How much dosh...??

[Kristy_07]

Hey, so I was just thinking to myself about the money side of herps...

I know I worked out once that my dogs were costing me around $1250 a year (I think) to keep, each. So I thought I'd ask what people are spending to keep their herps happy and healthy. I think it will be interesting to see the differences between those who buy frozen food & crix from the shop, versus those that breed mice/rats/insects. Let's just start with the cost of the perishables... food, substrate, etc.

So maybe if you could less us know how many critters you've got (even list the cost by species or something if it's easier), how much food you go through per month, and how much that how much that food costs you (this is where it will get a bit tricky for those of you breeding food items, so maybe include the monthly upkeep cost of the food set-up you have. sound okay?). Let's pretend it's summer, when feeding is generally most frequent.

Then, I reckon throw in a couple of vet trips, just in case. Plus what you think you'd spend on substrate, filter cartridges, and anything else perishable. And then average it out for the year.

I think, if you know your electricity costs, it would be great to see that separate from the food issue - what heat do you run, how much does it cost you.

I think this could be a really good exercise, if people can be bothered getting out their calculators We could come up with a rough guide of maintenance costs of animals per year, which would be helpful to newbies thinking of buying an animal "that they don't have to feed that much", helpful to those of us wanting to expand our collection but unsure of how much we can afford to expand, and maybe help some of us realise how much we are spending on the pets and should consider downsizing!

Sound okay?

 

[Snakelove]

You should never downsize your reptile collection! expand expand expand! =P. I've got a woma, bredli, and a levis levis they're costing me $400-500 a year. with the woma eating medium rats, bredli eating subadult - adult mice and levis eating medium crickets!

 

[FAY]

It costs nothing to look after and breed reptiles...especially for your time hence that is why everyone expects to get them for next to nothing.......

 

[Kristy_07]

Bit facetious, eh Fay?

Perhaps a thread like this, if contributed to properly, would help buyers see the effort and money that goes into the animals before they purchase them, and would then be happy to pay the asking price? Just a thought.

 

[Serpentess]

My dogs cost are costing $1700+ per year with the basics of Food (not including treats), Monthly Flea/Tick Prevention, Monthly Worming Prevention and Vaccinations.
That doesn't include their registration fees or random vet visits that can cost well into the $100's

On the other hand my cat costs $550+ per year with the basics of Food, Monthly Flea/Tick Prevention, Worming and Vaccinations.
This doesn't include registration fees or the random vet visits.

My spotted costs about $200 per year to feed. She gets different substrates such as Breeders Choice and Aspen but at the moment she has marine carpet. $10 for two slices the size of her tank.

 

[Kenshin]

It costs nothing to look after and breed reptiles...especially for your time hence that is why everyone expects to get them for next to nothing.......

i think the most expensive aspects of reptile keeping is the electrical costs especially with recent years hike in price for service and then the actual cost of aquiring the animals you want and putting theyre enclosures together

the cost of aquiring the reptile should be the most expensive thing in the hobby that way people who fork out and want to expand to other stuff they want can at least pay for food/power/new animals/enclosures ect with money from offspring and in the process lessen the dent in theyre income

 

[eitak]

well

Substarte is newspaper so lets say $2.00 a week

Food is mice $1.00 each hatchies get 1-2 a week adult gets 1-3 a week so $7.00 a week (this is based on summer feeds)

Light bulbs i've bought 5 this year @ $9.00 ea thats about $2.05 a week

Vet trip this year (only 1 thank goodness) cost me $10.00

I cant think of what else i spend money on regularly so for my three snakes about $585 a year

 

[BARRAMUNDI]

20 adult pythons
Frozen Food (medium rats) $250 per month over 8 months = 2k
Frozen food (fuzzy mice) $40 per month for 2 months = $80
Electricity bill per quarter is $250 for the entire house (cost is negligable)
Time to clean/feed, about an hour a 1/2 hour a day
Substrate is newspaper. collected from work colleagues
Light bulbs $50 every 3 months = $200

So a general cost to run 20 adult snakes and usually about 60 or so hatchlings for an entire year would be about $2 500 including electricity.

This cost is about to halve as I now breed my own rats, which costs me about $25 per week for food and shavings. or $1 300 per year

 

[Snakeluvver2]

This might be a bit variable...
Theres to many options, you could go all out on enclosure and spent 400-1000 on them or you could house them in a tub.
Food as well could breed your own and consequently having it costing a substantial amount less than buying forzen rodents.
Substrate could be free, or it could be 2 dollars from bunnings or 20 dollars form the pet store.
You might not need light bulbs depending on your enclosures.

