Some Thoughts On Breeding

[Tyzoone]

I love this thread because it seems to seat me more practically in reality each time I go through it. I think the biggest problem is people want to always make a profession of things that they love and it takes a very specific type of personality to actually do it and KEEP loving it; several of the passionate sponsored breeders on this forum are generally of this ilk.

Generally speaking I think you should keep the things you love your hobby and keep your job your job and don't mix the two. All too often it ends in regret and a loss of interest in something great.

Unless you have endless funds to throw at it.... Then go crazy and give a large percent to me!

 

[Scottsquatch]

I know this thread is really old, but I just finished reading the entire thing and as a reptile lover and former snake hobbyist/breeder I really wanted to get my two cents in. First off, I will admit that I do plan to breed panther chameleons, but i don't expect to make a profit from doing it. Knowing myself as well as I do, I would simply invest any profit I did manage to make on more equipment and chameleons anyway. For me, Its not about making money. I need to breed every reptile I keep and I need to do it successfully because for me, that is the pinnacle of keeping them. Successfully breeding my animals and then raising the offspring is the ultimate goal and is its own reward. It shows me that I have good husbandry for that particular species of animal. It is what I strive to do and part of what makes the hobby so enjoyable to me.
I don't think making a profit off of hobbyist level breeding is a reality other than MAYBE managing to cover the costs of maintaining my animals. To actually do it as a business I would need to invest a lot of money in initial start up costs, have a sound business plan, and already be successful in breeding these animals. That seems easier said than done, so I'm just gonna be happy with MAYBE breaking even. Along the way I will get to keep some incredible animals and just enjoy having them around. Hopefully I'll learn a few things along the way and maybe get to pass my fascination with these animals on to my family and friends.

 

[samuelscollection]

the first thing i like to tell people when they ask me if i make good money breeding or when they beg me to sell 1-2 month old babies is, "its not about the money." with these animals you can max out your profit and take great care of your chams by just making sure you focus on their needs no matter the cost. that being said, they can be costly via medical and feeding. IF you dont have the right connections or if you purchase from pet stores rather than breeding your own feeders or buying in bulk (im sitting on 56 eggs 13 babies, 4 sub adults and 7 breeders). i breed my own roaches and fruit flies and order 1000 super worms ($25), 1000 crickets ($25) monthly. my misters are on timers, plus i live in south florida so im allowed to keep my chams outside year around which saves on my electric bill. in total my chams take $75-$100 a month from my expenses. some simple tricks like using a feeder cup to keep track of how much your feed and is eaten help.

 

[Calummaty Jane]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread, though it is a little stale at this point.
I am still at a minimum months away from getting my FIRST EVER chameleon, let alone beginning to contemplate a breeding program, but I won't say that it hasn't crossed my mind from time to time, especially as I start to fantasize about creating crazy, massive walk-in vivaria for my saurian friends-to-be!

I've never bred any animal, except a pair of bro-sis gerbils that a pet store owner sold my mom (with a straight face--the male had the largest, well...) as "sisters", and then aquapets like shrimps and fish. But I do have friends and family who breed birds and mammals. In fact, I adopted my sphynx cat off a breeder. She normally sells her "babies" for 1,400$, but I got mine for "free" (still spent 400$ on a plane ticket plus the 200$ live animal fee--and that was with an airline credit!) for various reasons. This lady participates in various genetic databases and studies, does shows, feeds raw, optional microchip (at no additional cost)...It is POSSIBLE that her breeding pays for her hobby, but I suspect not always.

The expectation that an animal cost nothing is absurd to me. Yes, I lucked out with my free sphynx, but if my housemates hadn't wanted their own cats (all "adoptions from various shelters--costing next to nothing, which isn't bad, either--I paid 3$ for my Betta fish, and I have since spent about 200$ on him for plants, equipment, etc. Plus, I justify my shrimp tank in terms of providing Darlingtonio, my Betta, with a chance to hunt every now and then ), I'd have spent 1,400$+ for another one of her sphynxes in a heart beat. Getting a pet from a loving home that has meticulously documented his lineage and that also requests to be the FIRST number I call in the event that the animal ever needs to be re-housed--it just can't compare.