Searching for advice

I am so glad I've found this forum! I am searching for any advice on corn breeding. I've been investigating info online and am learning quickly. I just have so many questions. I'm getting ready to purchase 2 adult corns from Kathy Love's site. I'm undecided as to what 'morph' I'll go with-- any advice would be appreciated. I'm wondering if this is the best way to go. Is it a bad/good idea to purchase adult snakes? Should I purchase hatchlings and raise them/then breed them. I am anxious to get started so I'd rather not wait.
What are your opinions on brumation? I've heard some people just do a 2-3 week cooling off period and then introduce the mail. After reading, I had planned on starting in November, and leaving them in brumation until March.
I am anxiously awaiting Love's book, and have ordered the 2004 Guide to Corn Snake Morphs. I've enjoyed reading all of your posts. Any and all input will be greatly appreciated.

i purchased my anery as a 2 year old (adult) becouse he was a proven feeder. If you purchase baby corns they may not feed properly or not at all and you may endup with a couple of dead snakes on ur hands. But if u do purchase hatchlings u will discover their personalitys a lot easyer.

about brumation, its best to brumat for 2-3 months this can be done any time of the year. try to find a local dealer they may do a hibernation (brumation) period for a price of course my local dealer dose.

Also the corn snake manual by kathy love is etreamly helpfull on alsorts of info from basic care (cage requirements etc), feeding stubourn hatchlings to breeding, diseases and genetics

Originally Posted by thiefman55

try to find a local dealer they may do a hibernation (brumation) period for a price of course my local dealer dose.

Im sorry, I am being dumb but what does that sentence mean?
I'm learning too.
Thanks

Originally Posted by thiefman55

try to find a local dealer they may do a hibernation (brumation) period for a price of course my local dealer does.

That sounds to me as if he knows someone who rents space in his brumating area to others who want to breed their snakes. This sort of thing could be very helpful to people who can't set up their own place.

The best morph to buy is the one you think is the prettiest.

There are pros and cons to getting either a hatchling or an adult. As you want to breed soon, going with adults is probably better if money is not an issue.

IMHO, brumation is beneficial but not mandatory.

Thanks it makes perfect sense now, I was just having a blonde moment.

You should get the morph that you like, though, there may be reasons to get morphs that aren't necessarily your favorites. These cases may be those where the morph you want is either too expensive or you can't find an adult of that morph for sale. Then what you could do is get hets for the morph you do like and when you breed them, you have the chance of hatching out the morph you do like. Though, if you get animals that you aren't totally crazy about just because they are hets for what you do like, what happens if they don't end up breeding for you? Do you then feel you are stuck with animals that you don't really like?

I hope this make sense to you.

If you don't understand the genetics part yet, one of us could probably help you out with selecting the right animals for you, if you give us a list of those morphs that you really like.

Thanks guys. I am kind of ignorant when it comes to the genetic thing. I do remember a bit of the heterozygous and homozygous stuff from Biology class. I guess my favorite morphs would be the bright and bold colors, I don't really like stripes. So far I'm into the bloodreds, lavenders, and ghosts. What's the best type to go with for the most diversity if I wanted to experiment with morphs. Is there a base (if you will) species that's best???? I love reading your advice, keep it coming!

I'd say to go with what you really like. Ghosts are not too expensive, as for my pocket has allowed me to purchase an adult male. I plan to breed him with one of my female amels next season hope for some snows, and maybe some hypos too. I have mostly amels or amel based corns, (candy cane, snow, etc) I love their colors. But I have recently purchased several hatchling anerys, to hopefully get some more color in a few years. I am particular to lavenders and butters, but as for right now, they are a bit too pricey for me. I have purchased adults and hatchlings, and so far hatchlings seem to be difficult, unless they are already established eaters. Best of luck to you.

Originally Posted by Milleniumtat2

my pocket has allowed me to purchase an adult male. I plan to breed him with one of my female amels next season hope for some snows, and maybe some hypos too.

Breeding a Ghost to an Amel will produce all normal offspring, providing that neither parent is het for anything. You would need to raise up the babies and breed them to each other in order to produce snows or hypos.

I guess I didnt write that message clearly, sorry. I meant to write that eventually, get snows, not right out of that clutch from my ghost and amel. I would get hets out of that clutch that much I already understand, but I just didnt write it clear enough. Sorry, my mistake