If I was in this hobby so I wouldn't have to work a nine to five, let me tell you I need to quit already. I'm already several thousands in the hole with no way out for years.
I don't take breeding lightly. I have all my future pairings planned. And while some may look at my signature and think they know what male I'll use, I'll never use him for breeding. That was my first snake. the males I'll be starting with will be a three gene combo and the other a two gene (with one gene being recessive). I purchase all morph snakes in order to get better combos/certain morphs I'm after. And I look for quality of the animal. In my first breeding season one of my combos will result in about a 7k snake if the 1/4 odds are in my favor (at current value). The others would fetch a pretty penny too. But I'm not chasing them because it's a more expensive combo, I chase them because they are some of my dream combos. That is why I want to breed. I'm an artist and this is another way of art for me. It's painting with combos and trying to make the ultimate snake with that right combo of genes to really pop. It's those cool and unusual combos that look different and gorgeous enough to even make non snake people notice and say "Wow that's pretty!".
And honestly anytime someone asks the question of "Should I breed?" in my head I'm always thinking if you have to ask random people on the internet that question, the answer should be no.
Before I start breeding I will have my hatchling and juvi racks built, along with another adult rack. I will have enough rack spots to hold onto babies for a while before they sell. I have no rose colored glasses on thinking all my babies are going to fly out of the racks as soon as their born. But I know quality sells and I will eventually have a buyer because I'm choosy about my stock. I also breed my own rats and will have a steady and less expensive food supply to feed all those extra mouths without issue. I go into this prepared is my point. I think you seem to think most people dive into breeding blind just to make pretty babies. A lot of us are selective of the morphs we buy for better quality, spend years before actually breeding just researching, and know what it takes to actually make it a successful HOBBY, not business. You don't see very many on here claiming this is/will be their job. It's a hobby for most of us. My goal is to eventually break even with this hobby, and the ultimate goal I have is to make a bit of money with it. But of course the main goal is to chase my dream combos and have a lot of fun doing it.
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