![]() If you like the “genetic engineering” aspect of breeding, purchase some geckos with heterozygous traits and recreate the process of developing a morph. If you are more interested in producing high quality morphs, choose a small number of designer geckos, recognizing that the chances of developing your own unique line may be small. What interests you most about breeding? If you mainly want to experience birth and the creation of new life, then any small colony will be rewarding. The likelihood that most breeders will break even or make a profit is small. It’s also important to consider whether there are enough funds available to pay for breeding stock, food, medical bills and publicity among other expenses and how much space for hatchlings is available. Think about life circumstances:Īre you a teenager planning to go to college in a few years? Are you thinking of having a baby soon? These are just two examples of situations where too extensive a breeding project, or, in some cases, breeding at all is not a good idea. Problems, including hatchlings with deformities, breeders who don’t thrive and sick geckos, also multiply quickly. A huge number of hatchlings may be exciting, but they have to be fed, housed, and ultimately sold. Caring for 100 geckos, for example, is much different than caring for a dozen, not only in the amount of time it requires, but also in the personal contact one can have with individual geckos. If a small breeding colony is successful, add breeders slowly, 1-2 a year, rather than expanding exponentially. Property of Tamara Locke of Grow slowly: New breeders who begin with large colonies may find themselves with an inconvenient number of hatchlings, breeders and equipment to sell off if they decide not to continue. We can easily be seduced by the “more is better” philosophy. It’s best to begin with a single male and 1-2 females to see how the process works and whether or not breeding is feasible and enjoyable. Observing and learning about seasonal changes and how to cope with them is essential before taking on the responsibility of breeding these lovely creatures. Geckos have a yearly cycle of behavior that follows the seasons. Starting with juvenile geckos and learning about the changes they go through and the problems they may encounter is good preparation for some of the things that may come into play with breeders and hatchlings. Property of Tamara Locke of What follows are some considerations and suggestions for small scale breeding and a model for how to go about it: Before You Begin Gain some basic experience:Ī prospective breeder should have experience and knowledge about caring for leopard geckos, preferably for at least a year, before trying to breed. Breeding on a small scale is a permanent choice for some of us, and is also a way to “test the waters” before embarking on a more extensive enterprise. Working with a small scale operation, arbitrarily defined here as a colony of 10 or fewer females, a breeder may have to make some difficult choices: producing high quality morphs with limited opportunity for development of the line, or producing less unusual morphs with greater variety and progression. For the past 3 years, I have been breeding leopard geckos on a small scale which has allowed me to experience the joy of participating in the creation of new life on a more modest budget of money, space and time. We may not be able to “have it all”, but there are other ways to have an interesting and fulfilling breeding experience. A new breeder without the reputation and clientele of an established one will most likely not be able to locate enough customers to move a large number of geckos and will not be able to get the same prices as an established breeder. He or she must be able to house and feed breeders and hatchlings, and also must have a market to sell both the expensive morphs and the less unusual ones that will result. In order to develop a unique line of high quality animals, a breeder must have access to a large collection which needs to be continually upgraded. Few of us, however, have the time, space and money that it takes to succeed at this level. We may dream of producing beautiful specimens and even of developing our own lines. ![]() ![]() ![]() There are so many exciting images on the internet of gorgeous and unique animals that many of us get bitten by the breeding bug. Breeding leopard geckos is relatively easy and rewarding. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |