HOBBY -vs- BUSINESS

[ALDABRAMAN]

Some start with one and go to extremes. Others are content with one, two, or just a nice small group. Then there are financially motivated breeders that are creative and mass produce for the global markets. I have been interested in tortoises since I was about 5 years old. I/We consider our program a hobby with extreme passion. I prefer things this way. We are interactive with our tortoises a large part of the day and are so blessed with the means to keep such a wonderful species.

 

[Tom]

I've realized it is my life's calling to be a tortoise farmer. I'm currently trying to figure out a way to do this and still make a living. I'm only interested in doing it right and producing good healthy tortoises. I could care less if it ever turns a profit.

 

[DocNezzy]

I would love to breed eventually and share my passion with more people, but my current situation doesn't let me. Eventually though, I will have herds and herds!

 

[DeanS]

I don't know that 'hobby' is the right word...These animals are as much a part of my life as our dog...not quite to the extent as our children, but they still matter! It would be great to breed Aladar down the road, but I don't expect to inherit anyone's females...and Eggroll is not even going to be a factor for another 8 or 9 years, at least! No, at this point they're family and that's good enough for me

 

[Cameron]

kinda both and then again neither. i started keeping pythons about 13 years ago with the hopes and dreams of breeding them and selling them...wanting that to be my full time job. years later i finally started keeping tortoises. they were always my favorite, since i was a kid. after getting more and more tortoises, i have grown much more fonder of them. after noticing and realizing their distinct and funny personalities (none of my snakes ever had personality) i realized that these are really all i want to keep and care for. i have stopped breeding pythons, and have reduced my collection to one female ball python (a 14 year old normal female. got her when i was in high school...my first snake). i don't want to breed tortoises for a business, i have a good job now and no longer wish to deal with the hassles of breeding and trying to sell reptiles. the tortoises have become what the snakes never had...family members. if i am ever successful in breeding any of my tortoises, it surely won't be for the money. it is for the love of the animals, and the joy they bring to my family.

 

[african cake queen]

hello there! i have them i guess as a hobbie but, i also really like to study them and learn from them. its not just a job , but an adventure! lindy

 

[Neal]

It would have to be more of a hobby for me vs. profit motivated. I'm committed to produce quality animals and raise them up properly which takes a lot of my time, energy, and $. With a family to feed, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to do this for profit. With every hatchling sold you create a potential competitor, it's just not a sustainable buisness in my opinion, no matter how extreme you take it. But, if you breed them anyways as part of the hobby, why not try to make a little money?

 

[John]

interesting

 

[Laura]

Hobby for me.. i dont make any money.. none exchanges hands.. except to pay PGE.
Rescue for me, would be more like it.. but to write it off Id have to go Non profit and file.. so...
they are pets and hobby. whatever you want to call it.

 

[Baoh]

Hobby, then business, then hobby, and now both.

 

[SnakeyeZ]

Always a hobby for me! I breed a few snakes and sell babies to help the hobby (get's a little expensive feeding all the critters at times). It'll never be a business for me though, I couldn't breed animals and sell their offspring just to justify keeping them.

 

[Jessicap]

I have to say hobby. I would have a hard time breeding any animal for profit. I feel they become part of the family and selling them is like selling a family member, so when I get a new animal I know it will be with me until one of us dies. As for tortoises, I love watching them, always have. I can't wait to be able to let them out in the yard and see them cruise around and graze.

 

[HLogic]

I consider my addiction somewhere left of hobby or business. Collecting lots of data on size, weight, breeding periods, egg laying, clutch sizes, behavior, etc. to provide aggregate data for trending, averages and max/min values keeps me busy with the critters. I'm not doing as much as I'd like but I do have some and continue to collect more as the urge hits me.

It is a hobby in the sense that I enjoy observing them and their behavior. Of course, having them outside of their native habitat essentially nullifies the 'natural'-ness of their behavior but it can still provide insight into what would be expected. I also pursue the hobby by learning as much as possible about their anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and several other 'ologies' to boot.

As a business, selling offspring helps to offset the cost of maintaining the collection but only minimally thus far... I'm not sure I would be able to support myself strictly from tortoise (or even reptiles as a whole) husbandry nor am I sure I would want to do so. I know of a few that do and it seems to be more work than what I do now. Even so, I think taking advantage of the business angle for tax purposes, travel and other perks makes the little business that I do worth the effort.

 

[pdrobber]

hobby, someday business.

 

[tortoises101]

I'm going for hobby. In the future I'll have enough jobs (herpetology, zoology, conservation, naturlist) to keep the money steady.