Not intent on breeding?

[Crazydude]

I agree with the original Post, and alot of the ones that followed it.

I think another problem is the draw, Just human nature, to go bigger and bigger, If we didnt have the desire to be like birds and fly, we would have never invented the airplain, Same applies to everything.

I Love my snake, Hes my pet, Maybe one day id love to breed, I love genetics, Its just really interesting to me, But i understand the flip sides, For me there are more set-backs then things that push me foward. A few are health problems with babies, could i cull? Would my snakes sell? Would I have the time and energy to feed all the babies, clean the water, tanks ext? And my big one is would anyone buy from me? (more of a age thing). Those in itself tell me to wait.

Also Would i loose the interest in it as a pet? I see many large breeders of any animals, Once you get to the level of not being able to name every animal, the pet quality is lost and they are just a monitary value, Not a sentimental. And animals should never be viewed as cash.

Forums play there part to in encouraging this, Alot of i just did this, or are getting this, but also you cant forget about parroting, Someone reads alot, And answers alot of posts, with id assume good information, but not something they have learned themselves, giving them the sense of knowing many things they have not tried themselves. They may feel higher and more knowlegable because of this. Yes maybe in terms of context and knowlege in general, but not experience, and it does give a false sense of readyness.

Anyway, For the next few yeas, my guy stays a pet, and probably will never touch a female. If i do breed, it will be because i want to and am ready,I am willing to do it with care, instead of as money and everything is set up.

So...pet owners unite! Have you hugged your pet snake today?!

I would but he hugged 2 adult mice a 2 days ago, Givin him some space

Anyway, good thread,
Ben

[fishmommy]

Inadequacy?? Why would not having indulged in every aspect make one feel inadequate. That is what I am trying to understand where contentment lies and why being content has gone (for so many new keepers)from the idea of years of doing it right to "if I'm not breeding" so there for I have yet to truly enjoy Ball pythons.

my 'inadequacy' comment stemmed from comments like this:

Having a ball python is like having a really nice car. And breeding your ball is like driving that car. Sure it looks great in the garage, but you dont know how to drive it until its on the road. Sure you own a ball python, but you are not the entire keeper until you understand all aspects of the species including breeding.And the best way to learn is research then personal trial and error.

and not to pick on WB - this is a common sort of comment you see all around in various hobbies. It's human nature

but again, I am not breeding. peer pressure exists though - it's out there and on hobbyist forums we're soaking in it. it's not good, nor bad - it just is a factor that people respond to differently.

as for reasons to breed though - you'll find as many different reasons as there are participants.

[Freakie_frog]

Shouldn't you know that when you're keeping them as well?

Yes you should! My point exactly how many new keepers could tell the difference in an RI and a nasal scale causing a "wheeze" when the animal breaths.

[cassandra]

There thank you so you feel like for you it's seeing many people on here that cause you to want a little piece of that pie. Ok now we're getting somewhere.

But I don't like pie; I like cake. =) Seriously, the breeding pie is just something I'm not interested in, kinda like team sports, keeping spiders and American Idol. Just not for me.

[Freakie_frog]

my 'inadequacy' comment stemmed from comments like this:



and not to pick on WB - this is a common sort of comment you see all around in various hobbies. It's human nature

but again, I am not breeding. peer pressure exists though - it's out there and on hobbyist forums we're soaking in it. it's not good, nor bad - it just is a factor that people respond to differently.

as for reasons to breed though - you'll find as many different reasons as there are participants.

Agreed. I also feel that the wealth of info has lead to an increase in people trying their hand at this. Which is great it helps further the hobby in my mind.

My concern is the rushed manner in which some people focus on breeding without (what seems to me) first enjoying the animal for being itself.

[Freakie_frog]

:My concern is the rushed manner in which some people focus on breeding without (what seems to me) first enjoying the animal for being itself.

Ok not concern..but rather it saddens me to see

[bigballs]

you are the "entire keeper" when you can provide a single bp with everything it needs to live a happy, healthy life and love to do so. breeding them is a bonus but not necessary. if you dont love them you shouldnt breed them whether you have one or one hundred pairs. i think new keepers who breed too soon may be excited but not in love. its exciting to think of all the future breeding possibilities but to get there it takes more effort than expected and to get there youll find out that you have to be in love.(or crazy...)

[Spaniard]

My first bp was sort of an impulse buy in the fact that it happened within a course of a weekend.

Friday I decided I wanted one, saturday i researched snakes and husbandry, and sunday I bought my first bp.

I like many others was hooked; not on breeding, but rather owning more. Reptiles were very new to me and I just became completely absorbed with the vast amounts of information to take in. The genetics, colors, patterns, the prospect of creating your own combo morph, watching the snakes grow; it all became very rewarding and one of my few passions.

Did I always know I wanted to breed?

Not from the get go but soon after I knew it was something I had to try at least once. So I picked up VPIs book and I continued my quest for knowledge on bps.

While I will have some girls ready for breeding next year I'm still not sure if I'm going to. I still want to make sure that I'm financially ready for the expenses associated with breeding. Along with the time commitment it will take to make sure eggs, hatchlings, etc. are taken care of properly.

I'm in no rush to breed yet at the same time I can't wait for the first pastel I ever see pip out of an egg. I've waited 4 years to breed and I just want to make sure that when I decide to do it that its done the right way.

[gmcclurelssu]

i bought Lennie out of a long time love for reptiles in general, specifically snakes. although my roommates don't understand why i would spend so much money on an animal that sits under a log all day, i love it. my goal isn't to get to the point where i would breed balls, but to get to a point where i have the experience to own more exotic and 'advanced' species (by advanced, i mean snakes that are comparatively harder to keep) like an emerald tree boa. after having lennie for a little while, i realize that while i had a good idea what i was getting myself into, it is still much harder and time intensive than i thought. that just makes the purchase of that tree boa so much more exciting- i'm really looking forward to it!

[frankykeno]

What an excellent topic Ed! My thoughts....

For me it's about lines we make and want to cross (sometimes far too quickly). It's about comments like "my snake is just an normal" like a member has to feel sorry they have a lovely pet snake that happens to be exactly and perfectly perfect as it is!

It's about breeders that do share wonderful morphs and of course we all get excited but the reality is their hours of chipping snake crap off tubs. None of us want to read posts about exactly how many pounds of urates Kara has moved this year but that is the reality and it isn't all that exciting. It is in fact boring to clean snake poop but you do it as a part of the responsible care of the snake.....one snake or 1,000 snakes....normal or morph.

Lines are in the end things that seperate a group of people. They do sometimes encourage people to cross a line too fast in order to be "in" a part of that group they perceive as more valued or more interesting. In the end though, your 1 pet snake or NERD's 1,000's of snakes, your lovely normal or Kev's lastest blow your mind morph.....it's a ball python. Enjoy it for that, enjoy the people here who love this type of snake, don't give a spit for lines anyone else draws, draw your own.

Okay who wants to come help me clean up some urates!