Just starting in the world of breeding

[Shade]

Hello, I am Ethan. I have a lot of experience with Leopard Geckos and have decided to start breeding them in the Pittsburgh area. I came here looking for advice. I am going to buy 2-3 breeders to start off, just to make sure breeding is right for me. I have been doing a lot of research into the morphs lately and would appreciate any advice on what morphs my breeder geckos should be. Thank you for your time.

 

[acpart]

Welcome to GF! Breeding is fun and in my opinion, even after 12 years of it, it never gets old. In my opinion, the most important advice is:
start small, with just a few breeders so you don't get in over your head
your breeders should be appropriately sized, healthy, and of known genetic background
you need to have a reasonable understanding of leopard gecko genetics for best results
as to morphs, you have to decide what you like and want to produce. I really don't think anyone can tell you what morphs to breed.

Here are some articles that may be helpful:

Guide to Breeding Leopard Geckos on a Small Scale - Gecko Time - Gecko Time
Breeding on a Small Scale Revisited - Gecko Time - Gecko Time
Fun with Hets: Leopard Geckos Teach Genetics 101 - Gecko Time - Gecko Time

Aliza

 

[acpart]

Welcome to GF! Breeding is fun and in my opinion, even after 12 years of it, it never gets old. In my opinion, the most important advice is:
start small, with just a few breeders so you don't get in over your head
your breeders should be appropriately sized, healthy, and of known genetic background
you need to have a reasonable understanding of leopard gecko genetics for best results
as to morphs, you have to decide what you like and want to produce. I really don't think anyone can tell you what morphs to breed.

Here are some articles that may be helpful:

Guide to Breeding Leopard Geckos on a Small Scale - Gecko Time - Gecko Time
Breeding on a Small Scale Revisited - Gecko Time - Gecko Time
Fun with Hets: Leopard Geckos Teach Genetics 101 - Gecko Time - Gecko Time

Aliza

 

[Shade]

Welcome to GF! Breeding is fun and in my opinion, even after 12 years of it, it never gets old. In my opinion, the most important advice is:
start small, with just a few breeders so you don't get in over your head
your breeders should be appropriately sized, healthy, and of known genetic background
you need to have a reasonable understanding of leopard gecko genetics for best results
as to morphs, you have to decide what you like and want to produce. I really don't think anyone can tell you what morphs to breed.


Here are some articles that may be helpful:

Guide to Breeding Leopard Geckos on a Small Scale - Gecko Time - Gecko Time
Breeding on a Small Scale Revisited - Gecko Time - Gecko Time
Fun with Hets: Leopard Geckos Teach Genetics 101 - Gecko Time - Gecko Time

Aliza

Thank you for your help. I noticed that a lot of people say that the breeding season is in the winter/spring, but is there a way to "trick" the geckos into thinking it is breeding season by using controled lighting and temperatures? This would make it so you could breed different geckos all year round and always have a steady amount of baby geckos. Thanks.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

A lot of larger breeders do control the temperature and light to "trick" their geckos into breeding during a different season. I've found that once they're big enough to breed the presence of a male is enough to start most females ovulating. Most of mine seem to kick off at the same time but I'm sure I could control it more if I had a separate room for some of them and varied the conditions.

 

[acpart]

If you breed a decent number of leopard geckos, it will take you all year to sell the ones you have. You will be grateful for the time when no one is breeding. I produce about 60 leopard geckos a year (and some of other species). They generally hatch between May and September. Now, in February, I have 7 more leopard from 2016 to sell and 3 of my 5 female breeders are ovulating. Geckos breeding all year round is my idea of a nightmare!

Aliza