Question, so I have 4 hatchlings and the collection is growing rapidly because I have an obsession lol. But I wanted to start them from young and raise them and breed them. Those of you that have bred how do you know what project to pursue as far as whats gonna sell and look the prettiest etc. Also still trying to learn the morph stuff and what will be visual and what won’t, I know about double recessive etc… and stuff. But past that still kind of a lost cause lol.
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I’m curious to know what you started with for the collection. What kind of genes you like.
So… The best advice to start out with is usually breed what you want and like most. The market is oversaturated, so sales are going to be tough regardless as a newcomer. Getting into it for money reasons is a bad idea. I really liked hypos and the Blue eye Lucy complex. So that was where I started with my main group.
The next is…really brush up on the genetics. Look through the morphipedia here. There’s also a thread with allelic combos and another on issues with certain genes. Those are very important to know beforehand.
After that… Try to avoid producing normals. I try to work my projects so that there is never an animal without a mutation. Ideally, any noodle I produce from a recessive project as a het will also have a visual gene. That’s why it’s important to know what genes are allelics so you can work with a super or allelic combo to make sure that a gene always passes on.
As an example… Here’s one of my clutches from this year. Just a handful of cinnamons and pewters. It’s a fairly boring clutch for some, but even though mom was a normal every baby has at cinnamon because of dad. The father is a super cinnamon pastel.
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You don’t breed for monetary gain, because the chances of it happening are slim to none. Most breeders start to turn a profit around year 5, if they make it that far. You get into projects you specifically like and work it. If you try to go off of what the market currently likes right now, you’ll end up failing because the market is constantly changing.
My advice before buying any additional animals is to really look at every gene and write down what your pros/cons about it and then ask yourself “what would be my end goal with this”.
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I understand! I know the market is flooded and see I don’t really want breed to make a living I already have a career lol. I just find it interesting to make cool colors n stiff like that but I don’t want breed and keep all the snakes just the “holdbacks” any suggestions for this!?
I understand! I know the market is flooded and see I don’t really want breed to make a living I already have a career lol. I just find it interesting to make cool colors n stiff like that but I don’t want breed and keep all the snakes just the “holdbacks” so I’m just tryna figure out how to go about it,
My four right now
Coral glow lesser
Pastel ivory phantom
Pastel butter clown
Super stripe
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I am not a breeder but I do have a lot of ball pythons because of their “cool” colors. To accomplish what you want to do is imho nearly impossible. There is no easy way to dispose of unwanted babies plus you might not even get any that you would want to “hold back”.
My advice is to save yourself money and headaches. Just buy some of the colorful morphs you see that strikes your fancy. Start collecting instead. You will save the questionable fate of unwanted babies as well……
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Okay, so right off the bat, you have what might be a neat little project if your super stripe is a male. Because every baby will have YB or spectre.
Since 3 of your animals are in the Blue eye Lucy complex, I would personally try to avoid mixing albino or pied into that mix cause it can lead to eye issues (also avoid super lesser/butter for bug eyes). But you can consider making the Lucys as a project.
For your Butter clown, obviously something at least het to breed it to down the line would be best. That way you can hatch visuals or guaranteed hets. 50/66% aren’t as frustrating now because of shed testing but still can be annoying if the ideal looking holdback… Isn’t a het. (╯︵╰,)
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Sounds like way I’m gonna go!!
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Do people ever do group projects where one person uses a snake with somebody else to breed and they choose what they want to keep?
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I think this question has been asked before but I don’t remember the answer. Sure someone else will reply to this……
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This makes sense. Yes the super stripe is a beauty!!
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Okay, thanks for your help!!
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Generally people don’t do breeding loans and such unless you are very close to the breeder.
There has always been risks with disease and parasites or just flat out scammers but that has increased a lot with the number of people who decided the pandemic was a great time to start buying snakes en masse and breed with little to no quarantine protocols.
I have bought projects from 2 breeders that can work with mine… But not a loan or trade
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I agree with the first response. I would also add that I would only keep the females if they have the traits you want to work with. They have to grow twice as big as the males for breeding, so it takes a while.