# My future plans...



## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Hi guys

Im only 15, but have started thinking about what i want to do later in life. For work, etc.

I deffinatly want to do something with reptiles! Breeding reptiles to be precise.

As Bob Clark is a very succesful breeder, i was looking at doing something like that, starting small and working my way up.

My mum doesnt think its a good idea (thanks for the support ey). Is the way of getting started, by getting expierience from breeding normals, eg royals, beardies, corns etc, and just bit by bit working up the morph list, selling and swapping intil the money starts coming in?

I would really appreciate your help on this guys. Thank you in advance 

Tom.


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## Soulwax (Jan 6, 2009)

What i'd do is i'd get myself two corns ready to breed, and see how it went I guess.

Obviously research and look in to it as much as you can before getting them but you need practical as well..


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

I need to look into the genetics and stuff, but i hardly need a uni degree for it do i?


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## Soulwax (Jan 6, 2009)

Nah you can teach yourself


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

to do it as a career you'd probably need a fair few quid to start with to buy some decent morphs. Breeding normal corns and knocking them out at £15 a shot because nobody will buy at £30; isn't going to give much of a profit.. possibly a loss when you include electricity into the equation.


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## incrisis (Jun 15, 2008)

Tomcat said:


> Hi guys
> 
> Im only 15, but have started thinking about what i want to do later in life. For work, etc.
> 
> ...


It might not be what you want ....... but if I were you, I would find a job you want to do and do the reptile thing as a hobby to begin with.

That way you will have money coming in, which you can use to pay for the set ups and maintenance.

Once you start to make some money from breeding you can look at making it your only career.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

So, instead of starting with normals, start with something higher in morph, already worth more. 

But what would be good to get started with breeding? I obviously need it to generate enough money to support myself and need to pay to live and also increase my reptiles.

Im not just talking about breeding as a hobby, im talking breeding as a job. Earning me good money, and living etc. 

I need something to get me started now, when im 18 im getting a nice sum of money, which if my breeding hits off, i can also put that into it.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

incrisis said:


> It might not be what you want ....... but if I were you, I would find a job you want to do and do the reptile thing as a hobby to begin with.
> 
> That way you will have money coming in, which you can use to pay for the set ups and maintenance.
> 
> Once you start to make some money from breeding you can look at making it your only career.


What if i start breeding now though, and save the money. there for i have it instantly to put into something better and worth while to breed.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

You'd probably need a serious amount of snakes to be able to do it as a business straight from day one. That would have to start with breeding weight morphs (in my opinion). if you got little 'uns, by the time they're old enough to breed the price of them could have come down.
if you don't have a decent amount of snakes then you'll have some money, then a long wait for the next lot, then some money followed by another wait etc.


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## incrisis (Jun 15, 2008)

Tomcat said:


> What if i start breeding now though, and save the money. there for i have it instantly to put into something better and worth while to breed.


You need to look at the cost of breeding, how much to keep the animals you already have.
How much to build up your collection.
Incubating and hatching out.
Feeding and housing the babies.

You might find you are sitting on a number of animals for a while before you can sell them.

That means more equipment, more food, more electric.

I am not trying to put you off ... but if you want to seriously consider making it a living you need to look at everything.


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## Zak (Jan 7, 2008)

Tomcat said:


> What if i start breeding now though, and save the money. there for i have it instantly to put into something better and worth while to breed.


We're talking money in terms of £1000's to tide yourself over until breeding makes you any money. Remember livestock cost money to buy in, then to keep which minimises profit. If dont have anything to sell then no money = no rent, no bill money = no house

Seriously consider it as hobby to begin with then if its going well perhaps put more money into it.

