Millenia Anniversary Post!

I have been doing this blog for so long, I know I have touched on every possible thing I could think of without repeating myself, and even a few that I have.

So with that in mind, I may start again from the beginning!

This is my 1000th blog post, folks, with many more to come.

I am FLOORED by how much it has grown and changed, and how many people actually come back and read after all this time.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me during all these rants, raves, highs and lows..


Yes, I am not the only Ball Python breeder out there. I don't know everything, and I never will. But my intent with this blog was to put it all out there with my experiences for those learning, those who wanna know things, and those that just wanna enjoy some awesome Ball Pythons.

I hope it has been helpful to you, and that you utilize it well and ask questions when you can't find exactly what you are looking for. It helps me help you, and that is what this blog is about.

On to the questions:


"1st: Where do you get your acrylic displays for shows? I seem to remember one breaking on you. Is there a model that doesn't break as easily? What model would you recommend?"

I get my acrylics from Reptile Emporium, and I absolutely love their quality. They can and will break, as they are acrylic, but if you take good care of not knocking them around or dropping them from high places, they can and will last you forever.

For the record, yes, one of mine broke due to being mishandled. Acrylic is a sensitive material, so just be aware. 


"2nd: If you have a male that is breeding more than one girl, how often do you rotate him? Do you ever give him a break? How often does the girl really need to be with a boy to progress towards ovulation?"

Ahhh yes. This is a question that does not have a definitive answer that I can provide. (I'm sure there is an exact answer, but I am not sure of it)

I rotate my male thru several females giving him three days on, two days off (aka break time), and another female three days, and so on. How often does the girl really need to be with the male? Depends on where she is in her cycle.... So if you don't have a good way of telling (aka no ultrasound machine or amazing palpating skills), I would say go with twice to three times a month. This is more than likely overkill, but if you don't have a surefire way of assuring that the male is in with the female at the right time, more time is better than less time.

A female will progress towards ovulation as long as she has been exposed to a breeding male, and has been at least receptive to the point of developing. I say this because I have gotten complete clutches of slugs, which is a possibility even after ovulation. BUT!!! A female will not ovulate unless the process has begun.. AKA she has had time with a mature male.

I hope this helps, keep asking questions, keep being awesome, and have a great day, my friends!

YAY 1000!

Questions and Answers!

I love the Q and A portions of the blog, cause I can not blindly try and figure out what to write about, I can actually answer specific questions.

YAY!



Do you have any website recommendations for making business cards (and/or any other business card-related advice)? 

I use VistaPrint right now, and they have a fast turn around time and decent prices. The quality is not outstanding (not heavy cards, matte printing -although I'm sure they offer Glossy) They save my card as I had it before, so it's just a click for more cards, and a week turn around.

For those that want more quality card stock and the sorts, I would look into a local printing shop for that. Designing the card will take more time than finding a printer to print it, but once you have it down, it should be no problem.

Make sure you love your logo and your business name... Once it sticks, that's it.

People will remember you forever for that, logos, catch phrases, etc...
Make sure it is something you want them to remember. 


My breeding business is just me--I don't have anyone to help during reptile shows and such--so I'm a little worried about when I have to leave my table for a short period of time (bathroom breaks, etc.). Are people usually pretty friendly when it comes to watching someone else's table briefly? Anything else that might be a little difficult with only one person at a table?

That's a tough one, as I usually have plenty of help. Make sure that who ever watches your table is someone you can trust absolutely, and someone who has knowledge of what you are selling.

Don't ask Joe Shmoe over there selling Bearded Dragons to help you out with your table while you go get a Hot Dog, as they could be the one telling a potential customer that Ball Pythons are venomous. (This is not a knock on Beardie Breeders, and I know most reptile hobbyists know about Ball Pythons, but it is a possibility just in the sense that misinformation can be easily spread under the guise of your reputation)

People are helpful, and most can and will watch over your table, but if you can, ask the show promoter to be next to someone you know and trust. THAT is the best way to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Being one person at a show is tough. If you have a crowd, it is very difficult to provide customer service to more than one person at a time. Also, watching the table to make sure there are no sticky fingers or mistreatment of the animals is a trying task. You have to be several people at once, always watching, always aware.

Smaller shows don't bode as much of a problem as larger ones, but the issues are still the same.

If you are doing your first show, I would suggest maybe splitting a table with a friend. You can get a feel for vending, you have someone to help you and someone you trust there with you, and you can better gauge how you can handle an entire weekend of "work".

Then, when the time comes, break off and do it yourself.

It's not too hard, but there is a lot to remember to plan for and a lot to do.

I will revisit the "How to Vend" topic on another day.

I hope this helps, and please, keep the questions coming!

Have a great day, my friends!

Tragedy

Well, seems like there are a lot of things happening already this year.

A fellow breeder in Philadelphia was meeting a potential customer for a sale of 20 animals. It is not known if he met up with his customer or not, but he was shot in the chest and his car stolen. The snakes were taken with the car, but the car crashed into a pole and the suspect fled on foot.

http://www.blogger.com/goog_848099436
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/23/police-hunt-gunman-after-man-shot-during-snake-sale-in-philadelphia-parking-lot/

"A 38-year-old snake breeder who was shot in Ridley Township while trying to sell 20 pythons worth about $12,000 is a computer software engineer from Douglassville who has a snake-breeding business on the side.

