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    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

basic beardie questions

I would like to jump in here at least once...

I use to show ( I had some health issues so had to stop) Rhodesian Ridgebacks (African Lion Hounds) and and know not only lots of Ridgeback breeders but know and have met hundreds if not thousands of other dog breeders that do NOT practise culling. I have met a few that will destroy an animal because of some minor problem but the pressure is on to stop the practise. If the animal can live out a happy life with someone to care for it properly then there is no harm as long as it is not intentionally allowed to reproduce and pass on a "harmful" genetic problem.
If you are the breeder of any animal you should always strive for the best and try to produce the healthiest animal you can. It is inevitable that while breeding that a stray defect will occur then "I believe" it is the responsibility of the breeder to see that it finds a safe happy home and not just destroy it because it may cause some extra work, time or money. There are many ways and yes some are costly, to remove an animal from the gene pool but I believe that is the responsibility you take when you breed animals. The only time I personally would have an animal destroyed was if it was suffering and it was the only way to alleviate its pain.
I know there are people on here who will disagree with me and that is fine. They are intitled to their opinions too.
 
I agree, Linda.

I don't think a dragon with a tail kink should be bred, but I really don't see how a kinked tail can be called a "handicap". I have a baby right now with a kink in his tail....he didn't develop it until he was a few weeks old, I'm guessing it was from an injury, but I don't know. I'm GIVING him to a friend of my daughter. He will make a wonderful pet, in fact the kids seem to play with him MORE than the others because he is "special", lol.

If it is a deformity that affects the animals quality of life, then I can understand humanely putting them to sleep. But if it is something that merely affects their appearance in a minor way, I just don't see the sense in it. The "justification" is that he is a living creature, just like any of the ones with a "normal" tail, or a wrong color coat. I believe it truly IS the a responsibility I knew I had to be willing to take on when I reproduce ANY animal, whether it was when I used to show dogs, or the reptiles I am currently keeping.
 
From a breeders perspective, I assume that any animal that leaves my possession will probably be bred, or at least the attempt made. The majority of people seem to eventually get compelled to breed whatever they happen to be keeping. Based on this assumption I feel that the only way to be 100% certain that a given animal does not pass its genes on is for that animal to never leave my possession.
I may find a person who swears they will never breed it, but who knows what may happen in a few years. They may have to move, or just get tired of it, or someone may offer them a nice price for a breeding size adult.
If you have a good local friend or family member who you know won't breed the animal or at least will return it to you if the time comes, then fine, but otherwise, you cannot be certain the animal will not breed, and if the animal possibly carries deformity causing genes, that risk should not be taken.

An example of this. Anyone who breeds bearded dragons will eventually have a few offspring that simply fail to thrive. It will happen with any species that has large numbers of offspring annually. Some just don't want to hunt for themselves or otherwise are weak.
I consider this a negative trait and refuse to nurse such specimens along. If they aren't thriving, they shouldn't be allowed to pass their genes on to the next generation.
Once I had such a baby when my wife came into the herp room one day and asked how the babies were doing. I mentioned that this one was going to die as it refused to hunt on its own. Her, being the soft hearted one she is couldn't stand that so she took the baby to care for. She spent an hour a day for four weeks coaxing it to eat a few crickets.
It finally came around and grew into a healthy adult female. However, I knew that this animal could not be allowed to reproduce, so it remained with me until its natural death nine years later.
This instance worked out well, but I can't keep every weak or deformed baby in my collection.
My solution is to destroy them. I'd rather have to bear that sad burden myself than to potentially spread bad genes into the captive gene pool. Doing so is a disservice to the animals and other keepers.

Case in point, the problems that have been had with one eyed albino boa constrictors. I believe that trait to have genetic origins, and it was greed and nothing else that caused it to become so widespread. Early in the breeding of those snakes when albinos were 5 grand one eyed specimens were sold for 2 and people snatched them up as a cheap way to get into breeding albinos and the gene prospered.
 
I understand what you're saying, Clay, and to a certain extent agree. I imagine things are somewhat different for someone who breeds a lot of animals as opposed to the few I do, I have so few with any problems that I always feel confident finding a good home for them, or hanging on to them myself....I have several "charity cases" around here that will not be bred, yet will never leave. I'll always feel that as long as I brought them onto this Earth, it is my responsibilty to provide every chance for them to stay here, as long as they are not suffering in any way. And I'd personally rather stay "small-time" enough to be able to do so.

So.....I guess I'll just have to agree to "somewhat" disagree with you, lol.
 
Wow, a lot of great answers to questions and civility in differences. All of you are awesome.
 
Clay, have you ever considered keeping the kinked tails for nothing more than research purposes, to see if it is in fact a genetic disorder, or if it's just a rare natural occurance (maybe the position in which they are in the egg)? I would be interested to see the results of that, and it shouldnt be too hard to do.
 
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