Outlook On Breeding?

[spitzu]

Well,

I have always been impressed with ball pythons. But I didn't get one until the age of 28. I love everything about ball pythons and I really enjoy the 3 I have. But now I come to the point where i want to become a breeder. But from the outside looking in I wonder is it worth investing in? I'm not getting into this just for the money, I actually can say that I found something that I love doing. Not saying that it's going to be easy.

SO TO ALL THE SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE BREEDERS! CAN I GET YOUR OPINION ON BREEDING PLEASE

I'm just starting out with my collection, but I can share some things that I've learned lately. Understand first of all that it is expensive and time consuming. I have been spending at least an hour a day just cleaning up after my 18 hatchlings and 4 adults, and it takes another hour or two every 5 days to feed them all depending on how picky they're being. And that is just MY time... my wife is putting in her hours as well. Not to mention all of the time we "have" to spend handling them (that part isn't a chore ). Then there's the countless hours I have been on here learning from others' mistakes and tips, and trying to put them to use.

The tubs, racks, tstats, heat tape, substrate, cleaning supplies, etc... all adds up really quickly. I've also been spending about $50-70 per week on rats/mice because I can't start breeding my own just yet and I don't know any breeders around here. Also, buying the snakes themselves can be expensive, especially once you start justify getting them with the excuse that you'll be getting your money back in a few years, which you may very well not.

I really wouldn't suggest doing this until you think about your investment taking 3-4 years before it even (maybe) begins paying itself off. You need to have a love for the animals themselves (which you say you do), and understand going in that this is not a way to make a quick buck. It takes a lot of knowledge and a lot of necessary daily work to properly care for these animals, especially in bulk. Also, make sure you have a *lot* of free space if you plan on gathering a large collection, and a separate space for your quarantine room.