Mark L. Haas remains in intensive care with a collapsed lung at Crozer-Chester Medical Center after being shot Sunday in the parking lot of Woodlyn Shopping Center, said Ridley Police Lt. Scott Willoughby. His injuries are not life-threatening, he said.

Haas was supposed to sell the snakes to a buyer from New York, but police still do not know if the deal went bad or Haas was the victim of a random carjacking.

The suspect took off in Haas' car with two boxes of snakes inside and eventually hit a pole in Folsom, then ran away. Willoughby said police found the car and removed the boxes - one containing 20 baby pythons and the other a five- or six-foot python - back to the police station so they would not freeze.

Haas' girlfriend picked up the snakes and took them back to his breeding facility, he said.
A website for Haas' company, Shinja, says he breeds pythons and poison arrow dart frogs, with the snakes selling for up to $20,000."


I know Mark only thru the internet and not well, but I dread the possibility that this could happen again to anyone, especially someone I am familiar with.

He should be fine, thank goodness.

Please remember that this industry is close-knit, and that stuff like this can happen. No matter what, there are crazy and illegitimate people out there trying to manipulate and steal things.  I am very sorry to hear what happened to Mark, and let's take this as a learning experience.

1) Do not meet up with anyone alone. Even in a public place, it can be unsafe.
2) Make sure someone knows where you are going, even if they aren't going with you.
3) Meet up during the day with a friend to accompany you.
4) When in doubt, SHIP.

If you can think of any other tricks, please share and comment below. Let's all stay safe out there.

Have a great day, my friends.

Problem Feeders and what to do

Well, this is the season of problem feeders... Babies that have hatched out and have yet to thrive.

Here's a good calendar of events to follow.

After a hatchling has shed, offer a pre-killed or live rat fuzzy within the first week of shed. If the critter has not shed yet after 2-3 weeks of hatching, feed anyway.

If the snake has not eaten on its own, offer every 4-5 days until it does, with the caveat that if it does not eat on its own within 6 weeks, consider assist feeding.

This is really dependant upon the snake themselves...

If the snake look emaciated and does not respond to touch well or flicker its tongue, it is time to intervene.

Assist feeding is a simple-ish process, and I will actually go thru how to do it with photos on Friday.

Do not force feed unless absolutely necessary and do not stress out your animal overly, or you defeat the purpose of getting the animal comfortable and get them to eat.

Make sure they have plenty of water, and are in a tub that is relatively small (if there is no hide and they are not eating, that may be something to try, or crumpled up paper).

Patience is a virtue with hatchlings, but there is a fine line of when to get involved. Again, it depends on the animal, and if the skin gets loose, the animal is not too responsive, that is the time to get aggressive.

If the animal just is picky, I would suggest leaving them alone for a feeding cycle (or a few days) and try again. Mouse hoppers are a good choice for those that are just picky...

Start out with rat fuzzies, move to mouse hoppers if needed. THEN try assist feeding...

I hope that helps those of you out there that have been having issues.

Have a great day, my friends!

I'm a Lame-oh.

Alrighty, people! The color of the season has been chosen! 

As I had mentioned before, the last year was Neon Orange (which looks yellow in this photo...)

I write down who goes with who that year on the sticker. 

Example above is the Het Genetic Stripe Female, who was bred by "G", the Genetic Stripe male.

Simple, right?

So now, I remember that this last season, this female was bred by G, but this year, I have yet to decide!

(Actually, I have decided... It's going to be the Pastel Genetic Stripe!)

But since I have not written it down, it is not yet official.

It must be written on the red sticker for 2012.

So it shall be. 

Yes, I am a Lame-oh, and I enjoy it very much.

 

 And you want to know how much more of a Lame-oh I am?

I went out of my way to find more stickers/labels to indicate things occurring on the tubs by just looking at them. 

So... What did I do?

I got SMILEY FACE STICKERS!

In lovely neon colors as well...

Now I have yet to determine what I am going to indicate with these awesome tons of stickers that I now possess, but I will figure it out.

Something positive!

Maybe next year I can use these as the color indicators for breeders... Maybe the Blue Faces, eh?

Off I go to plan more stuff. I really am getting on the ball, I think. I just need a bit more time is all...

Have a great day, my friends!

Planning

HAPPY OCTOBER! (My favorite Month of the year!)

This next season is coming up way to quickly.

I have made the list of possible breeders, although it is not complete, and it has yet even be established who is going with who really.... It has been made.

The real serious stuff begins when I actually start weighing critters to see if they make the cut.

1200 grams is my minimum cutoff for females, and honestly, for some projects that are more important, it is 1500 grams. 

Green (last year) stickers for the females that are ready to go, Yellow or Red for those who are not quite there. I may change it up, since my Stoplight Color Scheme works only depending on the colors of the year.

Let me explain.

Every year, there is a new dot color... New in the sense that it wasn't used last year. Last years color dots stay up for the current year as a quick reference for what was bred to that female last year. This year, the color has to be obviously different.

I have been able to use a different color EVERY YEAR I have initiated this system, and yes, I go out of my way to find new color labels.

This past season, the color has been Orange.. A Nice Neon Orange to get the eyes focused.

This year, I have yet to determine.

And THAT will be when the seriousness begins. 
When the color of the year is chosen, it's on like Donkey Kong.

Maybe a nice cranberry or chartreuse?

HAH! No, it will be based on the availability of colors of stickers at the local office supply store.

And those stickers will be the first indicators of what male goes where.

