Breeder question

[rchase54]

I was thinking of getting into breeding, and I was wondering how much you can make as a breeder (after upkeep expenses)

 

[Tony C]

It will most likely be an amount preceded by a negative sign, or printed in red ink if you prefer.

 

[rchase54]

Hahaha thanks for the information sir. I don't think the price would get in the way for me, unless I'm really strapped for cash. I was just curious if any money could be made from it. I love the little guys and I want to start breeding sometime

 

[Tony C]

I'm not a sir, I work for a living. :main_laugh: It takes a lot of time, effort, and luck to actually make money breeding, you are better off approaching it as a hobby that may help sustain itself to some degree. There's an old saying, the best way to make a small fortune in reptiles is to start with a large one.

 

[rchase54]

I don't necessarily care if I make money. I just wanna see all the different kinds of 'em and spread the leo world to new owners. I just don't want it to bankrupt me XD Any advice on a setup for a new breeder?

 

[Tony C]

Take your time, learn the genetics and pick top quality breeding stock. Too many people rush in and breed whatever they can get from the local pet shop, then wind up stuck with offspring that nobody wants.

 

[rchase54]

What breed would be the best to start out with in your opinion?

 

[rickmoss95]

i totally agree with tony on this one! i started keeping and breeding a little over 24 years ago, and i can tell you one thing is "gospel"...if you are getting into breeding for the money, you will probably fail! get into it because you love the animals, not the money. i promise you if you do this for the passion of the animal first and formost, you cant do anything but succeed! most(probably all, if we are honest) of the first money you make from selling babies will go back into your group(if you do it right anyway). you are going to want to upgrade your equipment and buy more housing, food, and all of the other essentials you will need in the upcoming year. there is a TON more to breeding than most people think, and even someone who is totally prepared, will probably run into unexpected issues. you may not see any actual profit for two or three years. plus it also depends on the breeding stock you can get to start. the leopard gecko market is super flooded with the average morphs, and with this economy, people are not buying alot of the higher end stuff(it does sell, but not like five to ten years ago)...so try to get nicer stuff to start, but dont get stuff so expensive nobody will buy it. just do yourself and your prospective animals a favor...be prepared and know what you are getting into before you jump in head first. another bit of advice, be prepared to raise every baby you produce, incase they dont sell. good luck