good beginning for a group?

[crsaz]

I have some money comeing my way soon($1600+) and I want to try my hand at breeding this season. What do you tinnk about these as a starting group for my first season?
1.0 proven male mojave
0.6 proven or 1200+ gram normal females(I already have one)
1.0 proven or breeding size spider
0.1 breeding size or almost spider(if I have the money)
0.1 breeding size or almost mojave(when I get some more money)
and maybe a couple mor BIG normal females

If every thing goes perfect(wich it most likley won't, it never does) I should be able to produce

normals,Mojaves,Spiders,Mojave spiders and if Im lucky super mojave's

hows my plan sound?(I know not very well thought out but seems pretty good)

[Nate]

How experienced are you with ball pythons, in general?

If you're not really experienced, then my advice would be to start small... as in with babies. they will be cheaper anyway.

Spend the years that it takes raising them. In that time, you will gain plenty of experience and give a better understanding of a ball python's behavior before getting your feet wet with 5+ clutches, which could result in 25+ babies at once. IMO, if you have a few years of experience under your belt when that time comes, you will be much more prepared

[littleindiangirl]

How experienced are you with ball pythons, in general?

If you're not really experienced, then my advice would be to start small... as in with babies. they will be cheaper anyway.

Spend the years that it takes raising them. In that time, you will gain plenty of experience and give a better understanding of a ball python's behavior before getting your feet wet with 5+ clutches, which could result in 25+ babies at once. IMO, if you have a few years of experience under your belt when that time comes, you will be much more prepared

Listen to the man

[crsaz]

by expeirence do you mean as in breeding or kepping if its breeding none if its keeping 4 years for balls and 2yrs caring for retics

[Nate]

by expeirence do you mean as in breeding or kepping if its breeding none if its keeping 4 years for balls and 2yrs caring for retics

excellent!

that start up group sounds awesome Best of luck to you!!

[crsaz]

Ill hopfuly be gettin most of of them soon, Ive already benn looking I found a bunch of proven females for like $80 or $90 each+ shipping

[dr del]

Hi,

Remember your going to want to plan for some good quarantine proceedures - how paranoid you need to be probably has a little to do with the source of the animals and the original source.

It would be a bad idea to risk all those expensive morphs because some of those cheap big females were imported wild caught gravids and the supplier negelected to mention they may have issues etc.

The usual rules apply - research every one on the BOI and other similar sites and stay safe, it's a jungle out there.


dr del

[crsaz]

thanks for the tips I would especially hate to bring in something that is trasnferable to my retic she is my life

[starmom]

So, I have a question: Why would you want to get so many normals instead of not getting normals and getting a breeding size female spider and mojo (to go with your boys), and then with money left over get as many normal females as you can?

Please please please read this as a sincere question; I have no judgment on your plans. I'm just wondering about your thought process....

[dr del]

Hi,

I assumed it was to maximise the number of possible co-dom clutches in the first season or two (depending on how long it takes them to settle in and reach weight and nothing else interferes (sp?)).

If everyone took then he would have 7 co-dom clutches and adding the spider female could give him spider mojave's.

That would give him a good base of animals to trade or sell to fund more morph purchases for the next step.

Whereas if he didn't take the normal females and went for a female spider and mojo then he would only have 3 possible clutches with the possibility of BEL's and spider mojaves?

Or have I totally confused myself?

Now it never really works out that perfectly but I think that was the reasoning behind it.


dr del