THESE are the initial records for me to keep track of what males have been in what tubs. I usually write down every male, but with the craziness of this past year, Mystery Males were prevalent.

Note to self: Write shit down.

Every year there is something, and this year coming up is going to be a tough one too. With life coming around and getting in the way of serious snake business, it will be interesting to see how I can juggle everything and keep the organization up to par.

It's going to be a challenge, but I'm sure it'll be great fun.

And it begins with the color labels.

And getting my act together. And writing shit down.

Yeah... I better get on that.

Have a great day, my friends!

The Reptile Living Room

A month or two ago, I got interviewed by a very cool guy named John Taylor. He is the author of the Reptile Living Room, which is a website that does radio spots for reptile enthusiasts to enjoy.

It is a program that is broad and well rounded, as a few of my friends in the industry in other genres of animals have been interviewed. Leopard Geckos, Tortoises, general cage making and Carpet Pythons to name a few animals of topics of recent interviews....

I was approached during the January Pomona Reptile Show, and I agreed to do it back then, but due to scheduling conflicts and a few other things, it got postponed until a couple months ago. BUT IT IS DONE and it is READY TO BE SHARED, my friends!

So please, instead of me typing something up today, take a listen to my interview.

http://reptilelivingroom.com/

Enjoy it, and of course, if you have any questions about it or anything else, the comment box is frequented by my eyes and I do see them and try to answer all the questions I can.

By the way, Chris, I use Goo-Gone gel spray to get the China Marker off plastic tubs. It works WONDERS, and smells like oranges! Just be sparse with it, as you don't need much to get it off the tubs, and it is rather greasy. Spray a bit on a paper towel and watch the marker disappear! It works well with stuck on adhesives as well, like stickers and tags.


Have a fantastic weekend, my friends! I have another test on Saturday, but hey... it's alllllll good!

What to do with Hets?

 This weekend, I went into the snake room and I moved some males around. Of course I didn't see much locking this time around (like this entire season, pretty much), but I am still plugging along. 

I came back a few days later, and I caught this gentleman somewhat side locked with his lady friend. 

So I thought to myself, what happens with the Hets that come out of this breeding? How do I identify them on their tubs?

(Well, as you know, I have a system for this and have had one for a while, but just go with the story flow)

Let me introduce you to my new favorite things to play with on tubs.

China Markers.

Now, I have had China Markers for a while, but only in black. Black is a great color, I love it and all, but when it comes down to looking into a tub that is completely dark and trying to read the lettering on it, sometimes black just doesn't cut it. 

So I got a few more colors. 

I love playing with colors.

Red, Green and White to be precise. I have used the white one on tubs that are dark with some success. I shall have to play around with it a bit more. 

Now for those tubs which are always needing to be labelled and will never change (or change infrequently), I use my Dymo label maker with white plastic labels. They come off clean and easy, and transfer well if you intend on moving that same snake over to a different tub. 

White paper labels? Not as good of an idea... (Stays stuck on the tub, adhesive... pain in the butt)

So here we are, my friends. Things that I use, tricks of the trade, that help me identify and write on my tubs. 

Use this information wisely. 

And hopefully you can find some colored China Markers too. (It took me forever to find them in a speciality art store... but again, I wasn't looking for them)

BTW: Photo identification after the first shed is also a great idea for Hets. Just FYI.

Have a fantastic week, my friends!

Rodents

There comes a time in every ones life that if they have a snake, they will need to be accustomed to rodents.

Mice, rats, gerbils... you name it.

You need to be aware of the care and husbandry of these little suckers too, as with someone like myself, I always end up with a few pets/left-overs every week.

Let us begin a brief overview.


NOTE: This is BASIC care. Yes, there is more that you can provide for your rodents. If you want to, please feel free!
Caging:

For a mouse or a few mice, a 10 gallon tank or something equivalent is good.
One rat, a 10 gallon is also good. A few rats, a 20 gallon long will suffice. Bigger is better, but those are my suggested minimums.

I like using tanks as they cannot chew out. There are other places to house rodents, such as the wire cages with plastic bottoms, but I have had bad luck with those being eventually chewed out of.

SCREEN TOPS. METAL SCREEN TOPS. Slide-ons are better than push tops, as rats are particularly clever at figuring out how to push things up and out.

Materials:

Food and water dishes need to be chew proof as well. Metal hoppers made out of wire are fantastic for food, and water dispensers should be glass. This will prevent any loss of materials, and the need to buy a new dish/dispenser every few months.

Bedding should be some type of soft wood. Pine is okay, Cedar is not. Paper is also okay. I use Aspen. 

Chewing is a big problem, as you can see... This can be prevented by using a wheel or some type of entertainment device. If they don't have something, they will find something.. i.e. themselves.

Cannibalism is not against their nature if pushed. Be aware.

Food and Water:

As you and I both know well, food and water are essential to life. So... if you intend to keep your rodents alive, please provide fresh food and water. I check mine every day, but every other day if you only have a few animals, should suffice.

Lab block is awesome for food, as it holds up well and doesn't require much refilling.

Water, on the other hand, while awesome for drink, requires more refilling than I would prefer, but such is life.

How many per area?

Not a lot... the more there are, the more they will compete for resources and may kill each other. I like to keep the animals limited to 2.4 in a 10 gallon tank for mice, for rats, 1.3.

In a pinch, it can be more, but realize that they will have issues. Squeeking, fighting, and even death may occur. Be hospitable, and provide the best housing you can under your circumstances.

