Quality of breeding stock

[satomi325]

There are 2 sort of reasons why to breed animals. They're based on conformation or performance. Usually breeding for performance are working lines of animals. For example, race horses or dogs who herd.

But if you look at show animals. Any show animal(live stock, dogs, cats, rats, ferrets, etc etc) its based on body and look.
Ball pythons do not fall into the breeding for performance category.
Ball pythons are not selected for their ability to 'slither faster'. Perhaps that can be a plus trait, but not the reason people breed them. They are bred mainly for their looks and general health. I repeat, general health. We all want healthy animals. But as long as an animal is not suffering or is able to thrive and live a quality life, there is no reason to stop breeding certain morphs.

I personally don't like spider morphs due to their wobble and base look. I will never breed the spider gene. However, they live and thrive fine. Most can live a quality life just as well as the next snake. The original spider from Africa had a wobble. Clearly, it wasn't selected against yet..... Just a thought.

If you want the 'best performance' get a WC volta. Those girls get huge. I think Outback Reptiles just mentioned a female laying 15+ eggs. Most girls average at 7-10. Seems to me, they have the best fitness. Although they are poor eaters in captivity most of the time.

If you want a 'defect free' snake, breed normals. All morphs are genetic defects after all.

I would much rather take an average looking female that is feeding well, and is a good breeder, than a splendidly looking female that would have to be force fed all the time and would take 3 breeding seasons to lay 3 eggs, out of which 2 would be slugs. With the first female you can work with, with the second... well, you can admire her.

If that is the case, I wouldn't breed either. Neither are good candidates.

If the second snake was that much of a problem, she probably would have died on her own or should be culled from a young age. That is not a good quality life if she can't thrive on her own. Especially as an adult.

The goal of breeding bps is for looks and general health. I wouldn't breed that average girl either then if she's muddy looking for example. Unless you're just breeding pet quality animals that shouldn't be bred in the future, breeding average and below is what is destroying the look of base morphs.


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