That really is the question at least these days....



I hear so often people gripping about not selling their babies, having to buy more caging to house them since they continue to grow, yada yada yada....

Here is a suggestion to those who are having a tough time with moving animals, don't breed them so much. What?! The reason the animals are moving is simply supply and demand. Too much supply and not enough demand. Don't worry I won't school you on basic economics (or advanced economic theory for that matter), but I am reminding young/inexperienced hobbyists the downside to breeding. You should actually PLAN your breedings beyond the hatching of eggs. You need to plan to house them, feed them and yes hang on to them for a year or two in case they don't sell quickly.

I don't claim to be good at pricing and marketing reptiles, I am pretty good at breeding them and sometimes too good for my own good. I am a hobbyist with a decent sized collection (my friends and family would argue this point) and love to breed my animals. The excitement of the breeding season is almost euphoric and yet must be tempered with some restraint. Too much of a good thing, and well, you get my point. So what does one do when you have a banner year and a not so banner time selling the animals? Be creative. It is called USP or Unique Selling Proposition, come up with something that markets you differently from others. In the reptile business, we thrive and survive on what is exotic. But be honest and be supportive, because people expect that from a breeder. For those who like descriptive phrases, "don't crap where you eat..."

And if at the end the season you have lots of babies, hold off breeding next year or scale back. You and your animals will do better then. Budget for the upkeep, plan your time or find friends who are willing to help out either by sharing effort or even fostering animals you want to holdback.