This week marks the start of my first breeding “experiment”. I’m using experiment in quotes because I’m doing this breeding project as part of my passion for the hobby, not to “make big bucks” or produce a new genetic morph. I’m doing it purely for the experience.
I’ve read many things about starting breeding projects and some of the first thing that must be considered are…
- Can you afford to breed.
- Will the babies have a use.
I don’t take the subject of leopard gecko breeding lightly. I may offend when I say the next statement, but breeding leopard geckos on a very small scale does not cost much to start with. Honestly, taking care of a handful of leo’s doesn’t take much money either. Things can crop up, such as illness or geckos that won’t breed. I’ve already spent nearly $200 (male breeder, incubator, deli-cups, vermiculite) on this project and I don’t even know if I have viable breeders! Crazy, I know. But it’s my passion for the hobby that drives me to try. You could also say that the money spent was not wasted. I now have an additional, very handsome male, incubator and vermiculite for future projects if things fall through here.
Let’s try and stay positive though 
On the plus side, my geckos have mated. I paired Lily with Zeus. From what I have read, her first clutch will most likely contain a single egg and may not be fertile. She has the ability to lay ~3 more clutches off the single mating, about three weeks apart.
So I may be looking at around 6 eggs (if any). Leo’s are temperature sex dependent. I’ll be incubating for females. From what I have gathered from the genetics so far, their offspring should be ‘normal het albino’. Meaning they will look just like Lily but have underlying genes from Zeus (het albino). Since I’m incubating for females, in a couple years I’ll breed back one of the offspring to Zeus and that should give me a 50/50 mix of normals and albinos. I could be very off base here, but the albinism is a recessive trait so I think this may be correct.
I’ll let you guys know when the first eggs drop, should be in a couple weeks. I should have my incubator next Tuesday, I opted for the Reptibator which I have talked to breeders that use it and read the reviews online. Sounds like the best buy for the money.
And you may be wondering why Nolan isn’t getting any action. Nolan didn’t make weigh-in. I’ve read that leo’s need to be around 60 grams for breeding. No less than 55 for a female and Nolan weighed in at 54 and doesn’t quite have the best of appetites right now. Lily on the other hand weighed-in at 63 grams and Zeus was right around 55 grams.
