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Help for a wannabe?

F

foxyjax1212

New member
I want to start breeding corns. I just need some info on how to do a few things. If this has already been posted...I am sorry. If not, then yay!

1) Brumation scares me. Do you feed at all during brumation? What do you do/not do?

2) How did you find your customer base? I'm not just doing it for the money. I would never possibly endanger the lives of my snakes for sole financial gain, but after a certain point, the babies will have to be moved. What's the easiest way to gain a following?

3) Is it easiest to use an incubator, or not to use an incubator? I have heard stories from both sides. Both sides come with horror/success stories.

4) I want some really amazing colors...and I will be aquiring my adults at the end of this breeding season, to begin preparing them for next season. What are some of the best color pairings. I want stripes...and...lots and lots of reds and butters, if possible.



I know a lot about snakes, in general, but breeding snakes is actually ridiculously confusing to me. So, if I seem stupid...don't confuse my ignorance for stupidity lol!
 
1- Brumation is not necessary. If you do brumate, you do not feed during that time. You offer fresh water but generally leave them alone.

2- Faunaclassifieds, kingsnake, local shows, craigslist.

3- I use an incubator. I've made two, total. The first is a wine fridge with some insulation from a rodentpro order tucked in. I use a UTH with a thermostat, and a digital probe thermometer where the probe is inside the egg box. The second is a giant styrofoam box that was used to ship vaccines (which need to stay cold) to my work. I put a UTH in the bottom, again attached to a thermostat, and then punched dowels through the sides to create a stable platform a couple inches above the UTH. The egg boxes will sit on that, and I have a digital probe thermometer in the one clutch that is currently incubating. Temps are staying a stead 81.5-82.4 degrees.

4- That's going to be up to personal preference.
 
Here are a few thoughts:

1) Brumation scares me. Do you feed at all during brumation? What do you do/not do?
Click to expand...
I never brumated and bred without problems. If it worries you, you don't have to do it.

2) How did you find your customer base? I'm not just doing it for the money. I would never possibly endanger the lives of my snakes for sole financial gain, but after a certain point, the babies will have to be moved. What's the easiest way to gain a following?
Click to expand...
Good to think ahead about selling. Your best bet is to sell locally to start with. Look in pet stores, find out about any Corn breeders and check ads such as Craigslist. That should give you an idea of what's already being produced near you and whether there are any gaps you can fill. If you see lots of recurring ads for a particular morph, that's a fair indicator that it's not selling well. Likewise lots of ads offering free/cheap rehomes, might indicate that you have a limited market in your area.

You could look at selling online, but FedEx are the only company that will ship Corns in the States. Registering can be a pain, depending on how cooperative your local rep is. Plus it will add $50-70 to the cost of a snake, so there's no point producing very low-end morphs as the shipping might end up costing the buyer more than the snake!

Building up a following takes years of producing healthy Corns which are reliable eaters and providing excellent customer service. Word of mouth counts for a lot in the wider Corn community. The bottom line is that a good reputation is built on years of sweat. There is no easy way.

3) Is it easiest to use an incubator, or not to use an incubator? I have heard stories from both sides. Both sides come with horror/success stories.
Click to expand...
Depends on the conditions in your home. Those who live in a Corn's natural range can and do incubate at room temps (watch out for the aircon though!). If the temp is going to get lower or higher, then the controlled conditions of an incubator will give you a better chance at success.

4) I want some really amazing colors...and I will be aquiring my adults at the end of this breeding season, to begin preparing them for next season. What are some of the best color pairings. I want stripes...and...lots and lots of reds and butters, if possible.
Click to expand...
That's really up to you - it's a matter of personal taste and figuring out what will sell well. Stripe will automatically make most morphs that bit brighter and more spectacular, as will Motley.

This site has a great library of morph photos: http://iansvivarium.com/morphs/species/elaphe_guttata/
 
1) Brumation makes me nervous as well so I don't do it. So far I haven't had an issue with clutch sizes or fertility.

2) Here, fauna, ebay classifieds and craigslist

3) I don't use an incubator. I feel it is pointless since I live in AZ and my temps in my house are usually around 80. lol I can have fluctuations between 74 and 82 the only problem I see with this is I don't really have an average incubation time. My eggs hatch between 50 and 68 days.

4) 100% Yes with Shiari and Bitsy on this one. (Not that I disagreed with the rest lol) Breed what you find interesting.
 
All above is great advice. I do not brumate either, and still have decent size healthy clutches. I live in Texas so I don't use an incubator, I just set them on a top shelf and check the humidity and moisture, make sure not too much or too little. And for me I see a lot of snakes on craigslist. The corns in my area that have trouble selling is when a guy has a baby amel and trying to get $100 for it. Other than that it works great. And again with the others, Breed what you find interesting.
 
And just a side note, The shelf I put eggs on is in my snake room, which stays around 82 degrees 24/7
 
I brumated this past winter for the first time. It went well. It was a nice break from feeding. It isn't necessary.

Get in touch with local pet stores, breeders, and collectors. Meet people. Do reptile expos. Talk to everyone. Don't expect to get rid of babies quickly or make money.

I got an incubator.... Then found that the hallway closet worked much easier.

Morphs that people love: stripes, Okeetees, Miamis, amels, snows.
Get some stuff that you will be excited about, though.

Oh, and be prepared for disappointment.
I don't think I was really prepared for losing a breeding female, or losing so many babies- who either died in egg, never ate, or mysteriously died. I had one clutch that never thrived and only one survived. Out of 12.

I was also not prepared for having to do gross things to mice- beheading them, braining them, liquefying them, etc.

Other than that, it is really rewarding and fun.
 
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