Best Breeding Option

Ok I have desided to get back into breeding leos on a small scale (1 or maybe 2 breeding groups). I had owned and opperated a commecial exotic animal breeding facility from 1984 to 1999. Bred leos from 1989 to 1999.

I am very intriqued by the Tremper Albino Giants and have desided to focus on these almost exclusivly (unless I find some outstanding Lavenders).

My problem:

I am working on a fairly tight budget. I am disabled and on a fixed income. The leos have to at least pay for themselves after the first year or two (though not necessiarily turn a profit, happy to just break even). I intend to start with babies as these are less expensive. I plan to buy a Moose son for my main stud. I am at a loss as to the best females to buy. The way I see it I have 3 options:

1) Buying Albino Giants. Though this would be ideal do to my budget I would probably only be able to afford 1 or 2 females to go with my mal.

2) Buying Giants het for Albino. With this option I could probably get 3 to 5 females.

3) Buying Albinos het for Giant or Normals het Giant/het Albino. This would afford me the greatest number of females.

4) Invest in CA State Lotery tickets and hope to win a million $$$... NOT

Could anyone give me some ideas on wich direction you would go in. I would like to purchase in the next couple of months.

Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff,

That's a tough one. If you are looking to break even in a year or two, (and if it were me), I'd go for the for the Giant Albino X Giant het for Albino females because you would get:
Genotype:
50% Giant het for Albino
50% Giant Albino
Phenotype:
50% Giant
50% Giant Albino

My reasoning is, that since the market is becoming so dynamic it does not take long for unique morphs to become less valuable in a few years. This way, you would at least be producing Albino Giant offspring next season, and the prices will not have dropped significantly yet.

Thanks for the reply

This was actualy the direction that I was leaning twords. It just seems to make the most business sence. Considering that for every 1 Albino Giant female I can afford I could get 2 or 3 Giant het Albino females for the same price. Thus producing 2 to 3 times as many babies and getting (at least in theory) the same number of Albino Giant babies.

Thanks,
Jeff

If you can get two females with both traits; Go for it. The market will not allow you to make money back with hets (in my opinion). You will not have the het offspring to deal with which will be worth next to nothing. The vegas patternless albinos are a good example of a double trait. I think they are only worth about 100 each at the start of this season. Anyone who wished to make anything back with hets does not have a chance.

See if you can swing a deal on a trio. It will give you less work and instant return. Or buy the 2 homozygous females (get them big) and save a little for the male.

Good luck
Howard

on a personal note: why would anyone want a giant leopard gecko? I am not saying they are not attractive, but the size and the bigger "piles" go against everything i find attractive in leos. And please note these are just my thoughts on the "giant" (for discussion, not provocation),and not an evaluation on profit potential. insomnia at 3am

if you were to buy 1.3 tremper giant albinos for say 150 to 200 a piece as hatchlings than next year they will be ready to breed.

thats 4 X 200 (worse case scenerio)= $800 plus shipping $40

$840

say that (being a double mutation) they drop down $100 a piece (which if you get quality stock from ron tremper they should be worth more than $100 even a year from now, lets hope.)... average of about 8-10 eggs per female (3 X 8=24, 24 X $100= $2400, $2400 - $840= $1560). almost 200% profit. 1560/840 = 1.86.... 186% profit. good luck.

Really the best profit would be all those free geckos! which would be at least 15 (given each female lays 8 fertile eggs).

Originally posted by diablohogs
if you were to buy 1.3 tremper giant albinos for say 150 to 200 a piece as hatchlings than next year they will be ready to breed.

thats 4 X 200 (worse case scenerio)= $800 plus shipping $40

$840

say that (being a double mutation) they drop down $100 a piece (which if you get quality stock from ron tremper they should be worth more than $100 even a year from now, lets hope.)... average of about 8-10 eggs per female (3 X 8=24, 24 X $100= $2400, $2400 - $840= $1560). almost 200% profit. 1560/840 = 1.86.... 186% profit. good luck.

Really the best profit would be all those free geckos! which would be at least 15 (given each female lays 8 fertile eggs).

Chad,

Thanks for the reply. I agree with your math 100%. Unfortunately I don't have $840 to play with

It still seems more logical using your numbers to go with the het females. Which I can get from Ron at $50-$75.

$75 x 8=600 + $200 male=$800 + 40 SH=$840

8 X 8=64 eggs (32 of which would be Albino and 32 would be het Albino)

If I was to only sell the hets that would be 32 x $50=$1,600 - $840=$760 in profit plus I would still have 32 Giant Albinos to hold back for the fallowing years breeding.

I only did this out because I don't think folks (except for Marcia) truely appreciate the value of hets in working a commercial opperation.

Jeff

don't forget to figure in housing, feeding, general care and up keep, electricity, advertizing (time to sell or web site costs) ....and those nights when you can't sleep cause your eggs are either being layed or hatching! LOL.......

... boxing & shipping costs, veterinary expenses, show booth rentals, transportation, etc., etc., etc. LOL!!! But, I still think the giant het. for albino females scenario is the best way to go. You would have more offspring, and at least ALL the offspring will be Giants, and half would be Giant Albinos.

don't forget to figure in housing, feeding, general care and up keep, electricity, advertizing (time to sell or web site costs) ....and those nights when you can't sleep cause your eggs are either being layed or hatching! LOL.......

boxing & shipping costs, veterinary expenses, show booth rentals, transportation, etc., etc., etc.

oh yeah... cant forget all that stuff. ecspecially the Vet bills... we really need to have decent medical insurance available for our leos.

Please do not think i am anti-het. I was just thinking of the highest return for the least amount of work. I was factoring the disabled situation; assuming you would not wish for the extra work involved with a het operation.
I wish everyone success. The more money that goes around from a well planned breeding keeps things fresh.

200% profit on reptiles in a year? sounds like "fuzzy math". just a little attempt at humor
howard