I always have a "leftover" tank available for animals that do not get fed off. This is a 30 gallon tank that is always available. Sometimes I need even more, so I have a few tubs that I use to hold them as well.

I will go over the production of these next week.


So there you go, my friends. Be nice to the food. They deserve it in their last few days.. They are animals too, and deserve respect and care. Even if they do smell.

Have a great weekend, my friends!

Photography and the Industry

It is extremely important to take good photos in this hobby/industry. 

Why???

Well, I don't know about you, but if you live in New Jersey, you will not be able to see my snakes in person unless you took a long trip to a show (which I think is a fantastic idea, you should totally come out here...) 

So how do I, Heather Wong, show you, Miss or Mister New Jersey, my snakes and the quality in which I produce?

Photography.

Clear cut, no blurry pictures photography. 

Pictures of your snakes can make or break a sale. 

I admit that there are some crappy photos of some of my snakes online, and I really believe that that is part of the reason why they are not sold.

Now there is no reason for you all to go out and buy the top of the line camera out on the market today. I almost guarantee it is more than you would ever need, and if you just took your decent point and shoot and learned how to focus it correctly, there would be fantastic photos oozing out of the memory card you are using in a heart beat. 

Someone asked me back in the day what kind of camera I use. 

I use a Panasonic DMC-FZ7. 

I've used it for YEARS.

Why haven't I upgraded?

Cause I really don't know how to use anything fancier. 

Now if you do, feel free to get your rocks off on a top of the line camera. 

I would LOVE to have one, but how I see it is that it just doesn't make sense to buy a new one if I have no clue. This is not to say that I don't want a nicer one, I'm just content for now with what I have. 

Yes, I just point and shoot. Sometimes I use the flash. 

Ooooooh! Fancy.

I do not do anything other than that. Sometimes I crop, but I don't have the software to do anything cool. 

Now this brings me to photographs of other more technologically inclined people.

People will edit photographs to make things look better. This happens more often than not in lizards (Bearded Dragons and Cresteds is where I see it most often), but can happen with any animal photo. 

You are out there looking for the brightest orange Pied you can find... Well, hey! I can show you one with a few tweaks of photoshop.

Doesn't mean that it is legitimate when you get the box to your house.

So be aware. 

I hate to be so doom and gloom about people, but I have seen it happen, and it is worth it to be cautious rather than ignorant. 

And yes, this pied is really that brown/orange... AND WHITE!

So what do you need to take from this blog today other than the fact that I took photos?

Brush up on your snake photo taking, my friends. 

Click away, share on the forums, get some feedback. 

And do it again. 

And again. 

And AGAIN. 

It's a never ending skill you will need.

Perfect it with whatever camera you have.

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

Business name

I was posed a question thru e-mail about how I picked out my business name.

This is a very important choice that one must make when you are starting out in the industry.

This name is what you will be represented by, what you will be known for.

How do you pick this life changing name for yourself?
Where to begin?

Here are a few tips I would suggest thinking about before making the big decision:

• Do you plan to only breed specific animal types, or general reptiles over time?

• This is something that I decided to keep general. "Herps" refers to all reptiles, while if I had picked "Ball Pythons" or something along those lines, it would be tough to represent myself as someone who breeds anything other than that particular animal. 
• I know a friend that is branching out from Leopard Geckos, and the business name is specifically gecko related. Do people know that this breeder has Ball Pythons or Boas? No, they wouldn't know that by the name. 

• Do you want to keep it in the family, your first name, or something that means something to you?

• I didn't do "Wong's Reptiles" (not that that sounded very interesting to me) because I realize that I could change my name at some point. I also didn't want to be like everyone else, so I wanted to be a bit more creative. Heather will always be my name, as well as it being pretty cute with another H attached to it.
• I wanted to do "Regal Reptiles" because my dog's name is Regal. That was taken, and it also has a secondary meaning, associated with the Royal Python, ie. Regal... It was a good idea at the time.  
   
• Once you decide what you want to do, GOOGLE it. Make sure someone else isn't already using it!  

• This happened with me and Heather's Herps back in the day. When I decided I wanted to use it, I bought the domain name and did a bit of research. Unfortunately for me, there was another Heather in Canada that was using the name and was selling Corn Snakes. She was not into it big time, so I chose the polite way and e-mailed her suggesting that she change her name since I was the owner of the domain name to prevent any confusion. After several e-mail exchanges and a few heated words, she changed it. I've been checking in on that since that happened, but after less than a year, she disappeared. 
• I google my business name a few times a year just to make sure there aren't any other people that may be attempting to use my name in any way other than positively associated with me. 

•  Do something that sounds good to you! 

• You will be the one that will be using it for as long as you are in the industry, so I hope you pick something you like!
• Pick something that people will remember. People will remember you, people will remember your business name, but only if it is clever enough to matter... Joe Shmoe will remember you at a show only if you are recognizable and worth remembering. A catchy name will help the situation! 

• You can change your name, but it will be hard... 

• Don't count on being able to change your name. You can do it, but at the expense of all the time and effort you spent while under your current name. Bottom line is, try to figure something out that will keep forever.

So I hope this helps!!! 

Good luck picking your name, and I'm sure I will be seeing you and your business name around eventually.

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

Wholesalers, Flippers and Breeders: The differences

This one is for a friend of mine who asked me to touch on this last week.

Let us go over what Flippers, Wholesalers, and Breeders are.

