# Breeding as a business



## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

Just wondering how many people on here breed and sell their own animals as a business? Are there any advantages of being a business rather than just a hobbyist and does anyone have a breeding business as well as a job?


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

i think the way the current climate is only the breeders producing sought after animals have a chnace of making money.. even then a lot of them are going by the way-side..

i guess it depends what you are breeding


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## Lisasgeckonursery (Feb 14, 2008)

I don't think there's much money in breeding the more common reptiles at the moment, i'm purely a hobbiest and never expect to make more than i pay out. Plus if you do start to make a profit theres Tax etc to think about.


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## razor (Mar 22, 2009)

as above. theres no real profit unless you do on a big scale, with something rare or very sort after. i spend way more than i earn. i just do it for the love and passion, and never get tired of cleaning out days.


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## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

i have quite a few animals these days, and in the last year i have pocketed about £2500 from breeding. it paid for my trip to daytona and i swapped alot of stock for fresh bloodlines too. but if it was running it a a biusiness and counting all my initial outlay, running costs and vets bills it wouldnt be nearly as much, if any! as it is, i absorb the weekly costs in my normal household bills and look at anything i earn from selling extra offspring as a bonus.


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## smart1 (Oct 16, 2007)

Lisasgeckonursery said:


> I don't think there's much money in breeding the more common reptiles at the moment, i'm purely a hobbiest and never expect to make more than i pay out. Plus if you do start to make a profit theres Tax etc to think about.


i think its a case of you get out what you put in


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## puyopop (Oct 21, 2008)

Just a general question: what reptiles are the hottest trend now?


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## puyopop (Oct 21, 2008)

Anybody? Im guessing its high end royal morphs.


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## alan1 (Nov 11, 2008)

puyopop said:


> Just a general question: what reptiles are the hottest trend now?


you out on parole mate ???



puyopop said:


> Anybody? Im guessing its high end royal morphs.


mid to high end, without a doubt...


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## puyopop (Oct 21, 2008)

Haha.. no. Well alan1 the market changes soo much, if i were to buy like two royals.. next year the morphs' prices would dramitcally drop down.. 

unless i tried to make an new morph something like a bumblebee albino...

altough i have no idea what the genetics behind bumblebee is..


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## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

You would have to breed a bumblebee(pastel x spider) to an albino then breed the pastel hatchlings to the spider hatchlings and hope to get an albino bumblebee.
If you wanted to try for something really hard you could get something like a bumblebee and breed it to a mojave x enchi and you will have a 1/32 chance per egg of getting a hatchling that is a mix between the 2.


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## Lisasgeckonursery (Feb 14, 2008)

smart1 said:


> i think its a case of you get out what you put in


If you mean money wise then just have to look at last years prices on some high end leopard gecko morphs compared to this years you'll see thats not always the case:lol2:, 
but yeah if you have quality and a good attitude people will note it and come back to you.


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## alan1 (Nov 11, 2008)

kaimarion said:


> You would have to breed a bumblebee(pastel x spider) to an albino then breed the pastel hatchlings to the spider hatchlings and hope to get an albino bumblebee.
> If you wanted to try for something really hard you could get something like a bumblebee and breed it to a mojave x enchi and you will have a *1/32 chance* per egg of getting a hatchling that is a mix between the 2.


bee x enchi mojo = 1:16 chance

pastel het albino x spider het albino = 1:16 chance


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## Greenphase (Feb 9, 2008)

The way i have always seen it is if you buy high end hatchlings in the time its taking to grow them to breeding age they will be middle or low end morphs before you produce any babies of your own.This is the reason i have kept away from royal morphs.Look at the way prices drop within a year or two.I breed my boas and burms to basically pay for the running costs of feeding and heating although it is as said earlier.I factor in the food and electric into normal weekly costs and then trade animals later in the year for new stock and maybe splash out on a few bits when i have sold a few hatchlings.The other problem with being a genuine business is that you cant sell animals at any of the shows as they are for the hobbiest.


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## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

alan1 said:


> bee x enchi mojo = 1:16 chance
> 
> pastel het albino x spider het albino = 1:16 chance


Damn you Alan :lol2:.


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## alan1 (Nov 11, 2008)

kaimarion said:


> Damn you Alan :lol2:.


specific sex... 1:32 chance... 
thats what you meant :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## sam12345 (Dec 28, 2007)

Ive had this conversation with a few people on numerous occasions and everyone seems to think its all about these rare reptiles or rare morphs.

I can assure you this isnt the case.
The easiest way to make money would be to breed on a stupidly big scale.

A scale where if one breeder gets ill you dont spend money on it trying to fix the problem you just put it to sleep (and i bet people dont even pay for that!).
A scale where you are undercutting every wholesaler's price to get pet shops buying from you.

Then you have your high end stock to sell to the hobbyist and collectors. Your "pocket money".

Leopard geckos for example...
You think the likes of Tremper, Steve Sykes, JMG, TUG only breed what they sell on their sites?
Hell no! Three of them contribute to over 3/4's of leopard geckos and crested geckos in the american wholesale pet supply!


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

Anyone started breeding as a business and still have a job? I was thinking that the investments for the business (breeding animals, equipment etc) would be an expense and could be offset against your tax?


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## Reptacular Ltd (Nov 1, 2008)

Its no that easy to make money breeding, unless on a huge scale, or you have alot of money to invest in really high end adult stuff, which can cost you £20000 or more per bloody snake. 

As a business we breed around 60% of our total stock. So we are cutting our costs a little, but then we sell our corns in the shop at £19.99, and leos and beardies at £19.99 etc so we are one of the cheapest shops in the country. 

We like to breed our own so that we know the history of the reptile, that it is in excellent condition, and that we know the hets etc behind it. It does save us a little money but not alot. 

So if you have some fancy reptiles already, or have alot of money then go for it. But to set out breeding to make money, you really need a lot of money. Old saying you need money to make money.

I have a spread sheet of the rough costs to breed most reptiles. This includes parents housing, heating, food costs, and the same for the offspring until they reach selling age. 

So without all of the initial lay out, vets bills, and if they offspring sell quick and the eggs turn out fertile, in the numbers you want and hatch well, then it works out your not making that much, and if you have a mishap, like incubating fails, adult corn only lays 3 eggs, or unfertile eggs, or one of your adults dies. This is when your profit has gone and it can end up costing you more.

Think carefully, lizards more expensive to breed (cost of food & housing), snakes can go in racks, only eat every one to two weeks (depending on snake, but some take longer to sell.

All swings and roundabouts.


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