Thinking of Breeding???

[TheWolfmanTom]

NOTE: This is an old post that started some great conversations. I am reposting it here to start those same conversations as well.
Hi There,
I just wanted to share some info for anyone thinking of breeding. I have been breeding now for 4 years, I did my research and spent a small fortune getting ready for almost a year before I started my site. Now breeding your dragons and getting the eggs incubated is the fairly easy part since your dragon does most of the work. Ahhhhhhh, but now the poopers start hatching, and it seems a little hard to find homes, and guess what you have more eggs being laid even tho you only bred you girl 1 time she has laid 4 clutches of about 20 to 25 eggs. Now your scrambling for tank space or building racks, and OMG you know have to buy 12 to 20 thousand crickets a week just to feed them right. Not to mention the bags and bags of greens and lighting. Any idea how much you can spend on 20 thousand crickets a week? So to those that are thinking of breeding because it seems like its fun or cute or even if you think you will make a fast buck(you wont by the way) its a huge responsibilty to do it properly. So take the time to do the research talk to breeders, find out the cost of finding homes for the babys , or the cost of NOT finding homes. Breeding dragons isnt something that anyone should try on a whim.
Tom
08/29/10
Morning All,
I just want to stress that this thread is in no way meant to be a discouragement. My intent with this thread as well as the merged threads is to get people to think before they leap. I am asking anyone that posts to this thread to keep it informational, clean and as non judgemental as possible. Myself included here. I know I have flamed a few people in the past as well, and I reall dont want this thread to be a flameing station. There is alot of good info in here but there isnt all the info in here. There are many way to do the same thing. I have said this many times to many people ( As long as the BASIC needs of your dragon are met the rest is simply fluff and eye candy.) Does that make what your doing compared to Me wrong?? No it just makes it different.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Now I am coming up on 6 years of breeding in a "professional" manor. It is 03/2012. Its been a great run so far with ALOT of ups and downs. The market is flooded with what I will call amateur breeders (for lack of a better word). With prices hitting rock bottom at shows I feel as a breeder you have to adapt and grow to survive in the market place. I have bred other various lizards to be competative, even now I have a phibli uro project going, as well as some other irons in the fire. Cost control is utimately the only key to survival. Wholesale is not the evil I thought it to be when I 1st started TND. It has to be done to a set of standards like anything else.
So like stated above. Feel free to post questions, give opinions, share ideas. Keep it clean and no rudeness will be tolerated. Remember there are 100 ways to do what I do, they arent wrong in most cases, Just different. The BASIC needs of any animal are what needs to be met 1st to be a successful breeder of any critter.

 

[drgnfly2265]

Great post. The more information that people know before they try to breed beardies the better

 

[Germ]

Thank you Tom, Great food for thought.

 

[Jp]

Great post, Tom. Thanks

 

[Dubya11]

I would like to read more about this as well, i have no intentions of breeding but i have wondered about the process

 

[lousano]

hi everyone im lousano, i have enjoyed many of the comments on breeding dragons, great job, now after learning so much about breeding dragons i feel able and confident to try my hand in breeding,i have over the years had dragons as pets i love them. i have bred other animals but never reptiles let alone bearded dragons, so any comments will be much appreciated. i am stuck as to what morph or het to purchase and at what age they should be, should i start with babies or go to proven pairs. ultimately i am trying to breed what may be considered the brightest colored perhaps silkies or leatherbacks. what phase is considered the most intersesting and appealing. Now i am not doing this for a profit but i wish to breed with what you may consider the best to go with. can you help i am interested to purchasing very soon perhaps by you ! THANK YOU ALL

 

[Germ]

@lousano

 

[Tessa.Mango]

How much do you sell your baby beardies for? I'm thinking of getting another as soon as i can raise more money for a larger 70 gallon tank.

 

[skuczma]

Hello I was wondering what would your spending cost roughly be to start and correctly take care of them? Also what are the average prices to sell them? How much space us needed and can the parents be housed together?

 

[Dragonmaker88]

Hi there,
I literally just joined the forum a few minutes ago, and I have been researching for about a year and a half now about breeding bearded dragons. I just wanted to ask a few questions since you have done this before.

What can I use, other then tanks, to keep baby beardies in? I would like to separate them from biggest to runts of the eggs to make sure every one baby is getting fed properly.

I'm having a hard time breaking out these morphs, and have read current forums on determining morphs. Is there a better way to know a morph of a bearded dragon?

How can I determine a price of my baby bearded dragon? Morph, size, weight, toe/tail nips (hopefully not) type of beardie (Dunner, Leatherback, Silkie etc.)??

I have one incubator now, I should probably get another one right? I know dragons can lay more then one clutch and store sperm. I don't think my incubator is big enough...So that should tell me right away right?

Just so you know, I would just like to try this for a year and see how it goes. I know I can take care of beardies for I have rescued some before. But I've never had the chance to breed any type of reptile. A friend is keeping the males and I am keeping the females, and we are working together to fix up pairs of bearded dragons. Thanks so much for reading! I hope to hear back from you soon.
-Amanda

 

[Squishy]

Hi there,
I literally just joined the forum a few minutes ago, and I have been researching for about a year and a half now about breeding bearded dragons. I just wanted to ask a few questions since you have done this before.

What can I use, other then tanks, to keep baby beardies in? I would like to separate them from biggest to runts of the eggs to make sure every one baby is getting fed properly.

I have seen and heard of breeders using a rack with the 6 quart containers with homemade screen tops with 4' UVB lights across the top and basking lights the same way to keep the young dragons seperated.

I'm having a hard time breaking out these morphs, and have read current forums on determining morphs. Is there a better way to know a morph of a bearded dragon?

*** I would also like more info on this, the more the better... But from what I understand the value of the dragon morphs is relative and changes regularly.

How can I determine a price of my baby bearded dragon? Morph, size, weight, toe/tail nips (hopefully not) type of beardie (Dunner, Leatherback, Silkie etc.)??

I have one incubator now, I should probably get another one right? I know dragons can lay more then one clutch and store sperm. I don't think my incubator is big enough...So that should tell me right away right?

**If you are handy building an incubator is not as hard as you may think and in my opinion if done right more reliable than the entry level incubators. Unless you can afford a 3k incubator. You tube is great with how to's.

Just so you know, I would just like to try this for a year and see how it goes. I know I can take care of beardies for I have rescued some before. But I've never had the chance to breed any type of reptile. A friend is keeping the males and I am keeping the females, and we are working together to fix up pairs of bearded dragons. Thanks so much for reading! I hope to hear back from you soon.
-Amanda

Hey good luck on your venture, I too am breeding for the first time this year I have a local pet shop that has been in business for over 20 years who helps a lot with my questions. I have posted my feed back in your post after each question by the way.

 

[BeardedHippy]

Hi, this is an old old post. Why dont you start a new one and let us see how you get on with your venture, it sounds interesting.

 

[Vanesssa]

Hi there I would love to have my first little lady’s eggs fertized. How do I find someone to breed her with?

 

[Jprice21]

Hi there I would love to have my first little lady’s eggs fertized. How do I find someone to breed her with?

This sounds like a very cool topic mines name is spike and looks like a yellow hypo melanistic yellow and citrus dunner i always wondered what baby spikes would look like