Breeding for the sake of breeding

[wohic]

This year we have only set the strongest largest eggs from vittikin and yemen clutches, resulting in average of 10 hatchlings (1 cluch of yemens and 3 of vitikins) we will not be breeding vits again although there is always a demand........ far to many £5 baby beardies in the classifieds and although mine are 3rd generation vittikin and not beardies I still dont want to add to the huge amount of dragons on the market. I will now only consider breeding high end perhaps in a year or so (and then just one female)

my cresties have been split up for several months now, I do however have 'plans' for next year so 3 groups will be bred from but there will be a lot of hold backs from the resulting offspring

I have bred no snakes this year for the reasons outlined in other peoples posts.

[Big Red One]

I am having similar thoughts at the moment, I've got some great potential and want to do a few things with my Bells in particular over the next couple of years...
However, seeing as I'm struggling to get any interest in some quality babies this year, it really does seem like it will just add to the numbers already out there and that in my opinion is not a good thing.

I am really thinking of breeding only 3 pairings now next year, for my own 'projects' and pleasure, the problem is the remainder do still need to 'go somewhere' and I don't want to end up giving them away as this only worsens the situation and I can't stand the thought of owners taking them on withough any long term thoughts....
I have 'too many' really already for the space that I have and I can't keep them all back !
It's a real shame that people genuinely looking to hobby breed for all the pleasure it gives, appear to have fallen foul of the sell em low, breed em all types that are making it so difficult to move on almost anything at the moment.........

[Johelian]

Thankfully Corucia only produce on average 1-2 babies every couple of years, so this is never a tough decision for us. Our plan has always been to breed to develop our own entirely CB circuli to ensure that we don't end up without any in the future; its hard enough to find these for sale now. The only ones I'm looking to sell are those that don't fit into a CB circulus - related individuals etc. Its especially difficult at the moment as we had twins born last year, one of which was male and the other female. We now have 3 CB girls, and 1 CB male related to all of them except one. Thats a bit gutting!

I do feel that too many people buy any old pair of lizards and breed them without any further thought. Everyone and their dog seem to think that breeding is their right. While Im against inbreeding for aesthetic reasons, I do think there should be a bit more discipline in captive breeding. Many individuals are not as careful as others, and it can result in some species becoming "polluted" in captivity, which would be a real shame. With things the way they are economically now as well some of these more careless people may find themselves in an undesirable position; feeding countless babies with no-where to send them.

[naja-naja]

breeding nothing this year, next year defo my dumerils, and if i go ahead with a cuban tree boa pair. pretty much just animals that there is no huge number of in captivity (over here anyway)

[Khanidge]

I breed my reptiles because to me its the icing on the cake or ultimate goal to your patients and husbandry over the x amount of years that you have nurtured them. I get a Buzz from seing those little babys for the first time.
I have 2 male and 4 female Dumerili's (amoungst other snakes and Geckos) I only bred one fe-male last season and a different one this season both being thier first Pairings. Yes I could breed with all 4 girls but i see it as unnessasary
The same buzz is even experienced by the Larger scale breeders when a new mutation/morph has hatched/been born. Others will dissagree with me and say
"it's the money that they get the Buzz from"
This is not entirely true.
I generally keep Rarer species. These generally have more precise husbandry needs so they are more of a experienced keepers animal.
So finding homes for the young isnt much of a problem.
But If needs be that I needed the procedes of breeding to fund another project then I would do this for that reason if it doesnt cause undue stress to the adult animals in question.

very Interesting thread for a change..

Deano.......

[fishboy]

I have had a breedable female butter corn for a year or so now but haven't bred her as i'm not sure there would be enough demand for possibly 20+ hatchlings and i wouldn't want to keep another one. I initially wanted to breed some of my other corns when up to size but i'm definitely having second thoughts now and will most likely end up just keeping them as pets. The only ones i think i would consider breeding now would be the plasma poss het hypo and fire to get bloods het opal poss het hypo as i would love to produce my own opal bloodred (eventually - they are 08's so would be 5 more years in the making).

The OH initially wanted to breed her 11 leopard geckos but she changed her mind when it became apparent just how many people bred them and how many were for sale, so again, just pets.

Would be nice if our uromastyx occellata bred as they aren't so common as corns and leos and we aren't even sure if they are a pair yet.

The royals however i AM (they are) breeding this year (or trying) as i definitely want to keep back a female enchi if i'm lucky enough to produce one and i have lots of plans for the other offspring..........

Still seems to be plenty of demand for royals, morphs and wild type alike.

[cornmorphs]

thing for me is, whatever stays at my house pays for itself.. so although i probably wont breed everything next year, i will likely sell whatever i dont breed.
If i cant sell the babies, like now with most, then there is no point producing them obviously.. i'll breed the royals tho as i have a lot of plans there and want to produce my end targets from what i have now

[snickers]

With corns especially it's npot entirely your decision whether or not to breed. I had some females I didn't want to breed that produced eggs anyway. Complete waste. The female goes through the same stress and for nothing.

[oakelm]

I think breeding for what you want is always the best way, thats how I work personally, sometimes it may take a few clutches to get that perfect example I was after or the right combo so always snakes that have to be sold. Had a right old shuffle to figure out what I personally like and want to continue breeding this year, so have expanded numbers but reduced species.

I must admit I do enjoy the process of breeding snakes as well as the super cute hatchlings/neonates that I see each year. I think the market is flooded right now more than any other year but cant say I have had particular problems selling snakes this year, havent had to drastically reduce prices on normal stuff, some geckos on the other hand have had a really bad year.