Definitions are somewhat different, and sometimes overlap, but I will try and make it clear enough for you to determine on your own who you know and what to label them as.

Breeders.

You and I know what this means. These are the people who spend the time to raise their breeders, feed them, care for them, and breed them selectively (usually) to produce animals that they feel are good quality and healthy.

They tend to hold on to animals for future projects, and keep records as to who does what when, as well as what they intend to do with animals that they produced. It's a viscous beautiful cycle, and the breeder loves it. That's the passion and the drive that keeps them doing what they are doing.

Animals produced are produced for a reason, and the babies are what they know they are (usually, exceptions being dinkers).

These are the people making the snakes.


Wholesalers..

These guys are the ones that buy excess animals for whatever reason.

Breeders make 100 normals, and although it is awesome to see the babies pop out, they are not needed in future projects, so they are sold to wholesalers or pet stores to supply the pet trade.

Pet stores are somewhat of a wholesaler, but in a different category, in my opinion. They are the ones that are selling to Joe Shmoe, and can (if they have the resources) teach Mister Joe about the care and husbandry that they are familiar with.

Now wholesalers buy up whatever morphs or "leftovers" that a breeder or hobbyist wants to move and sells them for a profit. This is somewhat of a grey area, as this entails not knowing completely the history behind the snakes that they are selling. Some wholesalers care, some do not. The distinction is in the specific person wholesaling.

Do they back up the animal with a guarantee? Depends...
Pet Stores usually do, Wholesalers, it depends.

This is a not so clear area of sellers in the reptile trade. Some are good, some are not so good.
It is up to you to determine what you feel comfortable with.


Flippers...

This is a bad word in some circles of the reptile world. Why? Well, these guys are the people that take animals from breeders and flip them for profit. How quickly? It really depends on the person and the animal, but usually this is only a month or two, maybe even less.

If the animal is sick or not in optimal health, the flipper more than likely doesn't even notice. They are just out to move the animal quickly and for a profit. The longer they have the animal, the less profit they make. Flip it!

Now again, this is a grey area, depending on who you are talking about. Some people actually take the time to care about the animal and where it was produced, what the morph/locality is, etc... Most do not, which is why being a "flipper" is again, a bad word.


Now how do you tell who you are buying from and what you are getting?

Do your homework.

Do they have a good reputation? Have they been around long enough? Does the price seem too good to be true? Can they show you parental lineage? Can they vouch for the health of the animal and how long it has been in their care?

All things you as a consumer/customer have to determine in your own comfort zone where you want to be.

If you don't care that the person selling the animal can't tell you what the parents were, then by all means, buy from a wholesaler/flipper.

But remember this, these people are in it more for the profit than for the animal most of the time.
(I do not want to make generalizations because I know there are some people out there that are not.)

Money is always nice, but for peace of mind, would you rather save $100 and possibly lose the animal and your money, or buy from a breeder that can help you in the future if something goes wrong?

Again, things to think about.

This blog is not meant to sway you one way or the other, as I am trying to be as unbiased as I can under the circumstances.

Like I said before, I have sold to wholesalers, and I still would love to know that my animals, albeit not being sold by me, are getting good homes in the end.

So the final thing to take away from this is, do your homework, try not to just look at the dollar signs. If that is your only focus, you are in the wrong industry.


Have a fantastic day, my friends.

Breeder Etiquette

While I know that some people may have enjoyed the Customer blog from yesterday, it got me thinking...

Yes, the customer is someone that can forget the common courtesies that people would appreciate, but what about the breeder?

Breeders have a higher standard to live up to, as they are the ones that are providing the animals and the service that people are seeking.

"The Customer is always right" comes to mind, however difficult that may be to swallow.

And as I mentioned yesterday, that isn't always the case...

But here are a few rules I truly feel need to be followed by all breeders, big and small.

RULE ONE:

Stand behind your animals 100%, or don't sell them at all.

If you don't believe that your animals are top notch, super high quality, and healthy, why sell them?

At least for things you don't want to sell, just let someone else sell them.

Pet stores, flippers, wholesalers, the lot of them just look at the animal for the type and the dollar signs, not the quality, so those are the people that will sell those types of animals.

(Something to keep in mind, my friends, when you are looking for the morph of your dreams in times when the animals are scarce, ie right now)

Is this to say that I don't sell to Pet Stores or other people?
No... I do. I admit that I do.
I supply the local TRUSTED pet stores with low end morphs and normals when need be. This is part of producing a decent amount of animals.

But the ones that I sell personally, I know what went into getting them where they are, i.e. feeding, hatching, caring, etc. That is why I back them up. I know what I did! They are healthy, well-fed individuals with a history I can call upon if need be. That is what buying from a breeder is all about. (We will touch on this again on Monday, per an e-mail request)

RULE TWO:

Answer questions and calls as if they were your own.

Yes, we touched on this yesterday, but I wanted to elaborate on this.

Getting a one sentence e-mail from either the receiving or sending end is not appropriate.
You care enough to sell your animals, care enough to respond with more than one sentence.
"Thank you for your interest" is enough to make it more sincere (at least if you mean it) and more personal.

Also, do so in a timely manner.

Two weeks is not timely, unless you are on vacation and have already told the particular individual that ahead of time. A month or more?? You could be dead for all the customer knows, and heck, if I were them, I would have already moved on to another breeder to find what I was looking for.

It's not rocket science, people. It's common courtesy.

RULE THREE:

The Customer is your friend.

