Brian Boas once said " you know what they say, if you want to make a small fortune breeding reptiles, you need to start with a large fortune."

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

sounds accurate!

@user-ff2gx8fy4e

2 ай бұрын

Brian is a very wise man

@Tarakeet42

27 күн бұрын

That's exactly what they say about winemaking too 😂😂

Reminds me of what a guy told me at a convention recently about how people should only get into reptile breeding if its something they are passionate about and are doing out of a love for the hobby because most people wont get rich or be able to make a good living doing it. Plus you have to have the facilities to keep the babies for long periods because adopting them all out can be hard.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Well said my friend

@masterenos

2 ай бұрын

This I why I am more apt to starting a store than trying to breed reptiles. Something I've been working on now for a few months.

@davidperlich9196

2 ай бұрын

This is where I screwed up, if I had it to do over again, I'd be living on land with a house. Not a fucking apartment. I was truly passionate about what I was breeding, just didn't have the facilities in place.

@---gh0st---

2 ай бұрын

100% And this is the reason you've seen so many breeders leave the hobby when the market crashed I would say the majority of the ones left, love the animals we work with and aren't just after the cash

@---gh0st---

2 ай бұрын

​@davidperlich9196 this! Make sure to have alot of space if you plan to breed, it fills up quick when baby season comes between all of our reptiles, it literally takes up 3 bedrooms (one for babies, one for growouts, and one for adults

Thank you for this video. We often get new breeders surrendering dozens of animals in one go because they thought it would be easy money, while it couldn't be further from the truth.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Our pleasure!

I'd like to see a video doing a breakdown of everything required to breed reptiles. Not because I'm thinking about breeding myself, just to see the overview of the system (yar, I'm weird)

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

I love this idea

@RetroFeesh

2 ай бұрын

I don't even keep reptiles beyond a musk turtle and I would love to see this video. Guess i'm weird too.

@davidforsyth4073

2 ай бұрын

There are a lot of us

@megangladden7108

2 ай бұрын

Same. I only have a BP!

@staceyroberts3468

2 ай бұрын

I’d like to see that too!

100% accurate. I went into breeding with almost no reputation and I wasn't ready for it. I hatched 2 clutches of ackies last year and it took me 8 months to sell them all. Half of the delay was from lack of reputation and half was from me making sure the buyer was set up right and ready for the monitor. I ended up not having enough enclosures ready for them because I thought they would sell fast. I won't make that mistake again. I also really underestimated the time investment. It took me hours every morning to feed all the babies because I wanted to socialize every one of them. It's a ton of extra work and time, but that's why I was able to sell them with no reputation. As soon as people saw they were social they were interested in them. I took this year off from breeding to rebuild my entire basement so I'm better prepared from now on. I build all my enclosures, so that saves me some money. Housing is still a massive investment either way though.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

sounds about right!

The jokes on you, I've always been broke 😂

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

haha geeeez

It's a good video. Everyone underestimates just how much food costs for breeding animals.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Very true!

Been breeding for many yrs. Ive never pulled profit. More i make the more i spend. Do it because u love it...period

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

That’s totally fair

@mrmouse-ol9pw

2 ай бұрын

@WickensWickedReptiles maybe that came out wrong. Making $ is def possible but should not be the main goal. Too much competition. That said if u love working with reptiles, then profiting is tertiary at best imo. Personally I do it because I can make animals I can't afford. I feel lucky to be able to work with animals. And any $ I make just offsets my costs

Please make a sequel to this video: things to consider & prepping for becoming a breeder!

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

wicked idea

OMG I live in one state and on every reptile page there is so many up for rehoming. Leo', Crested and Bearded dragons and ball pythons. The reptile trade is saturated with animals that never needed to be reproduced.

Going through a lot of this myself. And just because you are passionate about your animals, family members who you though would help may not be. Man I would have flipped if my dad was in to something cool like this. Kids now are more interested in electronics than anything else.