I think if your really smart you could make it a very cheap hobby (breed your own rodents or find a cheap supplier, dont use brand names, make your own enclosures, just finding other options that might not be so obvious)

 

[Kristy_07]

This might be a bit variable...
Theres to many options, you could go all out on enclosure and spent 400-1000 on them or you could house them in a tub.
Food as well could breed your own and consequently having it costing a substantial amount less than buying forzen rodents.
Substrate could be free, or it could be 2 dollars from bunnings or 20 dollars form the pet store.
You might not need light bulbs depending on your enclosures.

I think if your really smart you could make it a very cheap hobby (breed your own rodents or find a cheap supplier, dont use brand names, make your own enclosures, just finding other options that might not be so obvious)

That's why I asked if people could give what they spend, and what they are using It's not a hobby average. It's people's personal experience.

 

[Kristy_07]

Barramundi:

THANKS MATE! These are just the figures I was hoping for! It clearly shows the benefits of breeding your own food vs. buying frozen, as well as how much it would cost someone who has a couple of pet snakes, but wants to upgrade to breeding and having more adults. Very useful, thanks!

 

[moosenoose]

I think some people get in over their head because of the number of animals they keep, and then the only things that truly suffer are the animals because of the neglected conditions they are kept in. Sometimes big isn't always beautiful Keepers need to know their limits.

 

[BARRAMUNDI]

Barramundi:

THANKS MATE! These are just the figures I was hoping for! It clearly shows the benefits of breeding your own food vs. buying frozen, as well as how much it would cost someone who has a couple of pet snakes, but wants to upgrade to breeding and having more adults. Very useful, thanks!

Mind you I havn't included the initial set up cost of my rat tubs, drippers and bins and cleaning tools. that was about $700, but it came from money made from last seasons offspring, so I dont mind re-investing that dosh back into my collection as its easy come easy go. That $700 will be made back within the first 6 months.

 

[Kristy_07]

Yeah, that's really helpful.

Anyone else who can be bothered to crunch the numbers?

 

[Serpentess]

I think some people get in over their head because of the number of animals they keep, and then the only things that truly suffer are the animals because of the neglected conditions they are kept in. Sometimes big isn't always beautiful Keepers need to know their limits.

That's exactly right. Like all those "hoarders" I see on 'Animal Cops' in the USA. Makes me sick.

 

[Kristy_07]

I think some people get in over their head because of the number of animals they keep, and then the only things that truly suffer are the animals because of the neglected conditions they are kept in. Sometimes big isn't always beautiful Keepers need to know their limits.

I agree, it's not always about upgrading or getting more animals. Surely, there needs to be a balance between having the animals you want, and being able to afford their proper care. So, talking about the costs of animals and their maintenance is an important part of the hobby, and a warning to those wanting to own a large collection but not sure if they can afford it, right?

This isn't a thread to help everyone work out how they can do things on the cheap so they can own more animals. It's a guide to help people know what they can afford to look after properly.

 

[Snakeluvver2]

That's why I asked if people could give what they spend, and what they are using It's not a hobby average. It's people's personal experience.

oh my mistake
Well then

Adult Coastal
Feed once a week on adult quail and monster rats so thats would be about 25 dollars a month.

Water Python
2 hopper rats a week so thats about 20 dollars a month.

Darwin
Same as above

GTS
Feeds on fish and random AHG I find.
Fish just breed themselves so it cost about 15 dollars to get a good amount that would breed themselves.

Substrate I use on the adult of is a brick of brunnings peat. cost 2 dollars
Then just papertowel for the little ones. So lets says max 10 dollars a month.

Globes I only really use one for the big enclosure and its just lighting not heat. Cheapy from bunnings
So individually thats

Adult Coastal - $300
Water Python - $240
Darwin - $240
Substrate - $120
And then the initial $15 for fish
Globes - $15
So all up its about
$930 a year.

 

[Kristy_07]

oh my mistake
Well then...

So all up its about
$930 a year.

Thanks, Jannico

The trend I'm seeing is 1 x snake = ~$500/yr
For you, Jannico, 4 x snake = ~$900/yr
For Barramundi, 20 x snakes = ~$2500/yr

More snakes, the cheaper per snake? I didn't think this would necessarily be the case, particularly if not breeding your own food...

 

[Kenshin]

Thanks, Jannico

The trend I'm seeing is 1 x snake = ~$500/yr
For you, Jannico, 4 x snake = ~$900/yr
For Barramundi, 20 x snakes = ~$2500/yr

More snakes, the cheaper per snake? I didn't think this would necessarily be the case, particularly if not breeding your own food...

you will find you get discounts on buying frozen rodents in bulk which would account for the price difference

 

[Snakeluvver2]

for me its more like 3 snakes seeing as the GTS's food s basically self sustainable.
Finding a good supplier of rodents.
and how much they eat as well, what size they are.
Wouldnt it be more like

Adult Carpet 400-500 a year
Sub-Adult -300-400 a year
Hatchlings to yearlings -200 -350

Something more like that?