Remember that the customer is not someone who is set on working with you only. There is a reason why they chose to buy from you, albeit quality, price or just cause you are cute, there is a reason.

BUT that reason could also be a reason for them to take their business elsewhere.
There are plenty of breeders out there, and plenty of snakes.

Remind them why they chose you by being courteous, friendly, helpful and there when they need it.

This can be done by a simple e-mail check-in, to an actual full blown friendship, which I personally have done many many times over the years. I am proud to call many of my customers my friends, and I hope they would do the same.

RULE FOUR:

Treat the Customer as you'd like to be treated.

This one is a doozy, as there are so many ways to take this.

Scenario: 

You buy an animal, and two weeks later, it dies. What do you do???

Answer: 

Contact the breeder and see what they say. Hopefully, they have clearly defined Terms of Service that outline what they would/could do for you, but even if they don't, do you expect anything from them? It depends, but I know if I were the customer, I'd at least like to hear what they think happened. Would I expect a replacement animal? Well, again, depends on the TOS of the breeder.

Me personally? I would replace the animal if it were thru no fault of the owners. How is that determined? Necropsy or something of that nature.

Now of course if you step on the snake and kill it, that is a line in which I am not interested in crossing again by providing another animal.

Now lets look again at the Rule.

"Treat the Customer as you'd like to be treated"

Again, we come back to courtesy, respect, kindness and so forth.
Sometimes this is hard for some people. If that's the case, take a step back, a deep breath, and stick to e-mails. You can always type out what you think and edit it later.


This is of course, not the complete list of rules, as I am feeling as if some of them are melding together anyway.

Just remember this, my fellow breeders and aspiring hobbyists:


Customer service is key. Your animals speak for themselves, but you speak for you. Represent yourself and your snakes honestly and with compassion, and you will get far in the industry.


Have a fantastic weekend, my friends.

Customer Etiquette

As a person who receives plenty of e-mails in regards to my animals, as well as general inquiries about husbandry (care) and morph information, I want to touch on something that I feel people seem to lack now a days.

Etiquette.

Yes, Eh-tih-ket.

That little thing your mother or father taught you when you were two and didn't know better.

Now, this is not to say that you, my beloved blog reader, are one of these people at all. I'd like to preface my rant by saying that this is NOT in any way meant for any particular person that I have encountered over the years.

But let me begin.


RULE ONE:

Do not tell me that you can and will get X Morph that I am selling somewhere else for cheaper.

My response?

Feel free to do so. With that, you may be getting in over your head with a smaller animal, a problem feeder, or an overall less quality animal. AND, you will be missing out on the customer service in which I provide to any person who chooses to buy from me. Yes, I will answer your e-mails, and your questions, and anything you want to send my way. Yes, I will talk about the weather with you if you so choose. THAT is what I do.

Good luck with that.

RULE TWO:

Haggling is part of the game, but low ball me and insult my intelligence, and I will no longer be willing to talk to you.

Low Balling is a typical move of people looking for the best price they can possibly squeeze out of you.

Here's the problem with that... The only people who are willing to take those deals are those that are desperate. Desperation comes in many forms, family emergency, job loss, etc... There are times when it is necessary to move an animal for the sake of the animal itself. Otherwise, you are more than likely getting an animal that has been sparsely fed, not well taken care of, etc.

Now most breeders are very much in a position to keep all of the animals they produce if need be.
Do we want to? No, not really... But do not try and play it like we are. It's just uncouth.


RULE THREE:

Be polite, type up more than one sentence in an e-mail inquiry, and realize that we want to know that you care just as much as you want to know we care.

"Hey, is that snake still available?" is not quite the e-mail we as breeders expect from a prospective customer. I personally like to know that the person inquiring actually cares a bit about the snake that they want to buy, be it asking for more information, more photos, etc...

Plus, if you don't leave a name on the e-mail, am I supposed to call you Sexyman123@gmail.com in my response to you?

The same goes for phone calls.


RULE FOUR:

Please call once as an inquiry, leave a message with your phone number and name if we cannot pick up the phone, and wait for a response back.

This is kind of a roll over from Rule Three, but valid none the less.

I have had children call me at all hours of the night asking about Ball Pythons, and also calling non-stop until I pick up.

One boy called 15 times in 20 minutes. That rankled me a tad as I was in a business meeting, but once I got him on the phone, I explained to him that I work full time as well as breed snakes, and that if I cannot get on the phone, please leave a message and I will call him back as soon as possible.

Life tends to get in the way of e-mails and phone answering, so please keep that in mind when expecting immediate responses.

I know I try my darndest to answer things as soon as I can, but sometimes things slip thru the cracks. We are human too.

RULE FIVE:

If we as breeders ask for you to send us an e-mail to make sure your shipment arrived safely, please remember to do so.

This is a slight issue, not something that really comes up often, but I do have anxiety, just as you do, about your package arriving correct.

Please, as a courtesy, just as we would do for you.... Pretty please with sugar on top.


RULE SIX:

We are human, you are human, treat us as you would like to be treated.

This is something that I think everyone in the world needs to be reminded of once in a while. We are all human, we are all people, and we all deserve respect. Treat your fellow man well, and you will be rewarded.

Always a nice thing to remember.


These rules are not all that there are, and I'm sure I could come up with a few more.

There are days which I feel like pasting these rules to people's foreheads that I see around the forums, or at a show...

Remember that even though you want your snake, your hamburger, your car wash, etiquette and politeness goes a long way.