Well there goes my hopes and dreams 😂

It's pretty similar to other sorts of breeding, I chatted with an Anthurium (plant) breeder on tiktok the other day and she was overwhelmed by all unsold seedlings that she couldn't move even with a network. Since the quarantine ended the prices for rare plants have mostly dissolved. Things that were $500/cutting then is $7 in grocery stores now. I see the same trend in dogs (especially mixbred ones) where people bred with a good profit during the quarantine and now get stuck with unsold puppies.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

I’m a plant guy, so glad I didn’t shell out for albos three years ago

@katiekane5247

2 ай бұрын

And shelters are still getting animals obtained when people were home all day.

I would definitely love a breakdown video on the cost of breeding from start up to maintaining.

Yesss, break it all down!.. People need to see and understand, what they have to look forward to, trying to get into breeding all of these amazing animals..

Live birthing reptiles look like the easiest ones to breed at first thought, but the problem with snakes is that a lot of the snakes that don't lay eggs can kill which makes them dangerous to breed. Small boa species and garter snakes and ribbon snakes are the only safe ones to breed.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

True all the way around

The next video I would love to see you do is, 10 different snakes and their personalities or different body language and how to handle them safely and what that would look like!

I wouldn't want to go broke but I would love to have the reptiles. If I had the room. Have an awesome day Adam and Trish

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

We will!

@victoriapawluk9763

2 ай бұрын

@@WickensWickedReptiles when can you do an Ackie care guide?

I have been wanting a bearded dragon, but have been able to get one, and this guy has made me so happy, watching the videos on his beardie. Also he has helped so much on reserch. So from the bottom of my heart thank you so much Adam.

I wish I saw this video 5 years ago. You described my situation almost exactly

Great video Adam!!

Now you can see people competing against each other but are still friendly, trash talk is at a bare minimum. The community has grown exponentially. thanks for the videos

Your honesty is always so satisfying 😆. Interesting topics and great info make you stand out!! I always enjoy your videos !

Yes please do the breakdown cost video

I recently spoke with my local pet store about potentially breeding frogs for them; I wasn't so much interested in what I'd get for them as to whether or not I'd actually be able to move them. I think it's a really neat process, but I don't need to be adding 50+ to my house every other month.

Great video, we all can learn from your experience. I didn’t know you were into Chahoua like that. Please please please use your platform to spread the word about these amazing geckos. Imo best new cal gecko and highly underrated 💪🏼

I like to tell people that anyone can put two animals together and let them reproduce, but it takes a lot more to actually be a breeder. A lot more goes into it than people think for sure

Thanks for sharing your experience!

@WickensWickedReptiles

Ай бұрын

thanks for watching!

Great vid brother. Animals are so much work it is so important that folks understand how much work and expense goes into starting into breeding. Even it you are doing it for fun and not for profit, it can be overwhelming and quickly make you run out of money, lol. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Very valuable video lesson!.. A lot of people, breaking into the hobby, really need to hear this!.. At the end of the day, do it because you love these animals and do it because it's fun and an amazing experience.. Never get into this hobby, with the idea of becoming very wealthy through it, because chances are, that's not how it'll play out.. Thank you, Adam!..

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Absolutely!

Great vid!

Bro, I’m glad you stuck with it. Great channel, you’re actually one of the last reptile channels that I found. Definitely one of the best.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Awesome, thank you!

I neither own nor breed reptiles, just an interested outsider but it is truly mind blowing that some people actually need this explained to them.

@WickensWickedReptiles

Ай бұрын

crazy right!@

@harrissbisby903

Ай бұрын

@@WickensWickedReptiles I mean it's basic math..