The money isnt in morphs its in mass breeding of animals commonly brought ie leopard geckos, royals, corns in the 1000's.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

If i started breeding now, like ive got afew clutches of beardies expected soon, i can put that money into something a little more expensive etc.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Tomcat said:


> What if i start breeding now though, and save the money. there for i have it instantly to put into something better and worth while to breed.


 
what are you planning on starting to breed now? you'll need to incubate the eggs, then raise the babies till you sell them including food and heating and housing.. so any money you might make now will get eaten up with costs.
Cornmorphs breeds corns but also works full time so i'm guessing the breeding isn't that lucrative. My uncle breeds royals but he's retired and started after he retired so i don't know if it's paying him enough to have done it before he retired as a full time business.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

incrisis said:


> You need to look at the cost of breeding, how much to keep the animals you already have.
> How much to build up your collection.
> Incubating and hatching out.
> Feeding and housing the babies.
> ...


Im really appreciating your advice, and hope you keep replying to this thread as your a great help!

For the housing etc, if the snakes are corns, royals etc i can house in racks etc, all of these can be built for free, my dads a carpenter. Then the heating will just be heat mats or heat cables. 

I have thought about wanting to do breeding reptiles for a long while, and want to do it for a living. I know it will take time to build up to it, but if i start now, then i will hopefully, by the time im 16 or 17 will be doing alright out of it.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Tomcat said:


> If i started breeding now, like ive got afew clutches of beardies expected soon, i can put that money into something a little more expensive etc.


you may soon enter the reality of your idea. Beardie breeding doesn't seem to bring any money in. If you're not selling till they're 8 weeks old you could have 40+ beardies that you'll sell for £20 - £30 each. Sounds good doesn't it.. £1200 for 40 beardies but out of that £30 each beardie you'll be feeding them for 8 weeks. That's 56 days eating possibly a box of crickets a day, 56 days at £2 a day is £112. Even if you buy it in bulk, just to make £8 profit you'll need to cut the feeding cost to a quarter. That doesn't even include veg, suppliments, the cost of incubation, heating and housing them.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Meko said:


> what are you planning on starting to breed now? you'll need to incubate the eggs, then raise the babies till you sell them including food and heating and housing.. so any money you might make now will get eaten up with costs.
> Cornmorphs breeds corns but also works full time so i'm guessing the breeding isn't that lucrative. My uncle breeds royals but he's retired and started after he retired so i don't know if it's paying him enough to have done it before he retired as a full time business.


I could pick up a pair of boas, or high end cornsnakes, it wont take me long in order to get afew hundres together to afford the buy the snakes. The enclosures are no problem, as my dad is a carpenter and will build me them


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## Zak (Jan 7, 2008)

Meko said:


> Cornmorphs breeds corns but also works full time so i'm guessing the breeding isn't that lucrative.


Cornmorphs is one of bigger UK corn breeders and works full time. I know royal breeders that breed pieds yet still work. 

Plus breeding is seasonal - once you've sold all your stock thats your money for the year. What happens then?


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Meko said:


> you may soon enter the reality of your idea. Beardie breeding doesn't seem to bring any money in. If you're not selling till they're 8 weeks old you could have 40+ beardies that you'll sell for £20 - £30 each. Sounds good doesn't it.. £1200 for 40 beardies but out of that £30 each beardie you'll be feeding them for 8 weeks. That's 56 days eating possibly a box of crickets a day, 56 days at £2 a day is £112. Even if you buy it in bulk, just to make £8 profit you'll need to cut the feeding cost to a quarter. That doesn't even include veg, suppliments, the cost of incubation, heating and housing them.


 
The beardies are all reds and cirtuses, so hopefully something nice will start coming out and will get a little extra cash.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Tomcat said:


> I could pick up a pair of boas, or high end cornsnakes, it wont take me long in order to get afew hundres together to afford the buy the snakes. The enclosures are no problem, as my dad is a carpenter and will build me them


 
i'd say boa's would be a better idea as they have live birth, one slop and you've baby snakes. None of this incubating lark.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Tomcat said:


> The beardies are all reds and cirtuses, so hopefully something nice will start coming out and will get a little extra cash.


not trying to knock your idea just giving you an idea what can happen and that you might not be able to make it.
You really would be better getting a trade and doing the reptiles on the side, that way if the reptile side starts to pick up you can choose what you want to do. If it gets quiet or too much hassle or bad health says you can't do it then you've a trade to fall back on... take footballers for instance, they'll forget school work and concentrate on playing football. They make it into a professional side and get injured; they're screwed once that happens as they've nothing else to fall back on... 
Give it a go but don't set your sights on only becoming the next big breeder.


