Thinking About Starting A Small Breeding Business

[Wh00h0069]

I've had a passion for and have been keeping reptiles since I was a little kid. Over the period of this last year or so I've really thought alot of trying my hand at breeding bp morphs and misc colubrids. I've added some really nice animals to my collection. Im basically all set up for breeding now and will be ready for the 2011/2012 season. It's still just a hobby at this point but i would love more than anything in the world to make a living breeding reptiles and maybe one day open a reptile and supply store. I've been putting back money every month and as far as that aspect goes I can make it happen. My family thinks im crazy for even imagining I can make a living at something like this. I know the market is pretty flooded with all the breeders out there today. Just wondering what your guy's opinion is on this. Do you think a 31 y/o guy who has a passion for reptiles like nothing else has a decent chance at starting at the bottom, probably w/ an online store and actually being able to turn this into my lively hood?

In my opinion, it would be pretty tough to make a living at breeding snakes. That is not to say that it couldn't happen, but it would take a lot of work, and would cost a lot to setup. You would need many high-end morphs to start with. Morph selection would be key.

Advertising and building your reputation is the only way that you will make it in the online snake business. This takes time. If I were you, I would start off small to see how you like it, and then expand over time. This would give you time to build your reputation. I would not jump right into it. Many people have tried jumping in to realize that it was not what they thought. That is why you see so many collections for sale all of the time.

Good luck.