Should I breed cresties?

[leoguy1]

Hey guys, should I get a male crestie to breed with Rosey, my brindle dalmation morph? If so, what morph should I breed her with? Here's a picture of Rosey.

Some answers would be helpful.:main_thumbsup:

 

[Phil]

If u plan taking good cares of the babies if u don't sold them.. Why not? For cresties closest the morph between male/female the better..!

*Edit* I saw ur new to cresties... maybe u should take some times to see if u like the way they are and if u really want to get into it..

 

[leoguy1]

If u plan taking good cares of the babies if u don't sold them.. Why not? For cresties closest the morph between male/female the better..!

*Edit* I saw ur new to cresties... maybe u should take some times to see if u like the way they are and if u really want to get into it..

Well, I'm not really new to cresties. I remember a year ago, I was obsessed with these geckos and did TONS of research on them. I even researched how to breed them, which didn't sound like a hard job. But I am new to owning and caring for them. They are pretty easy to care for. So then I thought, "Why the heck not breed them?" But I came to Gecko Forums just to make sure I'm making the right choices.:main_yes:

 

[T-ReXx]

Spend some time simply owning a crestie before you consider breeding. Generally at least 6 months to a year of basic experience with a species is a good idea before breeding them. And really consider what you will do with the babies, cresteds can produce quite a few eggs and are commonly available; selling them can take quite a while. Consider the space, time, and expenses of breeding before taking that step. And seeing that you're a bit younger, be sure to discuss the idea thoroughly with your parents before taking steps in that direction.

 

[leoguy1]

Spend some time simply owning a crestie before you consider breeding. Generally at least 6 months to a year of basic experience with a species is a good idea before breeding them. And really consider what you will do with the babies, cresteds can produce quite a few eggs and are commonly available; selling them can take quite a while. Consider the space, time, and expenses of breeding before taking that step. And seeing that you're a bit younger, be sure to discuss the idea thoroughly with your parents before taking steps in that direction.

Yeah, I have talked to my parents and they said it would be alright. I just want to be one of those small scale breeders who have a few geckos for sale. And I do have time and space for breeding. And I know that I'm young and all, but it doesn't mean that I can't have a good knowledge of geckos. And I'll take your advice on the six months of basic experience thing. :main_thumbsup:

 

[Phil]

Spend some time simply owning a crestie before you consider breeding. Generally at least 6 months to a year of basic experience with a species is a good idea before breeding them. And really consider what you will do with the babies, cresteds can produce quite a few eggs and are commonly available; selling them can take quite a while. Consider the space, time, and expenses of breeding before taking that step. And seeing that you're a bit younger, be sure to discuss the idea thoroughly with your parents before taking steps in that direction.

+1

 

[leoguy1]

Thanks guys! But I still want to know what morph to breed her with to get pretty cresties.:main_yes:

 

[ento890]

If down the road you decide you DO want to breed cresteds, my advice would be get the best you can afford. It's a flooded market and tough to sell these guys.

If your interested in a brindle project, you might want to check out Mike @ dragon town reptiles. He's got a great super brindle project going on. Really impressive unique animals.

http://www.dragontownreptiles.com/

 

[T-ReXx]

Yeah, I have talked to my parents and they said it would be alright. I just want to be one of those small scale breeders who have a few geckos for sale. And I do have time and space for breeding. And I know that I'm young and all, but it doesn't mean that I can't have a good knowledge of geckos. And I'll take your advice on the six months of basic experience thing. :main_thumbsup:

Sounds like you've thought things out pretty well. No offense meant by the comment about your age; I know some very well informed keepers your age, in fact I was one of them. :main_thumbsup: Cresties are a good species to "test the waters" so to speak with breeding geckos as they are fairly easy to keep and breed and are a lot of fun to work with. My advice would be spend the next 6 months or so researching deeply into morphs and breeding and learning from Rosie; the geckos themselves are the best teachers of experience. Save up some money for the best quality male of similar looks to her as possible, brindles, dalmations, etc, that catches your interest. Like to Like is the best way to go with cresteds, as they are basically a "what you see is what you get" genetic case. Talk to experienced breeders and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. Then once you find that perfect male and have all your supplies in order, pick him up, quarantine, and if they are both up to weight have at it. It's a great experience. Start small and slow, you'll need to build a reputation in the market in order to have success selling a commonly available species like crested geckos. And if after one season with the one pair you find that breeding is for you(it's very easy to catch the "bug" and get too many animals too soon before you realize it's not necessarily right for you right now in your life in some cases) then slowly expand, adding 1 or 2 more animals a season. Good luck, breeding cresties can be very rewarding if it's done well, and above all have fun, this is a hobby after all.

 

[leoguy1]

Sounds like you've thought things out pretty well. No offense meant by the comment about your age; I know some very well informed keepers your age, in fact I was one of them. :main_thumbsup: Cresties are a good species to "test the waters" so to speak with breeding geckos as they are fairly easy to keep and breed and are a lot of fun to work with. My advice would be spend the next 6 months or so researching deeply into morphs and breeding and learning from Rosie; the geckos themselves are the best teachers of experience. Save up some money for the best quality male of similar looks to her as possible, brindles, dalmations, etc, that catches your interest. Like to Like is the best way to go with cresteds, as they are basically a "what you see is what you get" genetic case. Talk to experienced breeders and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. Then once you find that perfect male and have all your supplies in order, pick him up, quarantine, and if they are both up to weight have at it. It's a great experience. Start small and slow, you'll need to build a reputation in the market in order to have success selling a commonly available species like crested geckos. And if after one season with the one pair you find that breeding is for you(it's very easy to catch the "bug" and get too many animals too soon before you realize it's not necessarily right for you right now in your life in some cases) then slowly expand, adding 1 or 2 more animals a season. Good luck, breeding cresties can be very rewarding if it's done well, and above all have fun, this is a hobby after all.

It's okay, I wasn't offended by the I'm too young comment. It's the first thing that comes to mind when you see that a twelve year old boy want's to breed geckos. Also,thanks for the advice.

 

[leoguy1]

But how many gex should I start out with?

 

[acpart]

One reason I don't breed cresties (besides being full-up with leos and AFT's) is that I'm concerned that people who buy them won't keep them in a proper cage. In some ways they're easier to keep than leopard geckos, for instance, because they don't need heat and live food, but since they require a vertical orientation and high humidity, I think that's hard for the average person new to gecko keeping. One way to combat this is to have a detailed care sheet for prospective buyers and to also put together crestie set-ups (most people are going to go out and get a fish tank which wouldn't really do it for an adult crestie) to sell along with the gecko.

Aliza

 

[leoguy1]

Well, how much hatchlings should I start out with?

 

[T-ReXx]

You have one female. Buy one male.