Egg Question For the Reputable Breeders

[DeweysMom]

Ok, before I get to the point of my question I'll say I am NOT thinking of breeding. I only have one male and have no plans on "loaning" him out or of getting a female. This is just a curiousity thing on mine and my mother's part. Also, I'm not asking this to upset anyone. I'm just curious and want to learn.

We were were talking about breeding beardies and how many eggs can be produced per clutch times how many clutches can be produced from a single breeding. If I remember correctly, there can be well over 100 eggs produced from one breeding. That's a LOT of babies and a lot of mouths to feed. I also know that some breeders will also have more than one breeding project going on so there may be multiple clutches from different pairings going on at the same time which means even MORE mouths to feed.

With that said, I'm just curious what the normal policy is in regards to the eggs. Are all of the eggs kept for hatching or is there some kind of elimination process where some eggs are frozen and discarded? If there is a process of which eggs to keep and which to discard, how do you choose? It just seems almost impossible to me to have so many babies to care for and so many little mouths to feed. Then again, I'm clearly not in the business so I don't know the ins and outs.

 

[john_ny217]

Well if you are a responsible breeder you are only going to put a male and female together because you 'want' her to get pregnant, which would mean you want to 'keep' the eggs. Yes one breeding can produce multiple clutches and many many eggs. I guess if you do not have the means to take care of all of the babies then you 'could' freeze and discard some of the eggs, but why would you even breed them if you couldn't take care of them? I keep all eggs and care for all babies.

I guess it boils down to if you are going to 'breed' then you better be ready to care for 100's of babies.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Not every breeding produces vast numbers.
I have had some females lay a clutch of 20 eggs and thats it.
I have also had a female lay 6 clutches over 5 months and give me 140 eggs.
EVERY egg goes into the incubator for me..lol
Natural selection will eliminate some and the egg may go funky in a week or so, or it wasnt fertile to begin with.
Caring for so many at 1 time isnt easy at first. I have it worked down to a science now, so that I barely have to think about it. I tend to notice when something is off before anything else.
Hope that answers some of your question

 

[DeweysMom]

john_ny217 - Good points! It does make sense that if you're planning on breeding responsibly that you should also be planning on caring for all of the offspring. I just know that when I first got Dewey he was such a piglet! I can't imagine feeding dozens of growing babies at the rate he was going through food! Then you have the potential issue on top of that of trying to find homes for so many of them. Granted, I know for you reputable breeders this may not be that big of an issue. That's why we got to thinking that there may be some "cut backs" on the numbers just because of the amount of food that would need to be provided.

Tom - The female that gave you 140 is exactly what I was referring too when I asked the question. That's a lot of mouths to feed, plus you have your other adults and juvies (if you have any others) to feed to. I just can't imagine trying to keep up with that many eating machines. :lol:

I definitely tip my hat to you guys. I don't know that I'd have it in me!

 

[jharris08]

another thing that one needs to take responsibilty for and use common sense is the fact that the market for these guys has gotten a little weaker...I had 92 eggs in the incubator this past summer from my female and didnt think it would be as hard to sell them as it turned out to be...you always want to keep the little guys for at least 4-6 weeks b4 shipping them, and I had to basically sell them for less than I wanted to prevent them all piling up on me at once lol. but I still came out with a little profit and the whole process is an adventure that I love.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

I tend to produce 250 to 300 babys over the course of the year. Think of a bell curve when it comes to production. Right now im at the bottom of the begining of this years curve.

The market is deff weak. This year I have had to make some hard decisions in regards to what shows I do and how far I will travel. Every market is different and if you dont pay attention to how the market is flowing you may have dragons alot longer than yo want them

 

[YellowRoomReptiles]

Every single egg laid goes into the incubator here! This past year we had WAY more babies than we thought we would have, but we push through, hatch everyone out and make sure each and every one gets personal attention and a loving home. If you are going to be in the "business" of breeding, then you have to be prepared for the babies! That's why we are very selective in who we breed and how often.

I don't agree with culling, of course there are special circumstances in every situation, but you have to do what makes you feel comfortable.

 

[DeweysMom]

I'm very happy to see that culling isn't really normal practice among experienced and reputable breeders. I personally don't feel it's right so the responses I've gotten so far have made me happy.

 

[YellowRoomReptiles]

I LOVE the pic of the dragon snuggling on your banner.. TOO ADORABLE!!

 

[DeweysMom]

Thanks! That's probably my favorite picture so far of Dewey. That was taken not long after I got him. He was probably about 4 or 5 months old.