Breeders just out to make money?

[Bulldog]

After seeing the setups of some of these people... I can't help but think you guys are just breeding these guys left and right hoping for a new color morph to sell. I mean, a room full of racks with 200+ leos? You certainly don't see all them. So do you just mass produce these guys hoping for a new color combo?

Sorry to be so blunt, I am just curious.

 

[robin]

well i am sure there are many people that do it just for the money but those people who do it just for the money do not last very long. you do not realize how much it takes to care for these animal properly and the stress involved. the care and love show in the health and quality of the animal

 

[Jmhero]

I think that they are in it for the money..

 

[Kotsay1414]

I think that they are in it for the money..

Before you make a broad statement like that, I think you should look into it a little more. For the majority of the people on this particular website, we do it as a hobby and we are passionate about our geckos.

 

[Bulldog]

Yeah it seems that way, money and morphs.

Gone are the days of seeing nice setups for a leo to live in with logs and plants... in are the days of wall-to-wall racks with newspaper and a hide. The people who don't have racks want them.

It's not about the leos anymore, it's about the $$$

 

[Intense Herpetoculture]

Maybe it's about providing the best quality animal. Why should breeders set up the animal in a planted display tank?

They feel very secure in rack systems, which widely duplicate their prefered habitat. It stimulates a large crevice in rocks, which is where they live. Heck most geckos feel very unsecure going into the open where there are plants, but they do. They have to venture out for food, hopefully they don't become prey for a hundry predator. They try to limited being in the open, they even use the rest room in one small tidy area in the crevices, not out in the open.

You have to think like a reptile, I stop trying to put human behaviors on the animals. I have always had better success with leos in racks as compared to open tanks.

Yeah it seems that way, money and morphs.

Gone are the days of seeing nice setups for a leo to live in with logs and plants... in are the days of wall-to-wall racks with newspaper and a hide. The people who don't have racks want them.

It's not about the leos anymore, it's about the $$$

 

[BalloonzForU]

This is my 3rd season breeding leos. My collection is at about 70+ leos. I have sold a total of maybe 10 leos since I started, with the rest going to friends/family as gifts. I have spent thousands of dollars in the past few years getting the collection I have now, and thousands more just to house them and keep them warm, a couple of thousand to feed them, and another couple thousand for checkups & emergencies with the vet.

Now you tell me how much you think I'm profiting from breeding geckos.

Breeding and keeping these guys in the numbers that I do let alone what some of the bigger breeders keep, takes a lot of money and a lot of time, and if they make minimum wage after all expenses and the hours they put in, I'd be surprised.

 

[GECKOFREAK]

I use racks for my leos, and I do breed them.....and I have quite a few of them. I also adore each and every one of them, and I breed them AS A HOBBY. Anyone who thinks they will make tons of money breeding leos is in for a BIG surprise.

You are making assumptions without having all the info.:main_thumbsdown: Sure there are people that are in it just for profit, but it doesn't mean everyone is that way. Don't just assume everyone is money hungry!

 

[gko reptiles]

WOW this post is really going to upset me and a lot of people so I will sit back and keep my mouth shut. By the way We love everyone of our geckos and we have produced over 200. With that said I hope this post turns in the right direction.

 

[BalloonzForU]

Let me also say that most of us have full time jobs.

I run one full time business (24/7/365) and one part time business (balloon decor business) out of my home, and these pay for all those expenses I mentioned above. My breeding geckos is not a business, and it's not just a hobby, but a love for and amazment at these awesome creatures.

 

[Intense Herpetoculture]

Also, what is wrong making money breeding leos? Is it just as wrong as a doctor making a living saving lifes? What about that solider getting paid extra for going to Iraq? Just because you make money doing something does not mean you don't love doing it. Let us just say you breed leopard geckos only for the money, is that so wrong if you supply top quality animals?

 

[moosassah]

I've only been on this board since January. These people have done nothing but expand my understanding of leos immensely. They all care about the well being of the geckos. You will see that time & time again as newbies join & they once again repeat themselves for the good of the gecko.

If your goal is to be a gecko pet owner, like myself, more power to you. Go ahead, make the best enclosure you can for your pets. I obsess about that too because its fun.

If you really want to get on someone for mistreating pets go stand outside a major pet chain store with FACTS about how they treat their stock. Go ahead ask the reptile dept why & if you have a salesperson who knows anything they'll shake their heads & tell you they do what they can without getting fired over corporate policy.

If you've had a bad time with a breeder, come out & say it. Please don't generalize the entire community.

 

[robin]

i currently have over 100 geckos in my collection. i do not breed them. i have in the past but do not now. like felicia said it takes allot of money to maintain them and so fourth.
like i said in my post earlier. yeah i am sure there are some people that try and do it for the money only without caring about the geckos, these are the people that will not make it or continue. if people think they are going to get rich from breeding geckos they will have a big surprise because 99.99 percent of the time they will not. the people that do end up making a living from it are lucky in the fact they can. their passion and care shows in their geckos. even the hobbiest breeder you can tell who cares about there geckos from the quality and health of the animal. their passion and love for the animals show. for the ones just looking to make a buck you can tell in their animals.
i guess its hard for some to comprehend if you have not been keeping leopards long or do not have many of them.