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## incrisis (Jun 15, 2008)

Tomcat said:


> Im really appreciating your advice, and hope you keep replying to this thread as your a great help!
> 
> For the housing etc, if the snakes are corns, royals etc i can house in racks etc, all of these can be built for free, my dads a carpenter. Then the heating will just be heat mats or heat cables.
> 
> I have thought about wanting to do breeding reptiles for a long while, and want to do it for a living. I know it will take time to build up to it, but if i start now, then i will hopefully, by the time im 16 or 17 will be doing alright out of it.


To be able to make serious money, you need some really high end reps ... they aren't cheap.

Also, unless you are going to overbreed, you will only get a few babies to sell a year.....

You would need a lot of reps and stagger the breeding cycle, if possible.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

I need something that sells obviously - BCI, corns, royals are the main. SO some of those, yet BCI get big, and maybe too big with females?? Dont want an aggresive snake just yet, i feel i need a little more exp? A male BCI i could manage tho.

Do you think the majoroty of females are ok to be around etc?


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Meko said:


> not trying to knock your idea just giving you an idea what can happen and that you might not be able to make it.
> You really would be better getting a trade and doing the reptiles on the side, that way if the reptile side starts to pick up you can choose what you want to do. If it gets quiet or too much hassle or bad health says you can't do it then you've a trade to fall back on... take footballers for instance, they'll forget school work and concentrate on playing football. They make it into a professional side and get injured; they're screwed once that happens as they've nothing else to fall back on...
> Give it a go but don't set your sights on only becoming the next big breeder.


Yeah, i agree with you mate. My dad is a carpenter, and would welcome me into the buisness if i needed. But, if i started now while im 15, then atleast i know wether i can do it etc?


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

incrisis said:


> To be able to make serious money, you need some really high end reps ... they aren't cheap.
> 
> Also, unless you are going to overbreed, you will only get a few babies to sell a year.....
> 
> You would need a lot of reps and stagger the breeding cycle, if possible.


 
If i get into breeding BCI, then i can have afew females, getting higher in morph as i get more money in etc. Snakes like this would be better, as already said, they are live birth so less expense on incubating etc. Also, BCI always sell from watching BCI threads etc.


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## Reptilover (Jan 15, 2007)

*My Mums always told me to follow my dreams, i would love to do what you're planning on doing but realy it is'nt ideal. You would need a fair ammount of money, looking at £10000 just to start off, all breeding racks, some decent morphs. Breeding just normals will undoubtfully get you no where. Then again shops, especially online shops are always looking for new wholesale providers. *

*Possibley might be worth doing much much much more thinking about. For stuff like this you're going to need some sort of building, idealy not rented. I'm guessing you would need some sort of licenses and if you're wishing to sell wholesale (To trade, such as petshops) then you're going to have to register for TAX.*

*I'm realy young and have begun a small business, aided by my parens for the money side of things, e.g: bank accounts etc. I've done it on a extremely low scale that does'nt make hardly no profit but gives me experience and pleasure so im happy to do it. I've realised that even from a small scale busienss it's hard to set up. You will find yourself running into many obsticles, especially with you been 15. This damn country has a age limit on everything.*

:no1:* Good Luck.*


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Hi reptilover. Thanks for your input  How old are you, if you dont mind?


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## incrisis (Jun 15, 2008)

Tomcat said:


> If i get into breeding BCI, then i can have afew females, getting higher in morph as i get more money in etc. Snakes like this would be better, as already said, they are live birth so less expense on incubating etc. Also, BCI always sell from watching BCI threads etc.


The reptile world is quite fickle ...

One day people want a certain reptile ..

The next they want something else


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

What would you say is a good seller that seems to stay a good seller?


