# Responsible sale of Hatchling Pythons



## Yellowtail (Feb 10, 2019)

This add is on Gumtree.
Is it just me or is it a good idea to be selling a 2 week old hatchling after just one feed?
I generally wait till they are 6 wks old, feeding strongly and regularly, always taking into account the experience of the buyer even after 4 or 5 feeds.


----------



## chloe.j.f (Feb 10, 2019)

It really just depends on what the breeder wants to do. Ive been sold a 3 day old before, never refused a feed but yeah it’s just down to the seller and the buyer.


----------



## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 10, 2019)

I won't sell hatchies before they're 8-12 weeks old.


----------



## Southernserpent (Feb 10, 2019)

It is up to the breeder and purchaser. But to be advertising them at that age I think is a bit irresponsible isn't it a general unspoken rule that 10 feeds is an established feeder


----------



## Abstractivity (Feb 10, 2019)

Imagine paying 350 for an albino hatchie that wasn't at least sexed


----------



## Pauls_Pythons (Feb 10, 2019)

I agree with YT.
Breeder has a responsibility to both the animal & the buyer. If the last one is being sold at 2 weeks at what age were the others sold?

This stinks of much that is bad with the breeding side of the hobby these days. Breeder just wants to move them out as quickly as possible and the buyer believes this to be normal. Most breeders I know wont let animals go until they have had 2 sloughs and a minimum of 6 consecutive unassisted feeds. I have no problem advertising at that age but animals wouldn't be leaving till they hit the minimum requirements.

At 350 its not a cheap Darwin is it? Im sure I have seen them much cheaper and if Im paying market price I expect some minimum standards to be in place.


----------



## Abstractivity (Feb 10, 2019)

For every where I've seen and this is in Victoria 350 is what you would pay for a female of breeding age or 250 is the maximum I'd pay for a hatchie sexed.


----------



## Yellowtail (Feb 10, 2019)

I have no trouble selling my albino hatchlings for $400 plus unsexed but they are not "ordinary" albinos, I sell advanced hatchlings and yearlings sexed because I can be 100% accurate at that age with no risk to the python.
I recently advertised and sold a whole clutch of Julatten jungles to individual buyers, most before the eggs were even laid, but I did not deliver any till they were well established feeders even to the point of argument with one buyer who did not want to wait and I offered him his deposit back. The animals welfare is paramount and how many threads have we had here involving people having feeding problems with animals they recently purchased.


----------



## Shire pythons (Feb 10, 2019)

As the breeder you're asking for headaches selling hatchies thst aren't good feeders . Even established Hatchlings can be stressful enough for some new keepers .


----------



## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 10, 2019)

Shire pythons said:


> As the breeder you're asking for headaches selling hatchies thst aren't good feeders . Even established Hatchlings can be stressful enough for some new keepers .


Yeah... I wonder if they'd be prepared to take them back if the person who purchased them couldn't get them going...


----------



## Pauls_Pythons (Feb 10, 2019)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Yeah... I wonder if they'd be prepared to take them back if the person who purchased them couldn't get them going...



For me it would depend upon my ability to provide appropriate quarantine for a returned animal. (And for locally sold animals only as when selling interstate it becomes a real problem obviously)


----------



## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 10, 2019)

Pauls_Pythons said:


> For me it would depend upon my ability to provide appropriate quarantine for a returned animal. (And for locally sold animals only as when selling interstate it becomes a real problem obviously)


Both valid points.


----------



## Shire pythons (Feb 10, 2019)

I personally would not take any snake back after sale as it is against my effort to maintain a clean collection. I wouldn't sell any snake that wasnt 100% feeding well etc though in the first place


----------



## Pauls_Pythons (Feb 10, 2019)

In some states, (certainly in Vic) there is the 6 month transfer restriction to consider also. 
Can be bypassed but still a headache to deal with.


----------

