# What is a breeding pair of beardies worth?



## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

UPDATE:


















































the reason the males colors look washed out on one side is that I misted them before pictures. And that was the side I missed.

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Well I'm talking to a guy from craigslist who has a breeding pair of bearded dragons. Ones 3 years old, other is 3 1/2. He seems like hes much more concered with them going to a good home, than getting top dollar. I'm just wondering what a ballpark actual value would be. I saw babies at a pet store the other day for $75. I'm talking just the lizards with nothing else.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

well assuming that they are noramals i would say they would easily be worth 200-300$ and more if they are a rarer morph (value depends on their colour and what the offspring would be)


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## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

It's hard to put a price on the Beardies without alot of information (not that I know anything about Beardies) eg. Are they proven breeders? Do they have all of their toes or complete tails? Like sean-820 asked Are they "normals"? Do they have genes for other morphs? Maybe check on kingsnake.com to see what others are going for?


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

I'm still waiting to hear back from the guy. They are just regular ones, but they are a proven breeding pair.


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## LouDiB (May 22, 2006)

I would pay like 250 for them if they were normal ones..

others can go as high as like 800-1000 for the pair.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

Score!!!

2 beardies, light, bunch of wood, bunch of gut load for crickets, water/food dishes, and an incubator for $125

He made a good choice to because I'm gonna give them a great home. I'll try to get pictures again, but its a pain. If I can I'll edit the title of the post to say so.

They are really friendly too. Man I'm happy right now.


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## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

Congrats on the sweet deal!


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

how long well it be befor thay well be breeding??


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

cueball said:


> Congrats on the sweet deal!


Thanks.


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## LouDiB (May 22, 2006)

thats a sweet deal...for EVERYTHING??...incubators are about 40-50 i think?...you got a good deal man


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Good deal.









Would love to see picks.

What are they going to be housed in?

And yes - you can change the topic title by editing your first post in this thread. If you have issues PM me and I'll do it for you.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

Mettle said:


> Good deal.
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Well for the moment they are in the 55 that will be the dartfrogs tank. Its just siliconed all over the back and sides with window screen over the top, but before I make it into a vivarium, I'm trying to find one more big piece of driftwood for a ledge before I put it together. I have everything else except a glass lid, and the hardware store guy said that will be easy.

I have 4 6inch redbellies in another 55gallon. So my plan is to buy a 75g from my uncle for $30 and put my reds in that. Then put the dragons in the piranhas old 55. That will free up the one they are in now, so I can get back to getting the darts 55 ready.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

The more I look at these guys, the less I think a 55 is gonna be enough. Especially the male. He is a big boy. It'll work short term, but I'll probably have to find a 2nd 75, or build them something.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Haha. Glad you came to that realization yourself.

Beardies should never be kept, for life, in anything shallower than an 18" deep tank. 55s are a stupid size and not good for very much at all. DEFINITELY get yourself another 75 gallon for the pair. If you're going to house them, might as well do it right!

And look at it this way... With the reds outta your other 55 gallon this just means you have a second tank to use for dartfrogs.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

yea they looked ok in there until I watched the big boy turn around, and there just isn't enough room front to back for a forever home. I just got a measurement on these guys and *the male is a solid 20 inches from tip to tip. The female is a hair under 17 inches.* I'm gonna need more space than a 55 for that, no question.

My uncle breeds animals and has a house full of everything you could think of. He said he would sell me his spare 75 for $30, but I haven't talked to him in a while now. I'm gonna have to start bugging him, and see if he can get me 2 now. I definentily want to do this right. Getting my animals into suitable homes, is my big priority right now.

I'm also considering getting a decient sized kids pool for the basement and putting my Ps in there. If I do that, then the beardies get the 75, and all is well. I'm only planning on having one dart frog 55, because thats a huge tank for them, and is meant to be more of a "show" tank. Most darts can live forever in a 10g as a pair of breeding frogs. Nothing wrong with an extra 55 though. Its can be a grow out tank for whoever breeds first. Piranha or beardies.

