New Jackson's Xantholophus

MissSkittles said:
Maybe this is something for you to seriously consider, if you aren’t already.
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I honestly think about it often. The only thing is if other breeders who are well known in the community have a hard time placing their Jacksons babies why would I have a different experience?

I would love to breed eventually, and plan to so long as all goes well for the next few years. I've even mapped out what section in my 'reptile room' will be my nursery corner for the babies and all their enclosures to ensure I have the space.

I actually would love to bounce my crazy ideas around in the community and see what others think and what advice they have to offer....

- I wouldn't be breeding for about 2 years from now, I need time to breed all my bugs, finish my 'reptile room' and get it set up for babies. I also would appreciate more experience under my belt. I would raise the babies in individual enclosures with misting, fogging, live plants etc and they would all be treated with the same love and husbandry as my 'pet chameleons' which means lots of equipment as well...so I need time to get all that together as well.
- I have the most 'spare room' in my house in my basement which is perfect for any montane species so I'm leaning more towards any of those first as a breeding project
- I would love to breed the Jackson's but I see where so many breeders in our community have struggled to sell the babies due to 1. people being able to find Jackson's in big box pet stores for $75 and having the mindset of "why would I spend $300 on the same animal I could get for $75 and 2. the needed nightime drops I believe is something that is hard for many to provide either through willingness or due to their geographical location.
- I'm strongly considering breeding the O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon - reasons are: Bill Strand is looking for small batch breeders to work with him to help him establish them in the CB community and I would greatly benefit from working with others on a breeding project vs on my own. I would love to help establish something in the community and they are beautiful chameleons. I also believe they will be a little higher priced chameleon as a CB which means more serious keepers will purchase them and will decrease the 'impulse buyer'. I am already struggling with the thought of selling one of my babies to someone who doesn't take the best of care of one of them and so I feel/hope that a higher priced chameleon will help create a safety net for that. (If anyone else has suggestions PLEASE share) Because the reality is, if I do breed, I will love those babies more than anything in the whole world and if I can't send them off to the best home I will just keep them....and I don't have room for a million chameleons...

Enter feedback here: ;)
 
elizaann2 said:
I also believe they will be a little higher priced chameleon as a CB which means more serious keepers will purchase them and will decrease the 'impulse buyer'. I am already struggling with the thought of selling one of my babies to someone who doesn't take the best of care of one of them and so I feel/hope that a higher priced chameleon will help create a safety net for that.
Click to expand...
This is the exact reason I don't wanna breed any of my chameleons. Thought for a long time to breed with Ranjo (K. Boehmei) which is a wonderful small species, but with the same requirements as a Jackson. And I would hate to have an overstock which I eventually need to sell under the market price and attract impulse buyers. In my opinion prices need to go up like with Panthers, which at first glimpse will scare the impulse buyers off. Only the dedicated (new) keepers will go for one, because for $300+ you don't want your cham to die within weeks, therefore you will start off better. Stores could give a discount if a dedicated keepers has setup everything correctly and proof it. Also the stores need to commute in this with setting up the right enclosures, "lead by example" which stimulates potential keepers. Seeing such well planted enclosure should give more of an urge to wanna have it, then just such crappy setup. Our local big pet store does it now this way and it works perfect. All chameleons they're selling are living in an almost perfect enclosure with the correct lighting, misters and live plants and selling it as a package or at least everything is available in the store and they keep expanded accessories, so probably it's profitable model for them.

Like @MissSkittles already said, whatever species you're going for, you'll do great. That's we can already see the way think and overthink things. Keep us posted if..........
 
Sonny13 said:
This is the exact reason I don't wanna breed any of my chameleons. Thought for a long time to breed with Ranjo (K. Boehmei) which is a wonderful small species, but with the same requirements as a Jackson. And I would hate to have an overstock which I eventually need to sell under the market price and attract impulse buyers. In my opinion prices need to go up like with Panthers, which at first glimpse will scare the impulse buyers off. Only the dedicated (new) keepers will go for one, because for $300+ you don't want your cham to die within weeks, therefore you will start off better. Stores could give a discount if a dedicated keepers has setup everything correctly and proof it. Also the stores need to commute in this with setting up the right enclosures, "lead by example" which stimulates potential keepers. Seeing such well planted enclosure should give more of an urge to wanna have it, then just such crappy setup. Our local big pet store does it now this way and it works perfect. All chameleons they're selling are living in an almost perfect enclosure with the correct lighting, misters and live plants and selling it as a package or at least everything is available in the store and they keep expanded accessories, so probably it's profitable model for them.

Like @MissSkittles already said, whatever species you're going for, you'll do great. That's we can already see the way think and overthink things. Keep us posted if..........
Click to expand...
Oh wow, I wish pet stores around here were like that. Its heartbreaking to see these amazing creatures in horrible set ups, the wrong lights, and in tiny glass boxes. I sincerely hope our pet stores do the same thing one day.

And you said it perfectly, this is something I really think about when I think about breeding. That and a million other things. I honestly don't know if I have the capability to sell my babies either, will it break my heart to sell them?

Its a long ways out so my plan in potentially prepping to breed is to:
1. start breeding a good chunk of my bugs (I did breed some in the past but got lazy)
2. get my own microscope and learn to do fecal floats
3. complete my room
Then after all that if it feels like the right move for me, I'll start getting the nursery enclosures, lights, fog machines, and plants.

If there is anything else that would be smart for me to do in preparation please let me know!
 
elizaann2 said:
Oh wow, I wish pet stores around here were like that. Its heartbreaking to see these amazing creatures in horrible set ups, the wrong lights, and in tiny glass boxes. I sincerely hope our pet stores do the same thing one day.

And you said it perfectly, this is something I really think about when I think about breeding. That and a million other things. I honestly don't know if I have the capability to sell my babies either, will it break my heart to sell them?

Its a long ways out so my plan in potentially prepping to breed is to:
1. start breeding a good chunk of my bugs (I did breed some in the past but got lazy)
2. get my own microscope and learn to do fecal floats
3. complete my room
Then after all that if it feels like the right move for me, I'll start getting the nursery enclosures, lights, fog machines, and plants.

If there is anything else that would be smart for me to do in preparation please let me know!
Click to expand...
This has all been going through my head for a year and a half and you said all my concerns perfectly! I feel the same. Researching all the species, care, popularity, heartiness, how many breeders there currently are. I watch podcast and read articles all the time on it. It’s a big project and some time out for me too.

I get excited and confident one minute then worried I’m doing something wrong or missing something or have something happen with my current crew.

I was checking out carpets, Bills new shamrocks, and Pygmy’s
Would love to do cristifers too! 😍
I’m just all over the place. 😄
 
I've always liked them too, howeverI I don't have the space to dedicate a lot of chameleon species. My indoor turtles take up a lot of space too. My last spot is in the back house where I keep my indoor turtles.
 
GrannyK said:
This has all been going through my head for a year and a half and you said all my concerns perfectly! I feel the same. Researching all the species, care, popularity, heartiness, how many breeders there currently are. I watch podcast and read articles all the time on it. It’s a big project and some time out for me too.

I get excited and confident one minute then worried I’m doing something wrong or missing something or have something happen with my current crew.

I was checking out carpets, Bills new shamrocks, and Pygmy’s
Would love to do cristifers too! 😍
I’m just all over the place. 😄
Click to expand...
Same!!! I’ve mostly stuck with the shamrocks though cuz I like the idea of breeding with a group of people for support. I’m glad I’m not the only one out there thinking the same stuff. Let’s keep in touch over it and see how we can support each other!
 
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