Recently I have seen many people introducing themselves as homebreeders or sugar glider professional sellers. Then they offer cheap prices. They aren’t exactly homebreeders mind you, I do know as a fact that some buy bulk joeys, around 20 joeys at a time from a mass breeder, then nurse them till they look like 2 months OOP since they get them as underage joeys. Then sell off as 100% homebred. I have seen some homebreeders, putting all the joeys in 1 cage. Then they normally do not have the parent gliders around, all the joeys are chucked in 1 or 2 cages, eating communally and sleeping communally. I never separate my joeys from their parents and chuck them in 1 cage with all other joeys. The most, I just separate a joey or a pair in 1 cage, and handle it myself to get it used to being away from mom and dad.

People, I understand they are doing the business to support their lives…. they need money, well, everyone needs money to live in this world. But if people always think of selling livestock as a means of getting income, then to me it is unethical. I don’t blame people for it, coz this kinda business is very tempting, I did it once but then only once because my heart cannot take it. To see newbies with no experience or knowledge, wanting the pet just coz it’s trendy and exotic and best of all cheap. Long gone are those days for me. I now breed gliders because I want the circle to end. If we keep buying from mass breeders or cheap gliders, there will always be a demand for it. People would then see it as an opportunity to start a business because cheap gliders, more profit if resell and they do not need to worry about breeding. Just buy stock and then sell. So if we support the proper breeders, this thing can die down or slow down…. less joeys die…. less gliders die from overbreeding…. it may be slow but it can help.

My advice, if you are thinking of selling gliders as a business, think twice…. think about the overbreeding of mass produced gliders, think about the silly impulse buyers when you offer them cheap gliders….. I know we can’t get away from mass breeders because all my gliders, are either 2nd or 3rd generation  from gliders that were bought from mass breeders or directly from mass breeders…. but I had to start somewhere as there were no proper breeders around last time. Since now there are a minority of them, support them. They need your full support. Remember, hobbyist never think about money, they care about who buys them. They would blast you with questions and drill you till you quiver but then there are reasons behind it, all for the sake of finding the best home for their gliders.

I enjoy my gliders, I never forcefeed or handfeed my joeys, I will reject people who I feel are not right to keep gliders…. I love gliders, I neuter those that should retire from breeding, I don’t force my gliders to breed or sell off those that cannot breed. I enjoy having them and that’s what you should too. To me, breeding gliders is a hobby, not a business. And my aim is to educate people about sugar glider care. If you have the same goal as me, then go for it….. don’t go and buy mass produced joeys and resell them…. to me, that’s pointless.