90% hets or 100% hets. spam_YOU decide

Okay here is the deal. spam_I have 4-6 females I am gonna breed this year with 2-3 different albino males.  (Have not decided who gets bred to whom)

I know a normal mated with an albino would make 100% hets for albino.

Here is the dilema. spam_One of the females I want to use was bred this past season. spam_I am worried about sperm retention. spam_Clearly if she retained sperm and were to produce from the retained sperm....then at least a couple of the babies will be normal. spam_I have heard some people produce 1-2 babies this way. spam_But I was also told these babies are usually born premature and die.

The majority of the stock will clearly be 100%. spam_What should I do

Now this is something I never really thought about. spam_Although technically they will be 100% hets, you can't truly guarantee that they all will be. spam_Most people (including myself) would have just sold them as hets and never even thought about sperm retention. spam_Well you could always sell them all to me as normals. LOL This whole point will certainly make me more aware of what and when I am breeding(not me personally, but the snakes).By questioning yourself I know that whatever you decide will be the right thing and the animals will be properly represented. spam_Just my 2 cents

the chances of a retained sperm baby are very low, not enough to worry about.

The chances are very low as others have said that any retained sperm will remain and produce offspring. I said sell them 100 % and you can always adopt a plan like Jesse Underhills if the snake I sell you isnt het I will sell you one that is LMAO!! But seriously your offspring will be 100 % (most likely) Ritchie sometimes you are just too honest for your own good (good thing, but very rare)

If you think retained sperm babies are a potential outcome no matter how statistically unlikely then I would think you should either wait a year to breed her or breed her to an albino and explain exactly what you may or may not have to potential buyers. Sell them a bit above normal prices. Otherwise sell them as normal at normal prices. I prefer the second choice and that is how I voted. I myself, would hate to be responsible for selling snakes labelled 100% het and the buyer waits a few years to breed them expecting albino babies and gets all normals. That would possibly ruin the buyer's whole breeding project, cost him/her three years of snake care costs and the costs of the so called 100% het for albino babies, and cause a lot of unecessary aggravation for the buyer and possibly for you if the buyer could find you in three years. <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>

I agree with Glenn. Just because it's unlikely does not mean it's impossible.

Personally I would explain the situation to the potential buyers and allow them to decide it they want to purchase them and price them slightly below normal 100% het pricing. I think that the majority of people would be willing to take a a very slight chance in order to save some money... They certainly have a better chance of being het than they would if they were true 50% or 66% poss. hets and people are more than willing to save a bit of money and take a chance with those.

In fact... it may even increase your potential to sell them, it is in fact unlikely that you'll get any babies from retained sperm (again, still possible) so in selling them slightly lower, you'll be undercutting the market just enough to have the entire clutch go fairly quickly and if that improbable outcome of normals ends up true... Nobody can fault your honesty.

Better yet, conduct a small experiment. &nbsp;Use one or two of the girls as a &quot;control&quot;. &nbsp;Do not breed them and if they still produce fertile eggs then I would sell the offspring from the albino males as 50% hets. &nbsp;If they do not produce, I say it is safe to say they are 100% hets.
Thanks
Justyn

It seems to me that you can either sell them as 100% PROBABLE hets (as opposed to possible hets [implying a lesser certainty] or definite hets [implying a complete certainty]) for less than market value as some have suggested, or you can hold this girl back a year. &nbsp;The other options, however unlikely the possibilities, leave you open to criticism down the road, if you ask me.

It just depends upon whether you want to produce some babies at a reduced price or no babies at all. &nbsp;I certainly can see both sides, but I've always believed that 90% of something is worth way more than 100% of nothing every time!

I think Glenn has the best idea, if your not sure don't breed that one this season. IMHO

what was the female bred to last yr? chances are slim to none that she would retain but if in doubt dont breed her.