I always hit the like button because you are a likable guy,lol, but seriously It's the first thing I do. Great mini class, and yes I'm thinking for those who are considering the business, you would be a great teacher. Thanks Adam👍🦎❤️

Yeah, I feel like Brian kind of unintentionally inspired a ton of people to start breeding as a side hustle, or as a full time job. At this point, I can't imagine many new people could get into this business and be very successful. Especially if they don't have a very large amount of money to start the business. And I imagine it'd have to be more of a niche market(sort of like Garrett and others are doing with dwarf and super dwarf retics. Those are like my dream animals. In fact, they're often stunning with _no_ mutations/morphs, just the wild types. Can I imagine if they had access to every mainland retic morph?) Actually, I feel like boas constrictors are underappreciated. I've always felt like they're gorgeous, and just have that really cool head structure, and that almost rectangular body structure for hanging onto trees, etc. And the number of mutations nowadays is crazy.

Thank you, Adam for being who you are. You've taught me so much and I certainly continue to Praise you on your Expertise, and hope the best for you. As far as your business goes and breeding And just maintaining what you have.. Keep the good with the good and the bad away or trying to come into a world they have no understanding, knowledge or business being in! I understand completely where you're coming from. But I hope that you continue to pass on YOUR knowledge to all of us who do depend on you to all of us who watch your Channel keep our loved reptiles healthy and kept properly . Keep up the good work!🦎🐍❤ T.

Great video as always

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

thank you!

I was trying to breed a pair of Chinese water dragons and we unfortunately lost the female last week. I noticed she was getting sick, called all the nearest exotic vets, and she passed before I could get into the soonest pet visit. Im still super bummed about it and now they're so hard to find. I almost pulled the trigger on another CB female for $700..thank you for putting this video out about the realities of it. I just jumped into it too.

The cost of breeding reptiles is actually fascinating, love to see more videos on it.

Keep up the great work!

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Thanks, will do!

Love this video man!!

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

thank you!

100% to all of this, dude. This all applies to mpuse breeding, too! Connections help SO MUCH, and most of us love it when new breeders pop up near us, ESPECIALLY if they're better. That just means we'll have easy access to new genetics and advice whenever we need to bring in new breeders😂. And advice is so amazing. It also ALWAYS takes longer than you think to get started, and more work, too. I stsrted witg 4 cages and thought id be fine; im up to 22 cages. And knowing the market, networking...all SO HELPFUL😊

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Oh absolutely

Yes! A video of the cost of breeding reptiles!

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

You got it!

Love your videos Adam! Definitely do a video breaking down breeding costs cause I’m curious! It’s been a thought of mine not to get Rich off of but to be able to supply beautiful reptiles to new and existing keepers and if I make a buck or too then it’s just a double win!

The hobby is especially expensive in Canada, even compared to America

Before you breed talk to pet stores and wholesalers, make sure they can take your stock and push it effectively, and almost always start off small and grow your breeding stock SLOWLY it’s 100% possible to make a living or at least pay off your collection costs, you just can’t be impulsive and need to do tons of research, get Multiple sources (stores and wholesalers) to be purchasing your stock, your best bet is to wholesale and not sell individually for the most part, toads, certain frogs garter snakes, and certain geckos are good to start but don’t take my word for it, do your own research as everywhere is different, but I easily maintain my collection off one species of gecko alone oh and to cut costs buy wholesale products things like that go a long way, I wish y’all luck. Nice video btw Adam, also you might have to compromise on breeding stuff you might not like per-say so those are things to think of

@repti_family

2 ай бұрын

I had a problem with the shop saying yeh we will have them but the boss never contacted me. And told the staff he had

@demi-god3674

2 ай бұрын

@@repti_familythat’s why I said multiple shops and wholesaler not just one

We can just say this is the case in most animal breeding ventures. The number of people trying to get rich breeding dogs, cats, rodents, insects, amphibians, and reptiles is crazy. To do it ethically and successfully takes hard work and a lot of knowledge.

Yes! make more videos about this!

I had a similar experience when I started dog breeding, it was quite stressful actually ... But then I started value addition through training and that got it profitable eventually.

