Market values

[droogievesch]

I've been looking at quite a few sites and I've noticed sulcata are cheaper than any other tortoise. Why is this? Is the market flooded with these that breeders have to "give them away"? It seems like so many other species are cheaper to keep, mature faster, etc. that THEY should be cheaper since there is less cost involved to keeping and breeding them.

What gives?

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Sulcatas can lay 40 eggs at a time every 30 days. This leads to a lot of babies on the market hence a lower price. Others maybe lay 4 eggs a year, hence the higher price. Simple supply and demand.

 

[Tom]

You know the proverbial head on that nail? Austin just smacked it good.

 

[6speedtitaniumr/t]

I've been looking at quite a few sites and I've noticed sulcata are cheaper than any other tortoise. Why is this? Is the market flooded with these that breeders have to "give them away"? It seems like so many other species are cheaper to keep, mature faster, etc. that THEY should be cheaper since there is less cost involved to keeping and breeding them.

What gives?

Hello again, My understanding is that Sulcatas breed more often and have much larger clutches when they lay eggs vs the Mediterranean species. Other members may be able to clarify better but i believe that Sulcatas will lay up to ten eggs a nest and lay 3 or four nests while a Hermanns will lay 3-5 eggs a nest and lay maybe 2 nests.

Sulcattas also grow much larger and are more difficult to care for as they get older.

Hopefully some of our breeders will chime in and clarify further or correct me if i'm wrong.

hope i helped.

Ryan

 

[Jacqui]

It seems like so many other species are cheaper to keep, mature faster, etc. that THEY should be cheaper since there is less cost involved to keeping and breeding them.

What gives?

As for the cheaper to keep, don't let size and thus the amount of food throw you off on that one. I think it is "cheaper" to feed a sulcata, then say one of my hingebacks. Weeds and a lot of other plants (like hibiscus, mulberry leaves, ect) I can grow for free. Hay is a pretty low price when you look at how long a bale will last. The food for my hingbeacks are higher price fruits (that I myself have a heck of a time raising or can't raise at all), mushrooms, ect.., So for me, it costs less to feed my big sulcat then my little hingeback. The sulcata will also mature much faster then my hingeback will. Also once you get hingeback eggs, you may be waiting a lot longer then you think, 300 days has been recorded several times. As for price, an adult Homes hingeback can start at about 40.00. So your theory does have a few openings in it.

 

[EricIvins]

The market is never "flooded" with hatchling Sulcatas.......They are widely available because they aren't hard to produce......Same goes with Corn Snakes, Iguanas, Ball Pythons, etc.......

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Simple supply and demand.

 

[Tom]

The market is never "flooded" with hatchling Sulcatas.......They are widely available because they aren't hard to produce......Same goes with Corn Snakes, Iguanas, Ball Pythons, etc.......

This is true. I could easily sell 10 times more than I do. My buyers are always asking for more than I could possibly produce. I hear the same thing from other breeders in my area. If there is a limit to how many we could sell, I have never seen it.