Blutengel said:
I do see the thin line, but in case of feeding off hatchling snakes too others animals (which are often especially kept for that purpose) it is used as an excuse to make culling the animals look less 'bad'.
In other breeding business, feeding off side product animals is not possible, so they get wasted and people cannot use the 'excuse' that they feed other animals. I do think that breeders using this excuse in snake business, would start wasting side products instead of saying; 'Hey the do not feed other animals so they have no use and out of respect for nature I stop producing these side products.' when there was no possibility to feed them off.
Further, feeding off the hatchlings also prevents the breeders from having to manually kill them personally. I do think that is another welcome side effect of being able to feed them off; you look better and you do not have to kill them personally. If you feed them to animals, at least be honest and admit is is for your own advantage and not to respect nature. Probably some breeders do so but I somehow think others do not.
I must be misunderstanding something, because I am becoming more and more confused by your posts, Blutengel. I mean no disrespect in any way, I'm just searching for clarification...
It seems to me, that in your opinion(and again, I could be completely misunderstanding your posts), breeding "for food" is somehow different than breeding towards another specific outcome and using "by-products" for food. It seems to me that in order to breed ANY animal, there will ALWAYS be "by-product"...unhealthy, non-feeders, too small, "wrong" coloration, poor physical quality...the list goes on and on. But regardless of which species of animal one chooses to breed, as well the reason for the initial breeding, there will ALWAYS be offspring that do not meed the breeder's standards of "acceptable".
Regardless of what standards a breeder chooses to use, and also regardless of the intent behind the breeding, I do not see a difference bewteen culling practices from one "intent" to the other.
If I breed for a specific morph, and cull any offspring that do not meet my requirements for sale(and again, I will refrain from stating any standards to avoid confusing the issue), that practice should be no less "acceptable" than breeding entire litters or clutches specifically for feeding purposes. In fact...I see LESS respect for the animals as a viable
lifesource when the only purpose behind the creation of these animals is as a
foodsource.
Here's an example--I breed mice strictly for feeding purposes. I feed them, I water them, I provide them with a safe and comfortable habitat, and basically give them every need they could have in exchange for the lives of their babies. Is this a fair trade? In my eyes, yes. But I bet the mice would disagree. The adults look at me "funny", everytime I reach in and grab some babies. Everytime my hand enters their caging, the first thing they do is run over and inspect their "children", to make sure they are all still there, and all still healthy...which most of the time they are not. So, HOW does this show more respect for the lives of those mice? I'm really confused by this, because, ultimately, I don't care about my mice beyond the fact that they need to be healthy and clean in order to be suitable feeders. That may sound cold and harsh, but it is a reality. I don't particularly like mice. They are merely a means to an end in my house. Is that really more acceptable in your eyes?
Here's the converse example--I LOVE my snakes. I take special care to ensure that not only are their daily needs fulfilled(food, water, shelter), but also that needs are satisfied in such a way as to promote as natural an environment as possible inculding pretty decorations, excess ground coverage for security, multiple hides, oversized enclosures, and enough stimulation to keep them active and curious. When they reach full maturity, I will do everything I can to provide for them a natural seasonal cycle, ovulation and spermatazoa creation opportunities, breeding opportunities, and the chance to pass on their genes to their offspring and continue the cycle of life. These snakes have a purpose FAR beyond that of being born solely to die. Their purpose is to bring happiness and beauty to an individual seeking it out. IF offspring from these pairings need to be culled for any reason(I won't mention acceptable or not, again, to avoid confusing the issue), shouldn't I feel MORE justified in knowing that I provided the best possible life from beginning to end for those creatures, and that their death was NOT their purpose, only a necessary culmination of bad coincidence?
I am only confused because I see FAR more respect being given to animals that are bred for possible sale than for animals that are bred purely as foodsources. When breeding an animal AS a foodsource, minimal investment is provided to account for maximum benefit. When breeding an animal for sale or keeping, MAXIMUM investment is given to ENSURE maximum benefit. It just somehow seems that your theories of "respect for the animals" is reversed from what it is in MY mind.
Perhaps you could clarify?
I also don't understand your claim of using "feeding of culled offspring" as an excuse. I don't believe it is an excuse for breeders to feel less guilty. I think it is an end to a necessary situation. I don't think anyone here breeds corns specifically as a foodsource. However, I DO believe that many of us that find ourselves in a situation where a hatchling needs to be euthanized would much rather put that "meat" to good use, rather than tossing it in the dumpster and wasting it. It's not an excuse to kill...it is a viable option for hatchlings that will be killed whether they are fed or tossed in the bin...
.) But I am clearly not getting something here.
