I understand what you are saying but killing nearly 100% for several years for doing what comes natural to them?
If indiscriminate biting is a "natural trait" of the breed or species, is it something we should be breeding for?
But I'd prefer that to sub-standard genes being passed or selling the snakes for $5 to go to likely terrible homes.
I concur.
I understand the desire to produce docile snakes, but you need to do it in a patient, responsible, and humane way. Breed a docile pair, keep the best hatchlings, and rehome/sell what you deem undesirable. Remember that when you breed snakes (or any animal), you have to take responsibility for the well being of the offspring. If you can't rehome/sell them and end up with too many snakes to care for, then you need to stop breeding them and get your collection under control. Culling what *you* consider undesirable is extremely heartless and selfish. Personally, i like my kingsnakes with a little attitude. That's what makes them kingsnakes!
If we are primarily producing snakes for a pet market (and Chip, as a pet store owner, IS) then should we not be producing the best possible snakes for pet homes? A good snake for a pet home is NOT one that will bite indiscriminately. We currently have two kingsnakes-- a striped Cali King and an MBK. Both are nasty, biting curs, and I would NEVER consider handing them to anyone. I won't even touch them without heavy gloves and a hook-- that's how nasty these animals are. Can you imagine such animals in a pet home? With children? Can you imagine how easily a child can be ruined towards snakes by getting a bad bite off of a big kingsnake?
On a more practical level, it is not outside the scope of possibility that were Chip to sell a nasty, biting kingsnake, as seem to be the most common in these breeds these days, that a parent could then bring suit against him for "emotional trauma." God only knows... if someone can sue McD's for their hot coffee being hot, they can sue Chip for the trauma sustained when their child was "assaulted" by the "evil snake" he sold them as a pet.
4. Keep them for as long as it takes to ensure they go to a good home?
5. Stop breeding snakes that you can't properly care for?
Again, you're assuming that you know Chip's market and that your definition of "good home" is equal to his. I can tell you, for instance, that mine and Tara's definition of good home is probably not the same as most of the folks who have commented on this thread-- we are EXCEEDINGLY picky about our adoptive placements.
If there are so many people wanting graybanded kingsnakes, why are there so many still available for sale? Same with corn snakes, and milksnakes, and rat snakes, etc. Why are certain snakes sold rapidly and others not? What makes snake A more desirable than snake B? Why produce snakes like snake B at all? What if the only way to make snake A creates twice as many snake B's in the the process? If it was possible to only hatch out the most desirable snakes without hatchling out undesirable ones, don't you think breeders would be doing that? There comes a point where to make what people want, you have to make some perfectly okay by-products that need to be disposed of simply because there is nothing else to do with them. I personally would rather want to know they were disposed of humanely than have their fate left to chance.
This is so well said. Tara and I admired, for a very long time, the greybands at Lee's table at Daytona. But they were all still feeding on lizard scented pinks, and it's just not something we are into. I don't need an animal that requires MORE effort on my part at this point in my busy, busy life, so we did not purchase one. I notice that there are A TON of greybands for sale on KS.com and at shows as well-- they simply aren't selling, and I am going to guess that a lot of that has to do with their picky feeding habits.
Edit: I also want to add, since you brought up the fact that your opinion is the same for ALL animal breeders...
I have the SAME issues with Scottish Terrier breeders in the Capitol area. They are breeding indiscriminately, in my opinion, and are unwilling to correct their breeding practices to incorporate a better temperament in the dogs they produce because "Scottish Terriers are supposed to be spunky."
News flash!! We are no longer living on the moors of Scotland, people. These dogs have to live in our homes, in our neighborhoods, and they need to be able to NOT bite the snot $&%^ out of children who reach their hand over the fence to pet them. Any dog breed that is selected to enhance aggression of any sort is indiscriminate and reckless breeding. Producing ANY animal with violent, aggressive tendencies in a litigious society such as the one we currently live in is bad practice and a good way to lose your shirt.
