Male breeding age?

[MandixLeex]

how old is too old to breed a male bearded dragon. i have a 4 year old male that has never been bred and wasnt sure if he was too old.

 

[annieoakley123]

I think 5-6 would be a good age to stop. My boy is 3 this year and I also have the same concern. I was told by a breeder that they retire them around 5 years, but I dont know if thats because he was bred a lot or due to age- or a combo. I would think the males would be same as men, they can go until they are dead! lol! But the sperm count will go down as they age.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

What Annie said.

 

[MandixLeex]

thanks guys ive been giving a lot of thought to this, and doing a lot of research :study: because i only want whats best for my boy, and i didnt want to do anything that wouldnt be good for him. i looked everywhere but could really only find when to start breeding males, and when i female is too old. even though hes not quite retiring age, im still thinking this over really well, because im not sure what the average weight it for a breeding boy, but compared to what ive seen, he seems a little on the small side but ive never weighed or measured him so i cant say for sure.

 

[annieoakley123]

The market for high quailty dragons are typically larger than the ones at the petstores. I got my first beardie at a petstore and he is about 15/16 inches long. Personally, when I look for good potential breeders I want them to be on the larger side. With that being said, Id never breed Snuggles because he is too small in my eyes to be producing anything that would compete with the other breeders out there. On the other side, my other male Chuy is over 23 inches, colorful, and I know his genetics so I find him to be a great potential breeder. I also have to keep in mind that if I want to breed him I need to find a nice baby female now or get an adult female so he wont be too old beyond his prime and to make sure the female is ready for breeding.

Im sure if you bred your boy he would be just fine with the idea and wouldnt do any harm to him, but keep in mind of the female and potential babies. What if she become egg bound, is she the right age, will she have her needed nutrition before and after breeding? What if you cant afford to feed and rehome all the babies? What if some babies come out deformed or die? Electricity, lighting, enclosures, enough room, time spent are also other factors.

Its a lot of questions to ask yourself if breeding is worth it. Ultimately, if you have the time, money, space, and some desireable lines/genetics and you have your heart set on breeding him then I think it may be worth it. Breeding can always wait, make sure you have all your ducks, or beardies, in a row before you make plans. Nothings worse than not being prepared when babies are on the way.

 

[MandixLeex]

The market for high quailty dragons are typically larger than the ones at the petstores. I got my first beardie at a petstore and he is about 15/16 inches long. Personally, when I look for good potential breeders I want them to be on the larger side. With that being said, Id never breed Snuggles because he is too small in my eyes to be producing anything that would compete with the other breeders out there. On the other side, my other male Chuy is over 23 inches, colorful, and I know his genetics so I find him to be a great potential breeder. I also have to keep in mind that if I want to breed him I need to find a nice baby female now or get an adult female so he wont be too old beyond his prime and to make sure the female is ready for breeding.

Im sure if you bred your boy he would be just fine with the idea and wouldnt do any harm to him, but keep in mind of the female and potential babies. What if she become egg bound, is she the right age, will she have her needed nutrition before and after breeding? What if you cant afford to feed and rehome all the babies? What if some babies come out deformed or die? Electricity, lighting, enclosures, enough room, time spent are also other factors.

Its a lot of questions to ask yourself if breeding is worth it. Ultimately, if you have the time, money, space, and some desireable lines/genetics and you have your heart set on breeding him then I think it may be worth it. Breeding can always wait, make sure you have all your ducks, or beardies, in a row before you make plans. Nothings worse than not being prepared when babies are on the way.

i havent selected any females yet because im still unsure if Guido is the male im going to go with. but ive been researching all this for a long time. every night when Guidos daddy come home from work i have something new to show or tell him lol, sometimes i swear his head is literally spinning haha. i believe that by the time i am one hundred percent comfortable with our financial and other situations, my boy will be a little on the older side. he probably will never have the expirience of breeding, but he will have the expirience of being a spoiled rotten boy for the rest of his life. and what more could a beardie ask for lol :lol: but i do greatly appriciate your advice and help

 

[annieoakley123]

No prob, I know exactly how you feel! My bf is the one who got me into beardies and now Im the one always talking about them and coming up with new plans and ideas. By next year I may be in a great situation to start up a little breeding business and trust me, im always thinking about all the "what ifs" that come with it.

I just love them so much!!!!! Oh and Guido is SUCH a perfect name

 

[MandixLeex]

mt boyfriend actually had guido for 2 years before we met. but now hes a total mommas boy. and im always telling my bf we need to get this for guido and we need to build this for guido lol. ive spoiled him so much he lays in bed and cuddles with me under the blankie on my pillow while we watch movies lol. hes an excellent snuggle buddy