just wondering what ball python morph would be the best to start breeding with.

im kinda new to the whole breeding thing.

[derrabe]

That question is kind of a personal preference and the amount of money you have to spare up front. Pastels, Cinnamons, Spiders, Yellowbellies and Mojaves are generally the cheapest of the morphs and you can make some good combinations with them.

[Oroborous]

Well, it depends on what you like. Personally, I have raised all my snakes from babies, so if you plan on doing that you'll have years of waiting to do before attempting to breed.

[blackcrystal22]

I would work on just getting experience with the animals first. You seem new to the whole reptile thing as well judging from your other posts.

[Mitch21]

I would work on just getting experience with the animals first. You seem new to the whole reptile thing as well judging from your other posts.

x2

[Danounet]

A pastel should run about $125 if you can find a local breeder. The other cheaper morphs start running around $300, like a spider. IMO pastel and spiders are nice just on their own, and they help make much nicer morphs. Same goes for spider. I dont think You could go wrong with any of those 2. My 2 cents

[iloveleucie63]

A pastel should run about $125 if you can find a local breeder. The other cheaper morphs start running around $300, like a spider. IMO pastel and spiders are nice just on their own, and they help make much nicer morphs. Same goes for spider. I dont think You could go wrong with any of those 2. My 2 cents

yeah i was lookin for a cheaper morph to start. bc i dont have that much money.

[DM1975]

Morphs cost money, no way around that. $125.00 for a morph is very cheap when you start looking at the prices of other morphs. Start slow and learn about the snakes first. I would not attempt to breed them until you have been keeping snakes for a little while and you have everything you need to support the animals before you have them bred.

Caging requirements to keep the babies, and an incubator will run you way more than one cheap morph will cost. I only say this because if you can't afford a $300.00 morph with a mate then you won't be able to afford what you need to breed. I am not saying this in a bad way, I understand not having the money to do it all like you want, but you have to take into consideration the safety and well being of the animals before anything else.

My choice to start is Mojave's. I have been keeping snakes for a long time and I just now have the time and money to breed so I bought two Mojave's to start with. I bought them as babies so I can wait till next year or the year after for the incubator cost. I also got a complete breeding rack set up before I bought any more snakes. It looks pretty Baron with only a few snakes in it now, but it leaves me room for growth now, which is good because I just made a deal on a spider female a pastel male and a het pied. I figure I have spent about $1,500.00 this year getting ready with just my BP's, not counting my boas, and that is on the cheap side.

Not trying to discourage you in any way, just start slow and small. If it is worth doing, then it is worth saving up for to do it correctly.

[iloveleucie63]

Morphs cost money, no way around that. $125.00 for a morph is very cheap when you start looking at the prices of other morphs. Start slow and learn about the snakes first. I would not attempt to breed them until you have been keeping snakes for a little while and you have everything you need to support the animals before you have them bred.

Caging requirements to keep the babies, and an incubator will run you way more than one cheap morph will cost. I only say this because if you can't afford a $300.00 morph with a mate then you won't be able to afford what you need to breed. I am not saying this in a bad way, I understand not having the money to do it all like you want, but you have to take into consideration the safety and well being of the animals before anything else.

My choice to start is Mojave's. I have been keeping snakes for a long time and I just now have the time and money to breed so I bought two Mojave's to start with. I bought them as babies so I can wait till next year or the year after for the incubator cost. I also got a complete breeding rack set up before I bought any more snakes. It looks pretty Baron with only a few snakes in it now, but it leaves me room for growth now, which is good because I just made a deal on a spider female a pastel male and a het pied. I figure I have spent about $1,500.00 this year getting ready with just my BP's, not counting my boas, and that is on the cheap side.

Not trying to discourage you in any way, just start slow and small. If it is worth doing, then it is worth saving up for to do it correctly.

yeah, thats what i was planning on doing. this whole breeding thing wouldn't happen for a few years till i get the cash and experience. I'm just getting some opinions now and stuff so when the time comes when I'm ready to start. ill know what I'm doing and wont have to waste time figuring all this stuff out then.

[rabernet]

yeah, thats what i was planning on doing. this whole breeding thing wouldn't happen for a few years till i get the cash and experience. I'm just getting some opinions now and stuff so when the time comes when I'm ready to start. ill know what I'm doing and wont have to waste time figuring all this stuff out then.

In a few years, when you're ready to breed, your tastes for morphs may be completely different.

I would recommend first getting yourself a small rack (either buy or build) and get you a small collection of females and grow them up. I started in 2005 buying normal females as babies and raising them up. The experience that I gained working with several different animals with different personalities, likes and dislikes was invaluable.

People can give you all the advice in the world, but nothing compares to personal experience. A year before you're ready to breed, take a look at what morphs are priced then and see what you'd like to work with then. By that time, you may even have the money saved to get you a combination male, like a bumblebee, which when bred to a female could produce spiders, pastels, bumblebees and normals (as an example).

Also be planning for a baby rack during that time for housing any babies that you will be producing, and building an incubator. All of this costs money - you can't scrimp on things like a quality thermostat (which will run you $100 or more if you go with a proportional thermostat like a Herpstat or Helix to run your incubator). With my modest collection, I've got about 8 thermostats between the incubator and racks. Not cheap, but 100% necessary. And, I'll be buying another one very soon, because I need to make yet another rack.

$125 is a very small amount of money compared to the money you still need to invest in animals, vet care, husbandry equipment, food, etc - before you ever breed.

If you haven't read this sticky at the top of the BP Breeding forum, I'd recommend reading it - it's a great reality check:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=49580