Man, I make my posts to long sometimes. Sorry


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

if i where you i would build a tank thats like 8ftx2ft or at least 6ftx2ft to give them a decent amount of room


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Not a bad idea... Since they're desert dwellers the enclosure doesn't need to be water tight. You could do something nice with some plywood, some screws and the right finish. Lighting would also be easy as you could build in the fluorescent lighting needed to provide uvb and a basking area. One of my friends has done this for her beardies (I think she has 1.3 - but in separate enclosures except when mating).


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## greenmonkey51 (Aug 16, 2004)

Just don't expect to make a lot of money or any money off them. They lay a good number of eggs, and the hatchlings eat a ton of crickets for at least 2 months before you can sell them. The only way commercial breeders are successful is they put them in groups of 4 in cattle tanks outside and they buy crickets in huge bulk.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

^^ yea I've been reading ALOT, and know its not a get rich quick thing. The only way I see me making anything off of them is to breed my own crickets and or silk worms. So thats what I'll have to do. Means alot more work, but so be it. Even if I break even, I get some cool pets out of the deal.

I've also been reading that most people say they shouldn't be housed together because the males like to pressure the female to breed. But the people I got them from said that if they are seperated, they quit eating. So I'm not sure what to do about that. They have been together sense they were small, and he doesn't seem to bother her to much.

I've pretty much decided to build an incloser out of my closet. I almost did that when I had my iguana. Its 27inches wide and goes back a little more than 6 foot. Dumbest closet shape ever!


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Yeah... That is definitely an odd shape for a closet. (So long as I'm picturing it porperly.)

As for cohabbing them. Each set of animals will be different. If they've been together since they were small and there have been no issues as of yet, then continue what the previous owners were doing. Just expect eggs every year.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

Mettle said:


> Yeah... That is definitely an odd shape for a closet. (So long as I'm picturing it porperly.)
> 
> As for cohabbing them. Each set of animals will be different. If they've been together since they were small and there have been no issues as of yet, then continue what the previous owners were doing. Just expect eggs every year.


Yea your probably picturing the closet correctly. Opening the size of a door, and space going 6ft straight back, so I cant get to the stuff in the back anyway. Its worthless as a closet, so it might as well house some animals.

When you say "Just expect eggs every year" do you mean that they will probably only lay yearly if I house them together? Because from what I've been reading they should lay quite a few times in a year.

Breeding is definentily not the only reason I got them, but its a big bonus if I can get them to do so.


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## chrisallen (Nov 3, 2007)

Jayson745 said:


> Yeah... That is definitely an odd shape for a closet. (So long as I'm picturing it porperly.)
> 
> As for cohabbing them. Each set of animals will be different. If they've been together since they were small and there have been no issues as of yet, then continue what the previous owners were doing. Just expect eggs every year.


Yea your probably picturing the closet correctly. Opening the size of a door, and space going 6ft straight back, so I cant get to the stuff in the back anyway. Its worthless as a closet, so it might as well house some animals.

When you say "Just expect eggs every year" do you mean that they will probably only lay yearly if I house them together? Because from what I've been reading they should lay quite a few times in a year.

Breeding is definentily not the only reason I got them, but its a big bonus if I can get them to do so.
[/quote]
You should normally get between 2-5 clutches just from one mating......they store sperm. I would keep them seperate so you control when/if they breed and give the female her own space as the male will harass the female. Easiest housing is done with white melamine.......4 x 2 x 2 or 4 x 2 x 18. You can build yourself for less than anything that you would buy.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

well she is definentily pregnant. I can feel the eggs and just as of yesterday, can actually see the lumps. She is super fat too.

Does it matter much how high their encloser goes? I've been slacking way to much on upgrading this and they are still in the 55







. With holidays, I've been super broke, so am thinking about just gutting a large dresser I have and just laying it on its back. It would only be about 1 1/2-2 feet tall, but would have plenty of room the other ways. Its as long as a 55(used to double as a 55g stand).

