Do you make money from your torts?

[MaddieLynn]

This is primarily aimed at all of you tortoise breeders. I'd love it if y'all voted in the poll and then elaborated in the comments. How many of you would consider your tortoises your primary business?

 

[SnakeyeZ]

I voted 'no' although I have been thinking of selling tortoise nuggets. I'm just not sure how much of a market there is yet.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

We consider our aldabra breeding program a hobby. At this point it is financially gaining. It is not and never will be our primary source of income!

Nice poll MaddieLynn.

 

[Baoh]

Back when I bred Testudo species, I made profit, but I had to put a ton of extra work in for very little ROI. When I go back in soon, I am keeping some things in mind to improve my ROI substantially. This has not, is not, nor will ever be, my primary source of income.

 

[B K]

I have not sold any yet we are just getting started I do have some Greeks breeding and will sell them to pay for my hobby .My wife does breed and sell other reptiles and it is profitable, but is a very small part of our income.

 

[cdmay]

Although I have sold my hatchling tortoises for over 30 years I can honestly say I don't 'make' money on them.
Like Aldabraman stated, they are a hobby and not a source of income. At best, the income I get might compensate slightly what I put into the animals in the way of food and other care. Besides, I probably give away close to a quarter of the hatchlings I produce anyway and I wholesale most of the others since I don't like the hassle and worry of shipping little tortoises all over the place.

I never sell for much $$ either...in the early 1980's I used to sell hatchling redfoots in lots of 10 for $12.00 each. We would sell our hatchling leopard tortoises in lots of 10 for $20.00 each. Not exactly big money.

 

[Tom]

I'm still way in the red, but I'm only just beginning. I think in 10 or 15 years I might eventually move into the black... if I'm lucky...

 

[CGKeith]

Just a hobby for me. The cost of supplies, electricity and food, far outweigh what I get from the sales of my hatchlings.

 

[Tim/Robin]

While selling a tortoise does put money in my pocket, we by no means "make money" on them. It will take us YEARS to sell enough to get back what we have in to the animals themselves and the indoor caging we use. Not to mention the new house we bought to have more room, or the custom radiant heated flooring I installed in our 14X31 reptile/family room. And what about the $30+ we spend a week for greens/spring mix/veggies in the winter (8 months out of the year). And the 25lb bags of Mazuri, and the electrical bills, and the light bulbs, and the .......... Oh, what about the huge newly redesigned tortoise yard out back, that has I don't know how many cinders, all the plants and seeds we put down. The list goes on and on.
It is like so many other hobbies, an expense rather than an income. An expense that we gladly have taken on and will have for as long as we live. WE LOVE our HOBBY!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh, what about the huge newly redesigned tortoise yard out back, that has I don't know how many cinders, all the plants and seeds we put down. The list goes on and on.

Sorry for the slight OT foray, but Tim & Robin: Don't I remember a recent post that said you were moving? Have you settled into your new place? And, if so, where's our pictures? Your old outdoor pens were beautiful.