Great advice, we started breeding by going to expos, making connections and now we all help each other, if somebody had a person interested and we dont have the snake which would work for the person, we call around and send them to a friend who does have what theyre looking for Had also helped when we have had problems, people who live an hour away from is have driven over to help and show us the proper way of correcting the issue People would be shocked by how nice, helpful and welcoming the reptile breeding community in the GTA, some of the people who have helped us are the biggest breeders in this area and possibly all of canada Come to an expo and talk to us (not just me, i mean the majority of breeders there), even if youre not buying, most of us love just helping, teaching and mostly, discussing the reptiles we work with If youre planning on breeding, be straightup and tell the breeder, ill gaurentee the majority of breeders will be more than happy to discuss/help you, telling you the issues weve dealt with so you dont have to make the same mistakes we already have Edit: oh, and GO LEAFS GO! Good luck in game 7 brother, gunna be a good one

It’s a great day when WWR uploads

TG for that, you are ok NOW x

I used to make decent side hustle money with 3 breeding pairs that id breed once a year. It was snakes I already wanted as pets anyway. Id sell the babies to local pet stores and some online. I would usually make enough to cover a lot of the expenses of having them as pets and maybe a little to treat myself. I definitely didn't make a fortune. I was so obsessed with upgrading caging and food and all that entails to really hang on to anything I made but it was fun to do. A tad stressful but mostly fun.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

That is awesome!

Robin Lehner the goalie for the Vegas Golden nights went bankrupt from buying a collection of snakes to breed so even a guy making millions went bankrupt doing this

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

well sort of, a lot of that had to do with Ben's murder

@pierceduppunk441

2 ай бұрын

@@WickensWickedReptiles is he the guy he bought the reptiles from? I didn't hear about that part .

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

@@pierceduppunk441 yes, he thought his reptile farm

For breeding, i picked animals and genes that i really liked and wanted to work with. We already have a big collection, so we know first hand the cost of upkeep and whatnot. My first pairing year will be next spring and i am beyond excited!

Great video - I see so many youtube videos that say you can breed xyz and make $$$... and you can. But also LOL. I don't breed reptiles, but I breed birds, and people really have no idea how much money goes back into the animals. They don't breed all year round or immediately, so you have to budget for that. Sometimes your pairings fail or give you small clutches or the babies die or the market shifts or the economy sucks or or or. Definitely a lot of variables go into breeding animals. I've considered doing a bit of reptile (or adjacent animals like isos/roaches/etc) breeding, just because it is physically easier than birds, but am still deciding on species and considering all the factors you brought up.

Nice video! For anyone interested in getting into this, Frank Payne is a goated breeder in the US and has done multiple interviews on his approach. Really good advice and perspective.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

I have nothing but good things to say about Frank

There's a lot of great plain business advice here too.

Man, I'm sorry to here that, you'll get em next time :)

About breeding , one of the biggest problem is maintaining a cheap source of food. The old Agama International owner said he and his wife lived on sawdust. He reared super worms on sawdust( he introduced them to the hobby and they were everywhere before the USDA could ask about permits) which he fed to his bearded dragons. The Argentine tegus got turkey he bought on clearance sales after the holidays. A friend visited his place and noted all the lumber was all salvaged. Of course my favorite breeding story is when I bred bosemann's rainbow fish. I took a dozen breeder size fish mainly males to my local fish shop as a gift for their display tank telling them I could supply them with slightly smaller fish at such and such a price and was told they could buy rainbow fish for 10 cents from Tampa! Nope these are different from those, it was easier to tell the African cichlid guy I had so many available and s broker them to the Tampa fish farms. Less money but less hassle than selling to local pet stores/

I used to breed minor breading just now getting g into it again with my hognose will be starting this next season not doin to get rich not really make money so much but as a hobby to make cool morphs and if takes off that would be cool

i mean this makes sense, im just breeding spiders because i want people to hopefully eventually have a bunch in captivity will i make a profit, probably not, hopefully i will but unlikely, tbh tho most people dont have amblypygi and nobody is breeding heteropoda venatoria because theyre so common theyre mostly just imported so idk its just a hobby so im not too pressed. edit: the other nice thing about spiders, no real light requirements for some of the ones i keep (nocturnal or cave dwelling) low feeding costs because of them eating crickets and roaches i feed table scraps in a bucket.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Very cool!