I'll get some pictures of the chubby mama, and eggs in less than a week when she lays them.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

here is a shot of her lumpy belly. Its alot worse now(picture was takin 2 days ago). She is getting close.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

Well, my girl layed her eggs earlier today. 18 of them, and they look to be fertile.









I'll try to get some pics of the egg setup, and definently some shots when they hatch in a couple months.


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## RICARDO (Jul 3, 2006)

Jayson745 said:


> Well, my girl layed her eggs earlier today. 18 of them, and they look to be fertile.
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 good luck you should find the exact morphes make sure you use vermiculite or a good hova incubator good luck i use to breed hyper lucistics and red fire super reds and snow/sunfires and lemons good luck and dont get bored in the hobby


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Good luck with the eggs.

If you plan to continually house them together and have eggs be sure of two things. One, you have buyers for all those babies. (And hopefully people that won't further inbreed this poor species by breeding those babies together.) And two that mamma girl gets some down time and the proper nutrition as egg laying can be hard on the body.

Height isn't a huge factor for beardies. The dresser sounds much bigger than the tank. However. Be sure that you can properly clean/sterilize it. That's my only concern.

Cheers!


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

No worries about the tank. I FINALLY got them a 75!

I'm ordering 1000 crickets today, and going to get them breeding in the basement. I'm not sure if the eggs are good anymore. They have some brown spots on the bottoms. I'm gonna get the crickets ether way because I'd rather do the work breeding them, then keeping buying them.

Having alot of breeding crickets also opens alot of doors for other critters I can get. Tree frogs, geckos, whatever. Lots of stuff eats crickets, so their good to have around.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Make sure you have some good ventilation... Crickets are disgusting.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

yea, alot of people who breed beardies go for roaches. They make less noise, smell less, and are easier to care for.

unfortunately thats not an options for me here.

And I couldn't get the crickets ordered because the "cheap" place I found wants over $20 shipping. So it was the old ebay scam, where you sell it cheap but charge crazy s/h to make up for it.

So I'll have to get them early next week.

Good news is that someone negligible on the subject of reptile eggs took a peek, and they are 100% fertile. So I have to move my ass on the cricket setup!

And I promise, sooner or later, I will be adding more pictures to this thread.


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## greenmonkey51 (Aug 16, 2004)

Thats not a scam, do you know how cold it is around the country. I'm guessing thats 20$ for 2 day which is reasonable. If its overnight then thats cheap. You better be find a good source for crickets besides breeding. Those 18 babies will be eating at least 20 crickets a day a piece. A 1000 crickets will last 3 days maybe. You think you can keep up with that production breeding.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

that is something that has me a little worried. I dont know how much they produce. I'm going to have to go big with it though, because i dont have alot of money and these guys are pigs when young. I've heard alot more than 20 a day.

I have a few of those big bins, and figure I'll have to get 2 running at least, mabey 3. Its gonna suck, but I have to do it.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Also think about how you're going to harvest the pinheads and so forth... To be honest, I would find a solid source for crickets and get'em ordered in. Much easier and less hassle. I hate to be the one to say it, but if you can't afford to feed the babies you're producing you probably shouldn't be breeding your beardies anymore. Plus, you won't likely see a big return on them after you sell them.


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

Well I have all the time in the world, so if I can breed enough crickets, theres no worries.

I've read about an easier way to seperate sizes too, so you dont have to try and seperate them. It basically has no substrate in the bottom of the cricket bin, but you leave a little lay box and they fill it with eggs. Then you constantly switch that out, and raise the babies seperate.

crickets are cheap to feed, and get mostly catfood until a couple days before you feed them out. So your basically turning catfood into baby beardies with alot of work. If I do it that way, I can see money in it. Buying crickets, would likely put me in the hole every clutch.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Ya man if you cant feed em then dont breeed em


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

How much do they buy beardies for in your area?


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## ...Jay... (Nov 2, 2006)

They sell them for $70 at the pet stores. So I figured I'd put them on craigslist and a few other sites for $40-50.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

I see normal babies at shows usually for about $40 or so. And I think the pet store I used to work out would pay about $20/each for them when buying them from people. So if you can get $50 for 'em then that's awesome.


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