Quote Originally Posted by wwmjkd View Post
you just clarified what I had suspected from your original post on this subject. you view normals as expendable because they aren't inherently valuable from an economic standpoint. if your approach to breeding is framed exclusively by your potential for monetary return, you're in the wrong part of the hobby. if you are worried about housing and feeding any 'low end' offspring that may result from your breeding efforts, especially if culling is an option, don't breed. the difference for those who breed feeder rodents is that they're breeding a food supply. it's responsible to raise a stock of animals to be used as a sustainable resource. it's irresponsible to raise a stock of animals solely to make your money back and cull the ones that don't fit your aesthetic requirements or economic/space constraints.
No, they aren't inherently valuable from an economic standpoint to me, but this does not mean that they aren't valuable for some other reason to others. If my approach to breeding was solely around monetary concern then why would I own a Savannah monitor which has sunk me at least $1k in the hole, and Uroplatus which has sunk me about $5k in the hole?

I am not worried about housing lower end animals because I know that the money I make from others in the clutch aswell as from nephrurus and everything else I own will make up for housing lower end animals until I can find a house for them.

My question about culling was mostly to folks who are doing say pastel spider x spider, where there would be a much higher percentage of normals and low income overall. I really do enjoy my animals and I am willing to breed them to the point of breaking even or even negative a small amount but if they became that much of a burden economically I simply would stop breeding them, downsize, and keep 1-2 of each species I own as pets.

Also about the feeders, using that logic you provided, if I purchased a kingsnake or king cobra would it suddenly be ok for me to euthanize the BPs in that way? I really see no difference between that situation and feeding a rat to a BP.