90% hets or 100% hets. spam_YOU decide

I voted sell as 100% hets i didn't have the time to reply so here is my reply:

1.  First the chance of retaining sperm is low very low i am not sure of the exatic percent but i think the odds are more then 1 in 3000.

2.  If she did retain any sperm they would be born premature and die.

3.  if you are so wooried wait for it to clear up keep a male and an other female and cool later after the sperm would have cleared up.

Where did you get your odds?  I've seen it happen twice with corn snakes.  Did you make that up?  I don't even know how someone could actually figure out what the odds would be.  Breed 50,000 females and see how many would lay fertile eggs the next year?  That would be about the only way i can see testing that out to get any reliable statistics.  And that obviously isn't happening.  

I say sell them as 100%, but tell the buyer that she was previously with a normal male and there is that possibility, and tell them that if they don't produce like they're supposed to a couple years down the line, that you'll refund the money in full.
Lucas Denning

Richie,
Damned good question and I'm not even posting a vote.  The majority of breeders don't consider this and I suspect that eventually we'll have problems in the market because of it if enough people don't accept the possibility that some reptiles are in fact capable of retaining sperm and producing offspring the following season.  At least you're thinking ahead and considering the chances.

Odds are in your favor on this one but there's always that stray chance that you won't beat them.  Will be curious to see what you finally decide because I don't have a good answer.  I just know that if you do breed her (think I understand a normal female, bred last season to normal, and this time to an albino male)...If you decide to turn offspring lose at normal or below het prices...GIVE ME A SHOUT W/ Price for a pair!!!!  I'll gladly take the chance if I can afford them.

David Jobes
Double "D" Reptiles
Stigler, OK

I agree mostly with Seamus Haley. spam_Full disclosure is my standard stance. spam_I would add this. spam_Sell as 100% hets with the disclosure of previous breeding and add a money back guarantee if they don't turn out to be hets. spam_You aren't offering anything other than the simplist of ethical standards and have a clear conscience.

I voted to hold off on the breeding as I was trying to view it from what you might need to do to restore your confidence.

Sincerely,

James and Vickie Bryan

I agree with James and Seamus, price as 100% hets while telling the customer your concerns.  Let the customer make the choice.  I suppose you could offer a money back guarantee if it doesn't prove out.   Most people who are really serious about producing albinos are not going to be putting all of their eggs in one basket anyway.  There are so many other things that could go wrong that have a much higher likelyhood of happening then the scenario you describe with the retained sperm.   What if the snake ends up being sterile?  What it it  just isn't interested in breeding?  What if it dies before it has a chance to breed? No one would hold you responsible for any of these reasons, I don't see how anyone could hold you responsible for something as flukey as retained sperm.   Don't worry about it, let they buyer choose.  

Mark

Hi Ritchie,
I don't know what the price difference is between hets and normals. I think you should find a happy medium between the two prices and sell them as possible hets and explain the situation. Since your babies would be more &quot;probably&quot; than &quot;possible&quot; you could get a bit more than the going rate for possible hets. Unless you figure out how to tell the difference between hets and normals. That way no matter what the customer will be happy and you won't take too much of a loss on the babies. I know I wouldn't want to buy a 100% het and find out it was a normal. Especially if I spent 3 years or more raising it up to breed. I guess you could give a refund if they turn out to be normal, but what about all the time and money spent on raising them up? Should &nbsp;you refund that too or are they just out of luck?? If you sell them as possible hets there's 0% chance of &quot;unhappy&quot; customers. I don't really think that retained sperm is that common, but since most people probably don't worry about it they don't know how common it really is or even if it is common. There &quot;could&quot; be babies born every year from retained sperm from the previous year and if you don't worry about it you'll never question the genetics. I think you're the first one I've seen that was concerned about the subject. I'm glad you take the possibilty of retained sperm seriously. I can see many happy customer in your future. <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''> It's a tough call, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

I didnt vote because i didnt see a box marked.


&quot;give them to Al&quot;

Please fix this so I can vote.

I have a question??
You never mentioned if the female that was bred by the normal last year gave birth?? Did she have a clutch of babies? I would think if she bred and gave birth last year she would be less likely to have retained sperm. If she bred and nothing came of it I would think you'd be more likely to have a &quot;possible&quot; retained sperm problem or the male you used was &quot;shooting blanks&quot;. &nbsp;Was the male a proven breeder? Just a couple of thoughts I was having. &nbsp;<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

yup she gave birth.

I think I will sell somewhere in between definite hets and normals.

I do not have the conscience to sell them as definite hets. &nbsp;And end up ripping someone off.

But I will not rip myself off by selling them as normals. spam_Specially since a good 95%-100% of them would be definite hets.

just my thing. &nbsp;Thanks for the replies and suggestions everyone.

My decision

I will just mate them to my 100% het.
And I will mate the others that were not bred last year to my friend's albino.

Because 1 or 2 normals in a clutch that is supposed to be 100% het is NOT acceptable.

BUT

1 or 2 additional normals in a clutch that has only a 50% chance of being het is acceptable.

Thanks everyone for your opinions and suggestions.