Have a fantastic, polite, smile filled day, my friends!!!

How I breed

Well.. Not how I breed.... that would be completely inappropriate and downright X rated.

This is a blog about how I pair up snakes for breeding.

Get your minds out of the gutter, people.

Anyway, how do I do it?

I usually, as you could see in yesterdays blog, have a plan for who goes where...

The males get ready, and I put them in with the specific females they get. They get to spend 3-4 full days in with the females. If I see a lock with them, I take them apart sooner and give the male a break, or a new female.

So in general, 3-4 days on, 2-3 days off. I usually rotate the males once a week or so.
Females usually get at least a visit or two each month.

I allocate a male 2-4 females each, depending on the project. I have males that only get one female, however.. Just depends on the project in question.

And now on to said locks that I wait to see:

Spider het TSK Axanthic 50% Poss Het Albino male to Albino het TSK Axanthic female. Yeah, that is a mouthful, but I am all about maybe getting a Snow Spider out of the deal....

Pastel Lesser to Spider female. Queenbee attempts again this year. Lets see that it actually comes to fruition this time. 

Genetic Stripe to Het Genetic Stripe. More Stripes please!

Pastel Het Pied to Het Pied. Pastel Pieds FTW!

Spider Mojave to Pastel Yellowbelly. They are almost there in this picture, I'm pretty sure they managed to lock up at some point. 

And last but not least, Albino to Spider poss het Albino. Albino Spiders are awesome, so I can't wait to see them hatch out, if they do! Spiders het Albino are also great. I can handle that.

So there you go, my friends.

Until tomorrow, have a fantastic day!

Starting to gear up...

Usually when there are fewer and fewer babies from the season before can I actually focus more on the breeding for the year to come.

That is the case as of today.

Yesterday I cleaned up all of the tubs of babies that are now living in new homes, and I am thrilled! Not because I dislike having goo-gobs of cute baby ball pythons, but because there is less work that has to go into "baby" time.

And with less baby time needed, the more adult time can be spent, including photos and new things to approach and discuss amongst ourselves.

So with adult time comes less direct cleaning, but more thinking. These guys have been gearing up for a few years on getting big enough and ready enough to breed.

It's GAME TIME!

So of course, my job is to set up the play by play.

Move this male here, feed this female up a bit more... get that male in with that female since he doesn't like that one...

It sounds easy, but it really isn't.

I am always second guessing myself as to what to pair with what..

Have I shown you my list, you guys?

Yeah, I do a pre-breeding season list...

Here is a little snapshot of it...

Yeah. See all the scribbles and stuff that I couldn't decide what to do???????????

In most of my projects, that is how it works.

Scribbles upon scribbles cause I am not 100% sure what to do with some of the gals I have in the arsenal.

Which is why I turn to you all, my internet blogging buddies, cause sometimes I need a shoulder to cry on in frustration.

Not that this is an unhappy problem, really... It's just one that could harbor a bad year versus a good one in the choices of pairings that I would do.

THAT is what the problem is.

Lots to consider.


So of course, I have been moving the pairs around and right now, this is who is together:

Albino x Spider ph Albino
Sterling x Normal
Pastel Yellowbelly x Yellowbelly
Pastel Lesser x Spider
Pastel Super Mojave x Black Pastel
Pied x Het Pied
Pastel Het Pied x Het Pied
Pastel Orange Ghost x Het Ghost
Spider Mojave x Pastel Yellowbelly
Lemonblast x Pastel

.... and a few others at the moment

Granted, this is just who is in with who. Some of these pairings will not result in a lock, so lets keep our fingers crossed for some locks with these guys!

Lets make it happen.

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

Popping (with horrid pics)

So I tried.. I really did. 

Joel was not as cooperative as I would have liked, and I actually have hurt my finger recently in a knife wielding accident, so this wasn't the best time for me to do this, but I did it anyway!

Lets see if I can explain this as much as I can with the photos. Above is how you would hold the tail. Put your pointer finger across the base of the tail, and the thumb and forefinger of your other hand holding the tail. 

Bend gently back to expose the vent. 

Roll your pointer finger towards the vent, while also pushing gently down and out with your thumb. 

Hemipenes like these will show up if it is a male. I wish the flash were on (which Joel completely ignored me about) so that you would be able to see the color and detail more clearly of the vent area... But my "finger was in the way". 

RAWR.

Here we have a female. Notice that there are no penes at all, albeit there are a few nubs. Nubs are typical, but if they are not more than 3-4mm long and red, they are not hemipenes. 

If you notice the base of the vent, it is getting a bit red in the scales. This is typical of bruising behavior in light animals (this was a Pied). So if you see a lot of red around the vent, STOP. You are pushing too hard.

 

 So I hope to be able to get a more willing photographer and try this again soon. Until then, this is all I can do. 

I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any other questions. 

Have a fantastic weekend, my friends!

How I prep for a show

As you may or may not know, I will be vending at the Pomona Super Show this weekend.

This is a first for me, as I usually sell out before this show. Thing is, I hatched out more than before, and I am ready to do this!

I like this show as a spectator, as it is pretty well attended and has a good general following of people in the area. Los Angeles has a large population, and with that, a large group of hobbiests in the area!

I love it.

Anyway, I prep for a show by doing several things, which I have yet to do, but for my sake and for the sake of writing things down, I will outline for you.

1) CHECK SUPPLIES

- I make sure all of my acrylics are functional and clean, that my ink pens are not dried out, that my hand sanitizer and business cards are all in quantity.