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## incrisis (Jun 15, 2008)

Tomcat said:


> What would you say is a good seller that seems to stay a good seller?


At the moment it would be gecko's, morphs etc...

Corn snakes, because they are cheap and the 'ideal first snake'

Possibly Beardies ..

None of them sell for a lot of money though


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Would i struggle selling BCI neonates? I guess shops would happily take some if needed


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## Reptilover (Jan 15, 2007)

Tomcat said:


> Hi reptilover. Thanks for your input  How old are you, if you dont mind?


13 :blush:



Tomcat said:


> What would you say is a good seller that seems to stay a good seller?


From what i've seen people havn't been as interested in buying many pets over the past year, and certainly not in the last 6 months. It's probly to do with the current economy climate in this country. People just dont have the money to spend on a snake, but some members on this forum do suprise you in what they buy, some even take out massive loans which might i add is very risky with the current economics.

Out of all shops i've been in recently mainly the cheaper snakes have been going such as corns, especially christmas thats just gone by. Then againyou look on this forum and it does'nt seem like anyone is interested in normals, its all spider balls... rare morphs and 10 headed snakes...

EDIT: Agree with above, gecko's seem to be selling well, even normals in leopard gecko's are selling well. 

: victory:


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Anyone else want to give their views or help on this?


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## gecko_steve (May 14, 2008)

Tom if I was you Id personally get a job and start out as a hobbiest breeder. I work for Tesco full time and I am planning on doing what you want to do. I am going to start out with what I currently have and gradually increase it as and when I can. I dont think theres enough money in it to do it full time which is why you need to suppliment your income from breeding with a job.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Hiya, thanks for that Steve 

I know where your coming from! I think im going to slowly start buying pairs of snakes now, while im 15 as i dont NEED the money to live etc. By the time i need to start paying for a living, i will have expierience and the snakes to breed for money. Even if it means i need a job for a while to fund the initial setting up period!


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## Big.balls (Feb 24, 2009)

Alright mate,

I would say firstly breed stuff that you like, that you enjoy working with. One thing I no is that to make a living of off breeding reptiles you need to invest and have the money there to do that. I would get a job and start breeding stuff your interested in, start off small and work your way up. 

Im 19 and I am interested in royals, I have a male pastel, spider pos het albino and mojave pos het hypo, all males and 2 are close to being breadable size id say and the other is a proven breeder. I am just waiting for 6 adult female's to come in on a shipment. All in all i will have 9 royals, if all goes well ill have some nice low end morphs for sale and start to work my way up.

My thoughts on it are this, there are always new people wanting to get into trying to breed, so there will always be a market for some of the lower end stuff as lets face it not everyone has £2000 to throw down on a snake or £1000 on a gecko. 

Breeding as a full time living needs a nice cash injection from the start, i would work your way up and get a job and treat the breeding as a hobby until your in a position to take it another step. 

Good luck


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

Hiya big balls 

Thanks for the help 

Ive always wanted a BCI, and feel im ready to have that size snake, so breeding those seems to make sense. I will start with a pair, but may end up with 1.2 or 1.3 lol


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## Big.balls (Feb 24, 2009)

Tomcat said:


> Hiya big balls
> 
> Thanks for the help
> 
> Ive always wanted a BCI, and feel im ready to have that size snake, so breeding those seems to make sense. I will start with a pair, but may end up with 1.2 or 1.3 lol


Sounds like a good idea, good luck


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## maddragon29 (Oct 16, 2008)

All i can say is i wouldn't hope to make any money quick. your mums probably right, its a dream a lot of (dont mean to be patronising, i'm one myself!) kids especially on here think of, but working with animals rarely makes money.

Personally i'd get myself a business degree behind you if thats what you really want to do, and get yourself a background for making it a real business.

Good luck to you if its what you decide to do, but at 15 you'll probs change your mind a few times, i know i did :lol2:



Tomcat said:


> Hi guys
> 
> Im only 15, but have started thinking about what i want to do later in life. For work, etc.
> 
> ...


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