Is purchasing a mature pair, as first snakes a good idea or not?

[Pythons Rule]

have you found out everything from the owners of these BHP's? are they able to breed? as in that may be the reason there getting rid of them. Maybe there sick of having quite a large pare and never thought that they would be difficult to keep and handle. The thing is do you think you can handle having 2 very large and heavy pair of meture BHP's as you first snakes??? Big question to ask yourself there. Have you handles them longer then a couple minutes and how did they act with you? Its another thing to say that they have never lashed out at there owners and good reason too, they hand rased them when they were hatchies most likely and they've lived with them for about 3 years. But taking 2 adult BHP's out of there comfort zone and placing them with someone else and in a new enclosure, and surounded by different people they've grown up with, is not a good move if your new to this! You'll probably get a few bites, that hurt like hell, strangling and 2 very stressful snake that may put you off.

I would suguest if you want to get BHP's and can afford them learn as much as you can from them first there gorgous snakes but there is complications throughout keeping them lots of stuff to learn from them well before you breed them, it takes pationents and I'm sorry to say if you can't wait for 2-3 years till their ready for breeding then your going to have no pationents with the breeding stages as for they can take up to 8 months for everything to be done properly and eggs have hatched. But only really experienced herps/breeders have thought about breeding them and only a few of them have succeeded but there mostly not in it for the monie there in it for the joy of the snake and there babies. the plessure of there effort , time and pationants.

It really does meen so much more if your in it for the long run getting them as hatchies and whatching them grow to an adult, learning as much as you can then breeding them, going through every stage and whatching the eggs for signs, and to the day they start to hatch if everything have gone right, to their first feed.

If you've never had a hatchy before and never fed one your not going to know what to do when your adults have some of there own. Go for 2 hatchies first you will not be disapointed, and you'll thank everyone in here for there advice.

Thanx
Jody

[sxc_celly]

Well said Pythons rule

[slither]

hey i mate honestly my opinion i would go for a hatchie pair for your first snakes and not black heads either start with somthing more simple for your first snakes eg spotteds or stimis as they are easier and cheaper to care for and breed etc blp can be very challenging to breed

[Reptilian]

I agree with exactly what every1 else has said, so will leave it at that...

Regards...
Ash...

[Pythons Rule]

Originally Posted by sxc_celly

Well said Pythons rule

I tried to say it as well as I could!!!

I started with 2 Cape York Coastals they where yearlings when I got them there about 3 years old now and I've had them for 1.5 years. yearlings are pretty good to own too if you want to go for BHP's but personly I'd go for hatchies like mine where. My 2 BHP's where 2 months old when I got them and so very tiny and so vibrant in colour and well handled, and now there about 10 months old and 1.5 metres long still have about 1.5 years to go till I's think of breeding them but at least by that time I'd have some idea how to from my Coastals first couple breeding years. there's no way I'd rush into breeding BHP's strate up exspecially if you have no idea what your going to be in for I would say too much monie to be waisting if it goe's terably wrong and exspecially for your snakes. They may cost lots of monie and very gorgous but one mistake and it could all go terrably wrong and your snakes could die your eggs might not hatch and thats 8 months gone down the drain. Thats why people suggest starting with a pair that is easier to breed and maintain and also don't cost you much monie to buy. That way when your pretty knolagable and you have the hands on experience and gone through the stress you'll be able to handle it much better if something goes wrong with the BHP's

ok thanx
Jody

[evilkineaval]

Hi, thanks a lot for all your advice it has made up my mind (before I say any more I need to clear something up, my intentions of purchasing a mature pair of pythons was never to “make money”, in fact making money from breeding had never crossed my mind. I wanted to try and breed so that I could enjoy the complete life cycle, watching them hatch and transform, I thought that there would be no greater or more satisfying accomplishment). But after reading your many responses I will give the mature pair a miss and just get a young pair of Jungles (as I was always going to do, regardless of the out come of the bhp pair). I am now looking for a young pair of bhp, if anyone has or knows of a pair of bhp please let me know.
And a big THANKS again for your advice

[waruikazi]

There's nothing wrong with making money from reptiles. That's how i can afford to keep and expand my collection. It's when you try to make a quick buck out of it that there is a problem. And beleive me after all the costs and effort are considered, you really don't make that much.

[GARTHNFAY]

They fact that they have been eating medium to large rats every fortnight......would alarm me!

A least with hatchies you know EXACTLY what they have been eating..how they have been looked after etc etc

[spencer]

good that you changed your mind on the adult bhps I agree with most of the comments made about learning as you go, I've got 8 pairs of snakes now and have had them all from hatchlings, To me they are extremely easy to care for, keep the cages clean and feed them every 7-10 days plus you have variables such as heat but thats something you learn along the way, besides all that I have found it extremely rewarding watching my pythons grow bit by bit, oh and when you have trouble with a snake eating and finally they start eating its one of the greatest feeling!! So personally I can't wait to breed my pythons and I personally do want to make a little money!!!enough so that they pay themselves back but that will all come in time I suppose

[SEXSLATINA]

To your original question, I would recommend to start with yearling. As first snake I would get some specie easy to care for and something widely kept by other keepers. Your cost price will be lower and in case something will go wrong due luck of experience, damage will be smaller.
It would be shame to lose some of the less common specie in case of any unexpected problem.
Coastal carpet would be good idea.

[GARTHNFAY]

[quote=
Coastal carpet would be good idea.[/QUOTE]

hehehe that wouldn't be because your best friend slatey has some for sale, would it??/ hehehe

[SEXSLATINA]

Originally Posted by GARTHNFAY

hehehe that wouldn't be because your best friend slatey has some for sale, would it??/ hehehe

LOL that could be the case my beautifull lovely hot girl, if he only have still some left. They are at the moment 3 people waiting for some to be ready to sell.
Slatey have low sperm count this year. Poor guy , he can't have any more babies.

[Slateman]

Sexslatina, I better watch you. Do you know that Fay have husband? I seen him in the bath tub once. You better not to admire her that much.

Anyway, I mentioned coastal becaose this specie is one of the most kept specie and really hardy.

[Pythons Rule]

well good luck with choosing the perfect pair for yourself and if you did want to go for a pair of jungles I would suguest talking to Jungle Freak in here, he has the most gorgouse Jungles I've ever seen and thats where I'd truethfully get mine from. There bright and more colour than normal, there the most stunning jungles I have ever seen. I think he said they where going from $550 - $700 per pair + depending on markings and colour.

Jody