How do you choose breeders?

[NWAxolotl]

Just curious for the breeders here - How do you chose which axolotls to breed? Is it based on color? Size? Certain features and proportions?

For example when choosing breeder for my goldfish I look at all of the above and against what the shape standard is.

So Im wondering for axolotls - Is there a talk to body ratio, a tail versus head with cosideration, etc, or do you just pick two you like?

 

[seagull]

i breed burrito because shes my only feeder but i tell my friend wat color i want to cross her with

 

[sde]

I am pretty sure its people breed them either on accident, they don't care, or whatever they think would be nice. I don't think its specific. just my thoughts. -Seth

 

[Alkylhalide]

Color morph and other genetics that seem better over others. For example texas has beautiful coloring, also is het for golden albino. Toothless who is my melanoid, or silver dalmation also has beautiful patterns on him and also has very long fluffy gills.
As far as health goes i will never breed nike due to her having a bent tail, well it has corrected a lot as she has grown but I have seen bent tails associate with short toe syndrome and I do know 100% the bent tail was like that since hatching so probably genetic.. Dont want to risk it. It is not worth euthanising hundreds of babies because they are sick.

Other then that most times its an accident like mentioned above. But to me all my axies are unique in their own way. As long as they dont have any know genetic abnormalities that would pass on to offsprings and are in good health, they will probably make pretty babies

 

[auntiejude]

I don't choose my breeding axies, it just happens.

But f I were to buy an axie with a view to breeding I would look for genetics and health of the individual.

 

[EmbryH]

If you breed, breed for health first.

If you have an axolotl who has had problems getting sick often, don't breed. If you have an axolotl that has some kind of deformity, don't breed. If you have two adult siblings, don't breed.

If your adults are healthy, have no obvious deformities, and are as unrelated as possible, then ok. AFTER that, you can start choosing between colortypes and such. There isn't really a standard as far as I know, nor should there really be one aside from "HEALTHY."

Let's not make this the AKC, folks.

 

[axowattyl]

If you breed, breed for health first.

If you have an axolotl who has had problems getting sick often, don't breed. If you have an axolotl that has some kind of deformity, don't breed. If you have two adult siblings, don't breed.

If your adults are healthy, have no obvious deformities, and are as unrelated as possible, then ok. AFTER that, you can start choosing between colortypes and such. There isn't really a standard as far as I know, nor should there really be one aside from "HEALTHY."

Let's not make this the AKC, folks.

+1

Health and good form are the absolute priority.

Big strong well formed parents will produce better babies, and then you can look into line breeding techniques to "lock in" colors and other desirable traits in the next generation.

This is true of any animal, poultry being a classic example.