 

[robin]

and just to add. if by chance if i get eggs, i simply throw them out (or i dont pair them up to begin with). i have done this for the past two seasons

 

[Sunshine State Exotics]

Unless your mass producing geckos and selling them while young, your not going to make a lot breeding geckos. People don't realize how much rack systems, heat, food, vet bills, supplements and other supplies cost. On top of the cost, to properly care for breeding geckos takes many hours each week. Daily for that matter!

Do I want to make money from my leo babies? Sure do! I think it's only fair. This way I can continue to feed, care for, and purchase new geckos. If I make some money on the side, great. That won't happen for awhile though. I have many thousands of dollars into my animals and it's going to take more then just selling a few geckos to make this back. On top of that, my time is worth money too. If I was about money I would focus on my real job. I'm a Computer Security Engineer and can make a lot more doing that then breeding geckos.

Additionally, where would you get your geckos if there weren't breeders? People don't realize how breeders help. If there weren't breeders, the animals would be imported by the masses. I've been around and seen a lot of imported animals. It's sad to think about what the animals have to go through during the import process. Today you have a lot greater chance of getting a healthy and pretty gecko because they have been captive bred and born.

 

[MichaelJ]

I agree with GKO and your stepping into a pile poo you don't have enough water to clean off.

Racks are the most efficient and practical way to give these animals the best possible sanitation, husbandry, and health. "You don't see them" , You obviously have never been to one of these facilities and know very little about these animals. In order to keep a large colony take a lot of time, research, record keeping, and bottom line work to keep them. You better believe these keepers see everyone of those animals daily. All Juves and Hatchlings need daily feeding and monitoring. If you're like me each bin gets cleaned throughly every day, and each animal is inspected and cared for personally.

You're broad statement is insulting and based on ignorance. Think about your statement a bit more. Do you really think that we'd be in this for a quick buck if you could purchase these animals at any chain petstore or mom and pop petshop? Not only would our competition kill us, but what you don't know is that they buy these animals for around 10-12 dollars a piece. Some of us on this forum have paid up to 1K for a single animal because it's beautiful and we know if came from someone who actually cares and loves these animals as much as we do.

I've only been breeding professionally for about a year. I love each and every one of my animals with all my heart. Two of ours past away recently and I was heartbroken. I was depressed for days and cried on my wife shoulders constantly. I'm a jock, ex college swimmer and wrestler and was recruited for UMASS as a running back. I'm also an amateur bodybuilder. Basically a meathead by any terms. I love these animals more than you'll ever understand; and for a guy like me thats pretty odd to see.

Tanks and Vivariums are nice but not always the best application for these animals. You'd probably know that if you did a little research. They are also more difficult to keep sanitary and at proper temps.

Quick Buck? What I think you also fail to realize is that it takes several generations (years) to create something new; so a quick buck isn't really possible unless your selling hundreds of animals daily. Which very few are.

Also as far as new morphs go - what if you had a chance to bring something into this world that was never here before? You made a change in the world aside from having children, creating pollution, being a consumer, and having a family. What if you could do something that no one has ever done? What if your name will be remembered long after your passing as someone who made brought something beautiful into this world? Like a doctor as some others noted. Do you feel the same way whenever a surgeon figures out a way to allow an person to live a normal life again by finding a technique? or even by inventing a new type of leg, or a cure for a debilitating disease? Is he\she in it for the money? I think not. They want to make their mark on this world by leaving a legacy that was never here before their life. And maybe help out the human race the same time.

Money; as far as money goes you're way off. I've spent thousands getting the racks, proper temp setups, feeding, vet visits, record keeping, supplements, incubators, the list goes on and on, and even more in time with each animal every single night. I'm an executive with a Fortune 500 company and my wife is a speech therapist. ( Without sounding snobbish) I don't need the money kiddo.

I have fallen in love with this species as many have with dogs, cats, birds, fish, etc. To discriminate against us for having large collections is wrong and unfair. I read every book, medical journal, or article, I can find because I'm passionate and fascinated about these animals and it's proliferation.

 

[MichaelJ]

I just read one of your other posts. You've had Leo for only two weeks and you're making a statement like that..

Wow..

 

[GeckoMandi]

If you think we are only in it for making money, then I got an idea DON"T buy from us, problem solved, quit lining our pockets with all this money.....lol

Go to your local petsmart, petco and buy a sick gecko that has been mistreated and is sick with parasites, impacted etc . Then see how quick you rethink buying from us money hungry breeders that are only in it for the money.

 

[eyelids]

I produce 5000+ leos a year and flop them out as soon as they shed... I probably profit 100k a year... :main_rolleyes: :main_laugh:

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I produce 5000+ leos a year and flop them out as soon as they shed... I probably profit 100k a year... :main_rolleyes: :main_laugh:

hahahaha