what would be a better group?

[rickm]

i am getting some animals to start a little collection again. I have the opportunity to get two groups. I will get both, but if you could only get one group...which would it be? all animals are this years babies. I also have a female 2011 blue eyed lucy from mojo x lesser, a male fire poss het caramel/clown and an albino black pastel male, also both 2011s. the first group is: m crystal, 1.1 special, m spot nose, m genetic stripe, f pastel, and two normal females.... second group is...m hidden gene woma lesser, male spider Mojave, two female mojaves, and a pair of enchis...also, do the hidden gene womas have the wobble like spiders and some womas? thanks. I am not new to reptiles by no means, I have been keeping for over 26 years, and breeding for about 20...but mostly boas and retics, as well as some geckos and venomous...so I am no newb, but I am a newb to ball pythons for the most part. I kept a small group about five years ago, but got tired of the feeding inconsistency...so I sold them. now I have decided to pick up a few animals and start a small breeding collection. I am not in this for the money, and consider myself more of a glorified hobbiest than a breeder, but I have quite a bit of experience breeding and keeping. what would you suggest as far as which group, and why...? thanks again.

[Pythonfriend]

i see a 4.4 and a 3.3 group.

it should be more like 2.4, or 3.5, or 3.6, or 4.7, or 4.8. BPs are not monogamous. you put the male with one female for a certain amount of time, then give them some rest, then put them to the next female X amount of days, and so on.

invest the money you save by buying fewer males into these fewer males; since males are cheaper and one male can breed several females, the male should be genetically more powerful than the females he breeds.

also, genetic stripe is recessive, and for recessive project a mini-group of one visual male, and two female 100% hets makes sense to start it off. you can also breed the male to females that have other extra genes, to make 100% het + extra gene BPs and to take these different genes into the recessive project.

[rickm]

with all due respect, I have been keeping and breeding for over 26 years, so I know the hobby, and how male balls can breed more than one female. these are groups, that I can get as exactly that....groups. I wish I could get a higher female ratio...but I cannot at this time, so I am forced to take them as packages...not individual animals. these are the two groups, if you could pick A GROUP, which would you choose and why?

[Pythonfriend]

oh, ok, i am sorry, i misunderstood.

i was under the false impression that you want to assemble these groups by purchasing individual BPs and combining them with what you already have. i did not realize that you are talking about package deals and its about buying it as it is or leaving it.

that changes everything.

The first group is quite awesome with the crystal and the specials, and spotnose and genetic stripe. spotnose is very much in demand because people just love what it does in combos, and genetic stripe is one of the less common recessive projects but still very much worthwhile. Apart from that, nice BELs. You can make very high white BELs with that, while avoiding issues associated with super lesser / super butter / lesser butter.

The second group is HGW lesser, lots of mojave, a pair of enchis, and spider. You can never go wrong with enchi and mojave. Super mojaves are BELs with a grey head, blue eyes, and a white / light grey body, very nice. Mojave is also an ingredient to many quite awesome and unique combos, like mystic potion or purple passion, and the jigsaws. And enchi is a gene you want to have in almost every project, it cleans up patterns and increases contrast and super enchis are even better. HGW = i dont know. many people talk about it, it seems quite valuable and in demand, but i just dont know.


i have to say both groups have potential. the second group is more straightforward, the first group has more stuff you will not find everyday, the first group is more for when you already have basic stuff and want to go for more advanced stuff.

[rickm]

thanks. I was leaning toward getting the first group, first. I know I want enchi for sure...I agree, that it makes everything two levels higher. the hg woma granite was the animal that I was most interested in, because of the infernos, enchifernos, and I can make soul suckers next year by just putting him to my bel. I do like the offerings of the first group a little better. I really want to play around with the specials and see what I can figure out with them. the spotnose is something I have always liked, as well as the genetic stripe...the crystals are just awesome, to me as well. I do want to add clown though, that is a must in my opinion. butter clowns and leopard clowns are on my 'must produce' list, for sure. thanks for your input and opinion...I agree with everything you said. thanks again!

[Neal]

I'd say group B.