@shuckleuser4285

2 ай бұрын

@@WickensWickedReptiles but yea i get a lot of your points i can def understand how you went into the red, reptiles and their care is so pricey, i was wanting to get a hognose and was shocked how much everything would run me, i cant imagine how much breeding them adds up to.

love you

I’ve had this problem with my crested geckos, no one bought the babies. A year on and I’ve still got 2 of them. I found most didn’t want babies they wanted yearlings which I thought was weird. I’ve not bred anything since. I want to try fox snakes when mine are bigger but I will have to do more research about how to sell them on

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

sounds about right

@Dragonemperess

2 ай бұрын

My theory on that is that babies have some specific requirements that actually makes it cheaper overall to get an older one. Like needing a smaller setup instead of putting it in an adult size enclosure. And the potential for frying them with bulbs. Poor things. :(

@repti_family

2 ай бұрын

@@Dragonemperess never thought of it that way yeh that makes sense

I don't breed reptile, I breed fish but all of what you've said applies. ...heck where I live..we don't even have fish clubs anymore, since covid. One thing I can say to new breeders, start small..one specie that is both easy to breed and sell..even if for cheap and barely make it even, I don't know what species of reptile that would fit that, honestly but in the aquatic world, there are a few fishes that would fit that description.Your first goal is to make a name for yourself by selling nice, plumb and healthy animal, then you move forward with something that is a little more daring and maybe that you would be more passionnate about. Talk to people, like store owners and such is one and if not the one best way to get a pulse in the market and in my case, they are my no.1 buyers most of the fish I breed for them is because they either can't get them from supplier and/or don't ship very well and tend to arrive sick or dead.

A cost breakdown video would be amazing. Ive been doing a bunch of research and planning to become a snake breeder in kansas!

I do a little better than breaking even. But I live in America and the market is bigger, and shipping is easier. The cheapest I can go on cornsnakes is $30 and that is my wholesale price, but I know people that go $15 for wholesale

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

being in the US makes things so much easier

Some hard truths in this video.

I feel like getting a network is one of the most difficult parts about the business 🤔

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

I agree

Looks like adams been lifting

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

thanks for noticing :)

Luckily, I only have 1 breeding project that I would like to pursue. A Leopard-Mojave-Banana (maybe also pied) Ball Python. I've seen animals that were 2 out of the 3 (or 4) but never one that had all of it. And, based on what I've seen, I think that combo would make an absolutely beautiful ball python. But, this isn't a "for sale" animal, though I'd likely sell off whatever I didn't want to keep for myself in the process. It's for ME. I probably won't even get the chance to follow that dream unless I hit the lottery though 😅

Thank you for the video! Could you do the video that breaks down the cost to breed?

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Sure thing!

"My name is Adam, this is Diamond, you're watching Wickens Wicked Reptiles, stick around."❤

Would love a break down video

I would love to have a break down of prices for breeding. I’m extremely interested in it and would love to learn about it. Thank you for all your videos I love them!❤

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Ok will do!!

100% accurate! I used to breed and show champion Australian Shepherds. I always included a fact sheet called. "Why does this puppy cost so much?" I lost money on every litter. As soon as I realised that the market was flooded I quit breeding and went into rescue work instead. Also financially draining, but every bit as rewarding. Emerald Scales Reptiles has a great video on how to go broke doing rescue. Its reaĺly worth checking out.

Great video! I made this mistake! Although I never even made it to produce any babies! I fell in love with bearded dragons, and bought a bunch of babies and went broke before they were even old enough to breed! Then didn't even know that not all the babies I bought would be "breeder quality " as adults! Hard lessons! I'm just a keeper now of 12 pet bearded dragons!

