On the Economic Viability of Ball Python Breeding

[ColinWeaver]

In response to the vet portion of the equation...

Like a farmer, who must weigh and consider the cost of keeping livestock, sometimes it is not a prudent business decision to spend a lot of money on a vet. This, of course, depends on the animal. If its a high end animal, then it may be warranted, while alternatively, if its a low end animal, it makes no business sense to hang yourself with an overinflated vet bill.

In other words, the value of the animal has to justify the cost of the vet.

Brandons Balls.

In general, I agree.

In the world of risk management we avoid spending more protecting an asset than the asset is worth (which is frequently more than just its acquisition/replacement cost). Sometimes there are intangibles that justify additional expense (customer confidence, public perception, etc.), though. I can translate that to also say that a snake is a living thing worthy of vet care regardless of its financial value (e.g. an intangible value). From a purely business perspective it's an easy equation. From a human perspective ...not so much.