- I check the "Show Box" for all the supplies.

They are as follows:

• Paper Towels
• Pens
• Paper
• Power Cord
• Hand Sanitizer (to put out) 
• Business Cards
• Ink Pens
• Chlorhexidine Spray bottle
• Table Cover
• Show Banner
• (If the Show does not provide drapes) Banner holder (PVC Piping)
• Zip Ties
• Snake Bags
• Snake Cups
• Receipt Book
• Stamps (Sold, etc)
• and More....

I have collected plenty of stuff over the years of things I never thought I would need at a show, including scissors, hair ties, and even candy. So, there are a lot of things to plan for, and that is just some of it.

2) CHECK INVENTORY

Make sure that everything you intend on bringing is presentable enough to bring to show to the public. Is it too small? Is it in shed? Is it a bad feeder? All of these things you have to think about before packing up your snakes to bring to a show.

Make an inventory and price list before you go, just to have some semblance of organization when you set up, as depending on how much time you have and how much help you have, it may take WAYYYY longer than you think.

I use an excel spreadsheet with counts of animals, as well as prices. This helps in remembering what was sold, as well as keeping tabs if something gets stolen.


3) PREPARE TO SIT AROUND

I bring things that keep me comfortable. We have a cushy chair that I bring, as well as my laptop and my phone. Entertainment when things get a little slow... I brought a few magazines once as well, but that didn't end up being necessary, as I didn't get any time to read. Also, a sweater. Sometimes these places get COLD (or too hot), so bring things appropriately to account for the temperatures.

We always bring a cooler as well, as there is not often time to go and get food in an 8-10 hour period of time. Sodas, water, snacks.. All good things to prepare for. Beer works too, depending on the show promoter.


4) DON'T FORGET YOUR PAPERWORK

I don't know about you, but I provide paperwork when I can, and that includes at a show. If I sell a Het, it will come with paperwork. So, I bring it!

This also includes the paperwork that doesn't have to do with genetics, including your receipt book, your vendor license, your permits for sale of whatever particular animal you sell (depending on the area). You never know when something comes up...


5) GET READY TO HAVE FUN!!!

I always psych myself out before a show, usually because I bog myself down with "Gotta do this, gotta do that." Always remember that these things should be FUN! If you aren't having fun, you are doing something wrong. If anything, its a great few days to get out there and talk to the people about the snakes you love! SMILE, get sleep, get hyped up, and get ready for it!

It's a ton of fun when all is said and done.

It's just exhausting.


So, with that, I think I'm going to go take a power nap. I need to get all I can in before this weekend comes.

Have a fantastic day, my friends!

It has begun...kinda

Well, I've been slacking a lot recently about getting on top of getting breeding plans in line, as well as getting the room prepped for breeding as well.

I have finally gotten some stuff done.

I have a list of males, and a list of females, and a column for who goes with which female.

Checks have been made on the list as to which females are legitimately going to be able to go this year...

Males have their tags made for those who have been producing sperm plugs, and those that should be soon.

You remember those tags, right?

These suckers...

I heart those tags.

Previous blog about it was HERE on how to make them...

I made all of the new up and coming males their own tags. They are moving up in the world!

And of course, prepping the gals for a new season, getting them fatter and happy. Some will go later on in the season, some will go very soon.

Very soon instead of now?

Well, yeah. I haven't actually put males in with females yet.

I've been busy as all heck doing the local shows, and getting ready for the holidays, and working full time. I have only had a few hours here and there to clean, feed, water and admire, much less think hard about who is going with whom.

BUT I AM GETTING THERE.

I have a list that has slowly been getting completed. There are of course animals that have already a predestined pairing that will happen...

Like the Orange Ghost poss het Pied to the Pied poss het Orange Ghost.

That's a slam dunk right there. No need to pair anything else to those guys...

But most are not that simple.

So I go into my happy place, look at snakes, think about snakes, check my morph book and admire the combinations that are out there and think to myself, Yeah, I'd like to do that...

I am about 75% there to get ready to start the official breeding season here at Heather's Herps.

But, I guess more than anything, although I do plan on doing what I like, I want to know what you out there in internet land like to see? What do YOU want? What would YOU like to see out of my season this year?

I do breed for my own projects, but I know that you out there want certain morphs to be done, and certain combinations to be made.

Enlighten me.

I need help!


Have a great day, my friends.

A New Trick that I picked up

Well, I went to Las Vegas this weekend to have a bit of fun, and to see The Lion King musical on Broadway.



It was GORGEOUS.

I wish that I could have taken photos, but they wouldn't let us... So here is a picture I found of someone who did get to take pics! Yes, those are people in thos animal costumes.

WOW, right??



I really enjoyed it, very beautiful, lovely music and really amazing costumes. I suggest if you have time to go and see it!


Anyway, so while in Vegas, I visited my friend Tim Johnson and his lovely wife Liza at Royal Morphs.

His collection was awesome, but I didn't have my camera with me.

But what I did get from them was a trick that I LOVE in terms of breeding.

All you need is some binder clips and some tags.

Put them together like this...



and it makes a GREAT labeler for where males are in terms of breeding!

Here is what I did when I got home last night.



It is a great way not to lose track of where the males are, and you don't need to write something on the tub each time you move the male around!

Thank you Liza and Tim for this awesome trick! Saves me a bunch of time and headache.

I hope this helps you guys out there as well!

Begin your new week well, my friends.