@user-yn4xc8kt3i

2 ай бұрын

Good on ya for keeping them

This is funny. I'm in the process of finishing up editing a video re people who are considering breeding their reptiles. LOL.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Go for it!

How to be come a millionaire breeding herps..... start as a billionaire

You are the best KZread ever have a awesome day have a cool day have a wonderful day great work

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Thanks! You too!

I'm not gonna go broke breeding reptiles because I'm not gonna breed reptiles.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Smart!

i'm a biologist in training (mature student at university) and my dream is to breed shingleback skinks one day, but it's never been for money, i'm a skink lover and i researched skinks for 3 or 4 years before i got my own baby blue tongue big smoke

I briefly toyed with the idea of breeding snakes once but I quickly decided that it would be idea ofr pretty much the reasons mentioned in this video. That and I don't have room in my house for a even one rack and my wife isn't all that fond of reptiles, even though she did let me keep my corn snake that I had from before we met, and I don't think she have liked the idea of a house full of snakes.

Maybe I should breed my red eared sliders!! Those would surely sell fast

Breakdown how you market your animals!! I have some albino sulcatas I am working on selling the hatchlings now!

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Great idea!

It’s hard man. I’ve got over 25 species and finding consistent buyers is a pain.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

I agree

We got out of the hobby, when things settle down for me (huge life changes) I will get a new pet snake, but I am never breeding again. I can not afford to, and I know now 2 months later how bad I was doing financially

All about the brand, Aussie breed we here and I breed both ends of the hobby, entry-level and very advanced keeping reptiles, but I’ve always found I don’t have problems selling due to the brand I’ve built up plus you as a person always matters I find, a lot of breeders I deal with don’t really talk to the general public a whole lot where I won’t shut up talking to them 🤣

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

that sounds about right

The cost to breed reptiles is something people don't think about, also organization before breeding reptiles. Things I regret list.

I currently have 3 pairs of croc skinks .. hoping to breed in the future.. if all goes good.. yes not cheap...as far as marketing i have no issues on that, just hope im successful in breedinf 1st since they are slow at reproduction 😂😂😂

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

good luck :)

Dude! I'm already broke, so there's not much further to go. Is there?

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Hahaha geeeee

Gotta breed animals people don’t have… got my first CBB emerald tree monitor 8 months ago. Getting my second from a well known breeder in the next few months. Those are going nowhere with current indonisa import rules.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Good advice

I’ve heard the saying you can’t get richer off animals it’s only in investments that will actually produce money. Bc animals deplete money.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Well not always but most of the time

I’ve gotten to know a lot of New Caledonia gecko brothers in Ohio because I live between Cincinnati and Columbus where two of the biggest monthly shows happen. I’ve also gotten to know some Illinois and Wisconsin breeders because I go to Tinley Park sometimes. Gecko people are the best. Question to Adam: I’m considering going to an expo in Windsor, Ontario at some point. Do you know if there’s an issue buying a reptile (that’s legal in both countries, like a Chewie) and taking it back across the border if we drive? I know that people ship cross border all the time, just don’t know about driving with new pets.

I breed leopard and crested geckos but im also breeding hybrids! I have a basilisk anole hybrid right now

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

That’s very cool

Try auctions in your area

Your next videos should be about how much calories are all your reptiles about

I have probably sunk over 10k into my hognose collection. I had to start breeding my own mice. That was BEFORE I attempted breeding, it wasn't my original plan, I just really love them. We just got our first clutch yesterday though, so I guess I should start some sort of marketing. Not really looking to get rich, it's just an expensive hobby.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

no doubt!

It sounds like you have to do Reptile breeding for the Love

I'm almost certain you sold off the adults from your leopard gecko cohabitatian at the last expo I saw you at was hoping you might mention that in this video, maybe you will in another video. It would be good to have an update if it didn't work out. I was thinking of doing the same but not sure now.

@WickensWickedReptiles

2 ай бұрын

Nope, all six still in there. Working great :)