This is an opinions/views thread so I'll just post mine though I know many may disagree with it
I'm not a breeder but my opinions are based on my veterinary background.
Natural selection just about doesn't exist when humans are involved, for example in breeding captive snakes. people can line breed, cross breed etc to produce animals that would never naturally survive, or poor feeders for example- yet with human assistance these can survive, grow and reproduce themselves, which can produce more problematic young. So with poor 'technique' and lack of attention so many problems can arise as a result. Look at domestic dog breeds for example- there are SO many problems in so many different breeds, some which are really quite severe and life threatening. And dog breeding for example continues to 'better the breeds' yet the animals are actually going downhill, and many of which I believe have now become a welfare issue.
So, how do you keep strong animals? This is where I think I may go against many people- don't breed animals unlikely to survive in the wild, those with hereditary conditions or those that are KNOWN to produce 'defective' offspring- whether they have in the past or they come from a line known to produce problematic animals. As an EXAMPLE Jag carpets- not all have neuro issues, and the severity varies. Personally I do not think animals with known problems, or those known to produce animals with defects such as the neuro signs in jags should be bred. Don't get me wrong I absolutely adore the look of jags but do not agree with the principle to produce them. Having to cull animals should be avoided at all costs, and the best way to avoid it is to avoid breeding known, problematic animals. Ethically I think its wrong to breed animals to get a select few 'ideal' ones with a good appearance yet have a known defect, just because they look nice. I think the same of any other species, whether it has fur, scales or feathers.
As to culling vs. persisting with deformed or very poor doer's- provided it is done
humanely and for the right reasons (i.e. not just because it doesn't look how the breeder wants it to), fine. However, the ideal option if it is a line bred animal and multiple problematic animals are cropping up, is to not breed these animals, as I stated above. Culling should not be used as a 'solution' for the problematic animals. If it is an animal with a defect likely to have been caused due to a problem with the incubation, and it will not be passed to offspring, I don't see an issue with them being sold as pets. Really- what is the lesser of two evils? Culling the
occasional sporadic deformed animal or producing weaker animals in the future?
Anyway, hope this made sense. 3am and a bit tired
