I don't want to be a breeder anymore

[OhhWatALoser]

I propose a middle ground. Sell the species that are taking most of your time and see how you feel after that. There was a time when we had over 25 bearded dragons, now we have 4. We found they took an incredible amount of time compared to the snakes, on top of costing us money to breed due to the food costs. If you gain some free time back you might begin to enjoy it more again, like we did.

[redshepherd]

I don't have many snakes and not even close to the position you may be in, but I think it's great advice to just scale down to maybe a few of your favorite/most valuable animals, and go from there. Maybe just eight ball pythons. Maybe taking a solid break from any clutches for a year or two too, and see how you feel. It'll go back to taking very little time and being a side hobby.

200 snakes is a ton for one person, holy! I can't even imagine.

If you already don't feel your heart isn't in it as it was before, don't go the business road.

[hungba]

I have read your responses, thankyou.

I am not in the US. Things are different.

I find that everyone wants to just buy the normals and stuff like that which I list for cheap. Hardly anyone wants to buy the high end morphs I made. Of the bunch I listed I sold like 20 normals, pastels etc. but only one high end one. This is really p!ssing me off.

[Reinz]

I have read your responses, thankyou.

I am not in the US. Things are different.

I find that everyone wants to just buy the normals and stuff like that which I list for cheap. Hardly anyone wants to buy the high end morphs I made. Of the bunch I listed I sold like 20 normals, pastels etc. but only one high end one. This is really p!ssing me off.

Wow, really sorry to see that things aren't going well, especially with your investment with the higher end animals.

However, it doesn't matter what business you get into, you gotta know your market... and consistently along with fluctuations and changes.

[hungba]

Wow, really sorry to see that things aren't going well, especially with your investment with the higher end animals.

However, it doesn't matter what business you get into, you gotta know your market... and consistently along with fluctuations and changes.

It wasn't like I invested in a lot of high end animals. I started with a couple single gene animals in 2011 as far as ball pythons. I did buy a couple of 3 gene animals, but by and large my high end ones are ones I produced.

I am not going to nor am I interested in breeding for normals and pastels just because they sell fast. Moneywise I would be richer and happier selling frozen rats. I wanted to breed them first and foremost to create cool snakes. Very few seem to appreciate it.

[Neal]

It gets overwhelming very quick and with no help you can easily exhaust yourself. You can be a breeder and maintain good finances, but a commonly used quote is it takes money to make money and this is true in breeding ball pythons. Mouths to feed can add up quickly if you're not selling anything, and some morphs do drop very fast. Yes ball pythons do drop in value fast with morphs, however if you expand what you breed you can change this. For instance GTP's have a steady value, and if you keep the proper documentation you can sell your animals for more. Overall though being a breeder is basically like a production job and it's a hobby, so hard times can easily come. There's so many things to factor in which also suck but I wish you the best.

I don't breed anymore because I was too picky of a seller, I would screen customers to make sure they planned on taking proper care of the animal. But yes, any animal that dies is sad.

[distaff]

Sit down, write down everything you've learned from the experience, and call the expenses of it all "tuition."
Sell off everything you don't love. Much easier to go forward as an expert/niche producer in one thing, rather than a jack-of-all-trades.

Some things are seasonal. Around late summer every year, I want to give up the homestead. I grow to hate the heat, the noise (we live in a town that is rapidly devolving into ghetto, so outside is not very peaceful), the bugs, the endless watering, etc. I'm always happy again once Fall arrives, but I go thru the same thing every year.

If you like working as a business owner (just not THAT business), you can always go into another field. READ first. There are a lot of good first person experience entrepreneurial books out there.

[Warren_Booth]

I think this is a common feeling and one that many are going through but do not want to admit to. When I read this, I sit back and think "6 years is not time at all*, yet in this hobby people think that is a life time. I have animals I produced 6 years ago that I am only now feeling they have reached the size and maturity that I want them to be to breed. Then they second questions... "do I want them to breed".

I have said it from day one (21 years ago os so), the snake hobby is not one that you will become rich doing. You might make an income, but you could probably make that income easer (with retirement benefits, medical, etc) easier, elsewhere. The snake hobby really means that you are a glorified cage cleaner, and most don't realize that that is the least fun part of the hobby. With over 200 animals, I can imagine the stress that might create. I had over 100 up until recently when I decided to cut it right down. And this brings it to you r next comment "no-one wants to buy high end animals". That is very true. The market is so weak right now that people don't want to pay. So what did I do... I have a ton of them away to kids as pets. If you are looking to sell them all, there are four ways - 1) Individually at your full price (takes time and some will not sell), 2) in project batches at a reduced price (with racks, etc. again some will not sell), and 3) as a going concern (everything as is, animals, cages, etc) at a much reduced price), and 4) wholesale everything, at a massively reduced price. The option you take is your call. Many will wholesale the cheap, single gene "everyday" animals for cents on the dollar. But they all go out at once, instantly reducing your collection down (I hate using the term collection, as we are talking about live animals here). When you reduce your animals down to a more manageable group, that will ease some stress. The other thing would be to sell all non-snake species as they tend to require daily care. I go away on business (and sometimes vacation) frequently. Sometimes for as long as three weeks. As I only have snakes, I make sure the animals were not fded for 2 weeks prior (so unlikely to defecate), they get a large bowl of fresh water, the tub is left immaculate and with a substate that will absorb urine, and I lock the door behind me. I have been doing that for years. This might allow you to keep a group of great animals, still breed for fun, and enjoy all of life's benefits.

Finally, you mentioned an interesting term that many people get so wrapped up in this project "I made worlds first's, or firsts in my town/city". Does this really mean anything today, because 1) how many people are going to buy your worlds first for the kind of money you think its worth, and 2) how long before another one will be made. With the saturation of the market today, and the immense number of morph and multi-gene combos, making a worlds first is easy, and brings no major accolade. Unless you have imported directly a new and crazy morph from Africa, or one has appear from your breedings through mutation, worlds firsts mean nothing.

My advice would be to cut everything down to 25 to 50 animals. Snakes only. While the cheap stuff. Retain the high end stuff that excites you. Contact "breeders" with a sales list that is massively reduced in price to see if they want animals. Then, enjoy life. If you can get buy and enjoy life (vacations, family time, etc) and still have a handful of snakes, its a win win. Don't breed because you can, bred because you really want to make a cool morph/combo, and you would be happy to keep the babies or give them away. Thats how I look at every breeding I do. If you can enjoy life that way, there you go. If you still feel stressed, sell or give away the rest and get o with life.

Warren

[distaff]

It wasn't like I invested in a lot of high end animals. I started with a couple single gene animals in 2011 as far as ball pythons. I did buy a couple of 3 gene animals, but by and large my high end ones are ones I produced.

I am not going to nor am I interested in breeding for normals and pastels just because they sell fast. Moneywise I would be richer and happier selling frozen rats. I wanted to breed them first and foremost to create cool snakes. Very few seem to appreciate it.

There is no "seem."
Either there is a market in the location that you can supply to, or there isn't.
If there isn't, don't beat your head against a wall trying to make one.
If there is, find out why other producers and selling and why you aren't.

[hungba]

I don't breed anymore because I was too picky of a seller, I would screen customers to make sure they planned on taking proper care of the animal. But yes, any animal that dies is sad.

Do you still keep reptiles? How did you finally decide to stop and I presume sell off your animals?