All my BP are far from breeding age but it is something I would love to dabble in when the time comes! Of course I have been thinking about routes I could take with my current collection (which I am sure will grow quite a bit in the coming years ) but it got me thinking what routes other people may take since everyone’s preferences and what they find beautiful are different. So I thought it would be really fun to find out! Below is my current BP collection, where would you take it? Would love to even hear where you would take holdbacks and possible outside additions. I’m sure everyone will have such different ideas from mine.
1.0 Cinnamon Pinstripe
1.0 Black Pastel Banana
1.0 YellowBelly Pied 100% het VPI Axanthic
1.0 Pastel Banana GHI Mojave
0.1 Black Pastel Mojave 100% het Orange Ghost (Hypo)
0.1 VPI Axanthic pos het Pied
0.1 Pastel Clown 100% het Pied
Before anything, I would recommend getting a shed test. If it does end up being het pied, you will have some absolutely amazing potential if paired with your pied het vpi.
You could also pair the male pied to the pastel clown and you could get some pied double hets but the vpi would have to be shed tested.
And I bet a lot of of would love to see some pics!
I will 100% be getting her shed tested. She just shed last week and I am contemplating sending that one even though she is very young and I have a lot of time just because I am SO curious since she could have so much potential. VPI Pied Clown is one of my dreams!
I consider long term goals very fun! Plus, you can probably get some amazing animals along the way! Heck, I’m jazzed by axanthic pieds without anything else added
Before you do this do some math. Let’s assume you want to have 3 clutches and that you get 6 babies in each clutch. Can you afford to feed 18 babies @ $2.50/meal for 6-12 months? Right now sales are extremely slow in the ball python market so you’re best case scenario will be a 3 month turn around time. If it takes a full 6 months you’re looking at a food bill that’s over $1000 to feed 18 babies.
It is definitely a commitment and good to think about these expenses! This brainstorming is mostly for fun and something to think about in the very far future as none of my BP are even subadults. But fortunately I do breed my own rats since my collection is not limited to BP (which I know is also an expense but does bring down costs somewhat) and separate from my full time job, I do have a second line of income that finances my hobby which I am very fortunate to have since not everyone has that luxury.
On top of the practical and ethical conisderations of bringing more ball pythons into an oversaturated market, I’d also avoid making any black pastel x black pastel or black pastel x cinnamon pairings due to risks of kinking and facial deformities.
That is great advice. Again, this post was just really for fun. Obviously it is something everyone with a collection thinks about but breeding might not be something I will have the time for on top of taking care of my collection when my BP are ready for that. I take everything day by day for sure. And I certainly would never be trying to mass produce anything with how saturated things are. It would be for the love of the hobby and I would be prepared to care for the hatchlings as pets for as long as needed.
I would buy one best male I could afford that could tie the females together into one project that I was really psyched to pursue. Really depends on your taste what that could be.
I think the females are a decent base to get started off from, but I can’t think of a way the males you currently have will strongly advance a project in a really focused way.
) but it got me thinking what routes other people may take since everyone’s preferences and what they find beautiful are different. So I thought it would be really fun to find out! Below is my current BP collection, where would you take it? Would love to even hear where you would take holdbacks and possible outside additions. I’m sure everyone will have such different ideas from mine.
