Where to begin breeding?

[TexGirl]

Hi! I've had snakes for about 10 years now. Have loved them my whole life, but could never have one until I left for college because my mom said she'd disown me if I brought one into her house. The first week at college I got my first ball and had the cage in my dorm room. Had to pay my RA $100 bucks to keep quiet about it, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. I still have Fluffy, and he is my baby. I have 3 balls now (Fluffy, Tigger, and Waldo), 2 corns (Temper, and Raven), 2 milk snakes (Red and Spastic), and 2 red tailed boas (Cookie and Crackers). I adopted every snake I have accept for my first, Fluffy. I just bought my first house and have decided to take the plunge into breeding now that I really have the space to set up a reptile room. I already spent $2,500 on stackable cages (finally getting rid of all my tanks!), and a 24 tub hatchling rack unit. I've never bred before, and while I've bought several books and have been doing some online research, I wanted to check in with other breeders to get y'alls two cents. Let me be clear that I'm not starting breeding with the intent to get rich. I teach, and I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl, so I'll never quit my day job. I want to start breeding so that I can A) cover the cost of food and other expenses, and B) make enough money to buy some of the more exotic balls I've admired for years. I don't want this to be a huge business, and I am well aware that it could take many years and substantial further investment before I reach those two goals, but as many of you probably are, I'm obsessed with snakes and am in this for the long haul. So here are my questions:

1. What type of incubators should I use?
2. Where do I sell the clutches?
3. Do I have to have a small business license?
4. Do I have to claim any money I make on my taxes if I'm only aiming to make enough to buy more pets?
5. Is a website necessary? And if so how hard is it to make one for a computer idiot like me?
6. I have a male pastel and a female spider right now, but what should I aim for to make enough profit to buy the really expensive ones I want?
7. How do you sell? How do you separate the obsession from the business? I've never sold or traded one of my snakes before. I get so very attached. My red tails soak in the tub with me from time to time, and I see myself getting all emotional over any babies I breed.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. I'm also open to any tips for newbies like me. Again, I have never bred any snakes before so I'm expecting to hit snags all along the way. I had one guy at the NARBC last month tell me not to expect to hatch any out of my first breeding because I probably won't set the incubator up right. He offered to come set everything up for me and help me get started for $200, but I suspect he was just looking to make money.

Again, thanks for any help.

[txcoker]

You found the best site for help and information, plus it's FREE!

[Ally.]

I think you're right.. the guy willing to set up an incubator for you is in it just to make money. I'm sure a lot of people have minimal issues with their first breeding. This will be my first year at attempting to breed, and although I'm really nervous that something may go wrong, I've done pleanty of research to at least be confident in setting up my own incubator. Also, the guy I bought my breeder female off of is an awesome guy and is in breeding for the love of snakes, not for money. Even though the purchase was made months ago, we still talk and he always offers me advice and is willing to help me with any problems I may come across when I start getting eggs... and he's willing to do it all for free just to help out a (new) fellow breeder.

[I-KandyReptiles]

Hi! I've had snakes for about 10 years now. Have loved them my whole life, but could never have one until I left for college because my mom said she'd disown me if I brought one into her house. The first week at college I got my first ball and had the cage in my dorm room. Had to pay my RA $100 bucks to keep quiet about it, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. I still have Fluffy, and he is my baby. I have 3 balls now (Fluffy, Tigger, and Waldo), 2 corns (Temper, and Raven), 2 milk snakes (Red and Spastic), and 2 red tailed boas (Cookie and Crackers). I adopted every snake I have accept for my first, Fluffy. I just bought my first house and have decided to take the plunge into breeding now that I really have the space to set up a reptile room. I already spent $2,500 on stackable cages (finally getting rid of all my tanks!), and a 24 tub hatchling rack unit. I've never bred before, and while I've bought several books and have been doing some online research, I wanted to check in with other breeders to get y'alls two cents. Let me be clear that I'm not starting breeding with the intent to get rich. I teach, and I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl, so I'll never quit my day job. I want to start breeding so that I can A) cover the cost of food and other expenses, and B) make enough money to buy some of the more exotic balls I've admired for years. I don't want this to be a huge business, and I am well aware that it could take many years and substantial further investment before I reach those two goals, but as many of you probably are, I'm obsessed with snakes and am in this for the long haul. So here are my questions:

1. What type of incubators should I use?
2. Where do I sell the clutches?
3. Do I have to have a small business license?
4. Do I have to claim any money I make on my taxes if I'm only aiming to make enough to buy more pets?
5. Is a website necessary? And if so how hard is it to make one for a computer idiot like me?
6. I have a male pastel and a female spider right now, but what should I aim for to make enough profit to buy the really expensive ones I want?
7. How do you sell? How do you separate the obsession from the business? I've never sold or traded one of my snakes before. I get so very attached. My red tails soak in the tub with me from time to time, and I see myself getting all emotional over any babies I breed.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. I'm also open to any tips for newbies like me. Again, I have never bred any snakes before so I'm expecting to hit snags all along the way. I had one guy at the NARBC last month tell me not to expect to hatch any out of my first breeding because I probably won't set the incubator up right. He offered to come set everything up for me and help me get started for $200, but I suspect he was just looking to make money.

Again, thanks for any help.

1. Your best bet would be to make one out of an old fridge.
2. Reptile expos, kijiji, word of mouth
3. I don't think so, but I'd look into it in your area.
4. Depends on your area? I'm not too sure.
5. For a small hobby breeder, it's not necessary.
6. Aim for what you want. You're not going to get rich quick, and will probably not break even for a few years.
7. If you feel you can't get rid of the babies, I wouldn't suggest breeding.

[Mike41793]

1. What type of incubators should I use?
2. Where do I sell the clutches?
3. Do I have to have a small business license?
4. Do I have to claim any money I make on my taxes if I'm only aiming to make enough to buy more pets?
5. Is a website necessary? And if so how hard is it to make one for a computer idiot like me?
6. I have a male pastel and a female spider right now, but what should I aim for to make enough profit to buy the really expensive ones I want?
7. How do you sell? How do you separate the obsession from the business? I've never sold or traded one of my snakes before. I get so very attached. My red tails soak in the tub with me from time to time, and I see myself getting all emotional over any babies I breed.

.

1. Make one out of a fridge or mini fridge.

2. On this site in the classifieds section. Fauna classifieds. Kingsnake classifieds. (these are both websites, just google them). Craigslist maybe, though that may attract some weirdos lol.

3. + 4. No license needed i believe. And no not if youre making under like $5,000 a year, *i think*. Im not positive.

5. Nope not necessary at all. I would only make a website if i was producing alot of clutches a year. Otherwise its kinda a waste of time, energy and money imo.

6. Make whatever you like! Save up for the expensive ones or wait until they come down in price. (I guess that kinda depends what morphs youre talking about though).

7. Thats the beauty of being a hobby breeder! You can holdback whatever looks good to you. If you like the whole clutch keep all of them, if none of them look hot to you then sell the whole clutch. Youre not in it just to make money so you dont HAVE to sell anything.
And as far as snakes in the tub, pics or it didnt happen! :p