Im sure it goes without saying that age is one factor that can be high on the list of considerations when selecting an animal.
For me i don’t care if i get a baby or an adult, if the adults will Jumpstart my project.
Now i know Rosys and thats about it as far as snakes go ( and im still new and green)
I know its said that Rosys can live 20 years and some have lived 30 ( im sure the later is an exception not the rule) not that I’d likely buy a senior snake, unless it happened to be an adoption fee as it would be a pet not for any breeding. I feel that asking the same price for a few years old snake as an 18 yo., to me s way too high this snake may live another possible year or 2 but could possibly live longer.
Would you think a senior snake would cost less due to age. I know in humans males typically can have children in later years but there is an increased chance of issues, women would have to go on hormone therapy. I don’t know how long snakes are able to produce but i think it might be bad to attempt that, so its definitely not worth what a breeding age young snake costs.
What are your thoughts? How much does age affect your decision? And is it even good to attempt to breed at that age? How long does your snakes typically live?
It depends what I’m buying the snake for. Adults that are proven are worth way more than juviniles. A snake only living 2 years due to age would be extremely rare. Adults go for more due to the cost of raising said animal so I don’t think adults should go for less mone IMO
I understand what you are saying and yes a proven adult in prime is worth more than babies, but i don’t feel that charging for an 18yo snake is the same value. While we cannot be for certain as life has no guarantee, but it is way more likely i will have longer time with say a 5yo vs an 18 being that rosys can typically live 20 years but some have been seen to live close to 30, to me that 18 is not even in the same ballpark as a 5, for me i couldn’t justify buying an animal which could be on its last leg as apposed to a healthy youth. Not saying the senor is less healthy, heck i could buy a a young snake and it dies in a couple of years, maybe the older one still has life and could see to 30. But if im just looking at probability for the same money the younger snake would give the better bang for the buck. I wouldn’t even attempt breeding with an 18yo. As a pet sure I’d get an older animal ( ive done that with rescue dogs and cats) so they get to enjoy what time they have, but are they the same $ price i think not if we just looked at numbers.
Comes down to time honestly. What is a snake worth vs the time you want to invest in it. Do you want to raise a snake or buy an adult. How much time does it save you buying an adult vs a juvenile?
I get that, but we are talking prime adult vs a declining years adult.
Im buying adults just to kick-start my project so i have paid about 3x the price of a baby. I don’t mind the price. I just don’t see the value of a declining years retirement age animal having the same monitary value. Like im not likely able to breed an old snake, i need a young healthy adult so that eventually if any offspring pays off i can better justify the 3x price, andvjust looking at chances of having and animal around longer even if as a pet i see way more value in a younger adult vs one that may he in its final years. 15 more years vs maybe 2 the prospect of more years is way more appealing especially if its the same price.
I know this is apples to oranges here and not the same thing. But lets say you went to a car dealership looking for a car one is almost 20 years old has a lot of mileage and the same vehicle is 5 years out of couse less mileage but the dealer says i have this or that at the same price and overall both vehicles appear to be in the same good condition which would you choose? I would likely choose the newer car because im more likely to have it longer and possibly less chance of something wrong with it. now if the car was discounted ( not that id necessarily buy it, but it may have more appeal. )
I get whay your saying but I don’t know anyone that would sell their 25 year old snake due to the personal sentimental value and I don’t know anyone who would buy a snake at that age other than a pet so it comes down to what its worth to you. Typically in the industry people buy adults for breeding due to being proven.
Depends. If I want something specific to work with sooner rather than later, I’ll buy an adult age 3-7. If I am looking at something out of my price range in adults, I will usually go younger because hatchlings are cheaper. As for animals that are 7+, I usually see those (at least with corns) advertised as retired breeders and being sold as pet only at a lower price. This is how most ethical breeders sell their older animals, because they know breeding is riskier as an animal ages. It’s up to us to be ethical breeders and not risk the health, safety, and comfort of an animal just so they can keep producing. There is always the flip side, however, where there are unscrupulous people who will take advantage of the lower price and still put the animal back into rotation as a breeder, it’s a fine balance and requires diligence. Sometimes lowering the price of an animal can be a detriment to what outcome you’re trying to achieve.
As for me, personally, I’m following the time-tested approach used by upstanding producers of any animal. I will be evaluating all of my animals in my breeding program yearly. This includes taking them in for health checks with a vet, evaluating body condition, behaviour, any difficulties experienced in the previous season, etc. On top of that, I already do weekly & monthly monitoring of various aspects of their care & health. If at any time I feel like an animal is not up to standard, then they won’t breed, it’s as simple as that. Doesn’t matter if it’s a physical issue, temperament issue, whatever. The health and wellbeing of each individual animal means more to me than any potential losses by retiring them to a pet life. Corn snakes in captivity can live 15-20+ years, however I feel like their breeding span should be kept more in the range of the lifespan of wild corns, which is 6-8 years, for the health of not only the breeding animal, but the resultant offspring.
I can agree with this. For me ots definitely more about the animals than dollar signs. I hope that i will be a very ethical breeder and i hope that i never put $$ before my animals and hope im never desperate enough that i jump at the 1st inquiry without vetting the person out. Id rather keep the animal myself than sell to someone who my inner voice was telling me something is wrong. My breeding is going to be pretty small and likely just for myself and perhaps my niece, since i already have a monthly income this would just be extra play money. I have no desire to be rich, or live beyond my means and most definitely don’t believe in saving anything beyond my emergency fund such as an unexpected vet bill, its way past my prime so i see no point in chasing dollars. Since i have VA health care i never have to worry about paying for anything my care is 100% covered even prescriptions and there is no co-pays or deductibles ( some veterans are required to pay co-pays however, so not all vets get the same health care but thats a whole other convo)
They say rosys have like 3-8 babies so i plan on 2 litters so hopefully ill be able to sell some although times are tough for everyone so im not expecting them to fly of my shelves so to speak