Costs associated with breeding

[ajkry2]

I have been reading alot on the breeding forums, and everyone says it costs alot to breed these wonderful creatures. Before I even consider it, I'd like to know what I'm in for.

-Baby bins (2-6 babies per bin ~ 10 bins per clutch?)
-healthy adults that are ready for breeding (>300g and older than 3 yrs)
-a trillion crix :lol:
-lights (heat and UVB) for them all
-vermiculite for the babies to live on :?: (paper towels? slate tile?)
-incubator (probably not DIY, don't want to eff it up )

Assumptions:
1) One pair of healthy breeders ready to breed
2) female lays one clutch
3) all babies are incubated well and arrive alive

Any estimates of costs?

 

[spyder79]

I have been reading alot on the breeding forums, and everyone says it costs alot to breed these wonderful creatures. Before I even consider it, I'd like to know what I'm in for.

-Baby bins (2-6 babies per bin ~ 10 bins per clutch?)you will need large sterlite bins 100qt plus typically in groups of 4 for 60+
-healthy adults that are ready for breeding (>300g and older than 3 yrs)adult breeder females run 250+ and breeder males 150+ depending on how high up the food chain you plan to start genetics wise
-a trillion crix :lol: going to depend greatly on your supplier
-lights (heat and UVB) for them all 1 4ft reptisun 10.0 tube will cover 4 bins so figure for about 5-6 bins per clutch so 2 tubes per clutch plus fixtures and a heat light for each bin plus fixture.
-vermiculite for the babies to live on :?: (paper towels? slate tile?)vermiculite is what you use as your hatching medium not the substrate for the babies. papertowels or newspaper will be the cheapest and easiest with hatchlings
-incubator (probably not DIY, don't want to eff it up )havobators typically run from 35-55

Assumptions:
1) One pair of healthy breeders ready to breed
2) female lays one clutch
3) all babies are incubated well and arrive alive

Any estimates of costs?

 

[ajkry2]

-Baby bins (2-6 babies per bin ~ 10 bins per clutch?)you will need large sterlite bins 100qt plus typically in groups of 4 for 60+$60
-healthy adults that are ready for breeding (>300g and older than 3 yrs)adult breeder females run 250+ and breeder males 150+ depending on how high up the food chain you plan to start genetics wise$400
-a trillion crix :lol: going to depend greatly on your supplier$100
-lights (heat and UVB) for them all 1 4ft reptisun 10.0 tube will cover 4 bins so figure for about 5-6 bins per clutch so 2 tubes per clutch plus fixtures and a heat light for each bin plus fixture.$50+6*$20
-vermiculite for the babies to live on :?: (paper towels? slate tile?)vermiculite is what you use as your hatching medium not the substrate for the babies. papertowels or newspaper will be the cheapest and easiest with hatchlings$10
-incubator (probably not DIY, don't want to eff it up )havobators typically run from 35-55

makes about 800 buckaroos... lets say i buy 2 subadults and raise em right instead of getting proven breeders which makes the breeder cost go from 400 down to about 200-250 takes it down to about 600... seem about right?

not to mention the space to set the breeding habitat up...

thanks :mrgreen:

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

My feeder costs alone last season was about 6000 dollars.
Thats with multiple roach colonys.
spent about 1200 dollars in fees for just tables at the shows I did.
bulbs I spent about 1500.

 

[spyder79]

based on your 30 hatchling model. 1 hatchling eats 50 to 100 feeders a day so ill be conservative and say 12000 crix a week
based on the average bulk order price on crix just to get them to six weeks old (youngest they should be sold) you are looking at 2000 - 2500 in feeders, and thats if you can home them all at 6 weeks which wont happen. im not sure how you came up with 100 bux but its wayyyyyyy off.

 

[ajkry2]

sounds like a hellofan investment...

at least the startup costs are out in the open now...

thanks for your help

 

[citrusdragon]

lol, it can be a money pit to be sure. You might want to consider whether or not you have potential buyers, too. Most pet stores/wholesalers will "take them off your hands" for far less that you hoped. Regardless of color and morph.

Every season people find this out the hard way.

Jeff

PS currently getting 7k crix per week (having 2 roach colonies)

 

[lacy_black]

1 clutch doesn't sound so bad til you remember, they can lay up to...7 I believe, from 1 breeding. Glad you're being 1 of the few responsible enough to do the math ahead of time.

 

[myzeak]

wow lookin at all the costs how much do you breeder usualy make a season after expenses? I am glad i dont even consider breeding, it looks like it cost alot more than a low Security Gaurd can aford

 

[lacy_black]

From what i've read and seen, the proper breeders are lucky if they break even :lol:

 

[spyder79]

From what i've read and seen, the proper breeders are lucky if they break even :lol:

amen

 

[ChellyBeans]

Most beardie breeders simply breed as a hobby. Mostly just getting some of their expenses back. It is an expensive hobby. Rarely do breeders profit. If they do, it isn't much.

 

[YellowRoomReptiles]

The most a breeder can hope for is to somewhat break even and produce more beautiful and healthy babies that all go to great homes. It can definately be expensive, but worth it for me.

 

[redlizzy]

Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!!! I was starting to research breeding my beardie. I though it would be a great learning experience for my son and i. As I research I am quickly finding out that it is quite the adventure. Of all things I am amazed at the cost of feeding the little poopers. How quickly I forgot about how often Liz had to be fed and all the crickets she ate as a baby. Now times that by 30. Wow!! This is a very important post, thanks for taking the time to make it. And breeders, thankyou for providing us with such wonderful family members. Thanks again, great post!