"Don't breed snakes if you want to make money!"

[Stephen29]

Stephen, I completely see where you're coming from. When I was "out of the reptiles," I would still usually produce two or three hundred colubrids. I won't wholesale some things like locality Okeetees, and will release or feed them off before I'll sell 'em for fifteen bucks! But making money at this is essentially gambling on football in today's market. I love western hogs, but can't possibly justify dropping 3 grand on an anery -though that probably makes business sense. But I won't strap myself to take on a project, nor will I shelve something not paying off that I enjoy. I try to work with animals that make it a hobby I can afford, is my strategy. Or excuse...

Wow Chip, that is alot of animals ! So , are you saying there was a time when you had more than that ( the 200 animals ) ? Yea like i said earlier it's just frustrating. I've got to figure out a system or something were I just don't get totally discouraged and throw in the towel. I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Thanks, Stephen

 

[El Jefe]

Then saved my other animals for a show in Nov HOPEING to make the DECENT MONEY there. It never happened ! I had Crimsons starting out at around $ 40 a piece. Pretty close to the market price. They never moved off the table. Then I dropped the price by about $ 10 after the first day figuring they were too high, they still didn't move. By the end of the show I might had sold 6 hatchlings ( none were Crimsons ) and one of my older snakes. That show seemed to be a little slow for most people.

First off...that show wasn't the best I've been to and corns didn't move all that fast. Second, in reality Crimisons and Candy Canes are not very high end corns. Basically, they are hypos and amels and to the average Columbia, SC show buyer that is mostly what they see. That show is more of a pet show with a few breeders looking at the animals genetically. Sadly, for most people price is a big factor at that show and $40 Crimsons compared to $10 normals and $15 amels....you don't stand a chance. I had plain ole hypos on the table for $20 and not a single one went.

Now selling online or at the Daytona Show changes things a little...but you've got to have what others want or it is not going to sell. Genetics are hard to pass off to the normal pet person...you've got to find the future breeders that are interested. Many times, however, those people want to buy from a big name so that makes it much harder for the small breeder. I'm finally getting recognized a little for some of what I produce...but it wasn't always that way. I remember having butter corns and lavender corns from Rich Z stock but not being able to get the Rich Z prices. He's put the hard work in and has a name and that is important to many people. In this market, if you are serious about one day making money or at least selling your stuff for closer to what it is worth you've got to put the time and effort into making your stuff stand out from others...whether by the new morphs you have, detailed feed records, personal touch in communication....etc.....

To Rich , Kathy, and Jeff I don't know how you do it !!

I know how I do it but not sure about the others. I have a fraction of the collection they do. Plus, my current life situation (Grad School) caters nicely to raising snakes. I have busy days with school and research but then I have more slack days so that time goes to the corns. One day when I get a real job I'm sure it will be a lot harder....but until then.....:dancer:

 

[Chip]

Wow Chip, that is alot of animals ! So , are you saying there was a time when you had more than that ( the 200 animals ) ? Yea like i said earlier it's just frustrating. I've got to figure out a system or something were I just don't get totally discouraged and throw in the towel. I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Thanks, Stephen

200-300 is a figure for hatchlings, not breeders. Right now I have most of my stuff on breeder loans, but have a dozen colubrid pairs cooling. Not many snakes at all, but if they only single clutch, that's a ton of little mouths to feed/babies to sell!

 

[stephen]

Snake breeding

I been breeding awhile and enjoy it, I make a few bucks at times and claim every penny I make as income,if any of the money made is deposited into the bank and is never declared as income I beleive it will come back on the ones that dont......
Theres definetly is no profit being made this year,but then nobody is doing that great.

 

[TandJ]

I got this is Jeff's last post..

That show is more of a pet show with a few breeders looking at the animals genetically.

All the shows I have been too are like that.. A lot of common stuff in reality.. Some venders have some off the wall stuff but most have the most common for prices I can't touch because I would never come near the point of recovering most costs in raising maintaining..

I am just a drop of red paint in the gallon of white paint.. I am of no signifigance to most people and most people outside of this forum have never heard of me.. Of course I know me and Jenn can produce some outstanding higher qaulity animals, but in reality no one knows us.. A name goes a long way, so does planning, a grip on reality, and many many other aspects..

Regards.. Tim of T and J

 

[Midnght]

While I certainly do not breed snakes.
I can understand the comment.
There is a lot to starting up any business many people do not realize.
Simply put you might break even for a good many years or even forever without ever seeing a profit.

To get to a point of profit means a lot of hardwork and even then this market is niche really.

This just makes it all the harder. You can't really become a Wal-Mart of snakes.
The markets just not there. If you want to make profit breeding you really have to turn to becoming a shop and breeder. Then you'r shop needs to get well known for it to truely turn that profit.

I'm sure many of you well established breeders know full well the costs involved in packing up and going to a show. Those get higher when you go out of your state.
You're not garaunteed to even sell one snake. You're garaunteed to pay for room stay, table space, food, etc.

I do understand these costs (Wife runs a niche business, selling soap and body products that are natural talk about niche with not to low costs compared to the competitors.)
most new breeders I wouldn't think think outside the immediate and expect profits.

Sad to say in any business it just doesn't work like that.

You want to make profit you got a long hard fight ahead or you need to figure in something to profit with and keep the breeding and selling as a sidelline of that business.

I don't think the terms unfair to say.
As the real ramifications to making profit in this biz goes beyond what they are thinking when you tell them that. While you're thinking to the beyond and knowing the realities would send many packing anyway.

 

[Chip]

I think I'm one of only two posters here who breed snakes and run a pet shop. I do offer animals I produce for sale, but there's not even room for one clutch of one type of colubrid! I swap a few things around to get some variety but more animals in my shop are produced by Soderberg and Davenport than myself. And reptiles are maybe 5% of store sales, I believe that's being generous.

I'm glad this thread got bumped, I was thinking about the original post recently. I have been guilty of saying that in person and on this message board. If I wanted to sell more snakes, I certainly wouldn't tell people such a thing! It stands to reason that I'd sell more animals if I informed people that breeding is lucrative. I don't, because it hasn't been for me after some dozen years of breeding reptiles. It doesn't stop me, I enjoy it -even the first clutch of corn eggs of the season pipping still excites me! I've made a nice profit off of certain clutches and individuals, but that doesn't counter the animals I've sold at a loss, fed off, released*, or traded below value. I simply don't want to lead anyone to think that a pair (or entire collection) of relatively common snakes are going to make them money! There's always a *chance* you'll have a new morph pop up that'll pay your kids' tuition and buy you a loveless mansion on the hill; but I would no sooner expect that than to expect a lottery ticket to do the same. I don't play the lottery and I've never looked at a clutch of corn, milk, or hog eggs and crossed my fingers for a piebald. Maybe I should this coming season!



*only F1 Okeetees in their native habitat.