is Raising feeder mice for you?

[infernalis]

I simply got lucky, I was in the pet store telling the lady I bred mice, just as her breeder called and quit.

The math motivates me, I can get 2-3 frozen mice for every living 1.

[Loren]

Cool deal. I did manage to sell a few loads of rats to the petstore, but they just couldnt take them on a regular basis.

[infernalis]

If things get too out of balance, Chomper is happy to lower the population load.

[brain]

If things get too out of balance, Chomper is happy to lower the population load.


This “was” where I got rid of most of my overages at times.

Another herper locally had a caiman and would take and thing I want to get rid of … rats, mice or even old frozen pullets.

John’s caiman died last year, the heat lamp in the critters pond died he didn’t realize it as the pond is in a secluded area and then the cold to him.

[misskris]

What a very interesting thread. I personally don't care for mice or rats, and I only have one snake so it wouldn't make sense for me to try and breed them.

*wonders if Wayne worries about mad cow disease* mmmmm

[infernalis]

No worries about mad cow. I am keeping all the "cows" to breed more, The pet store will be very happy to receive loads of them, they will sell quick.

Little stinkers are already weaned and running all over the place.

That was a bummer for the Caiman, It's not often they get cared for properly, So many jerks buy them for the "cool factor" and tire of the upkeep rather quickly.

Sort of the same with Monitors, One incident of an Argus that was "released" here in NY a while back. Some kids found it and stuffed it in a bag, then tried to keep it, ultimately harassed it to death.

[Lori P]

Hey, I had a thought today. (I know!! Bask in it-- it doesn't happen too often!!) At work, we are in the process of shredding old client files. After filling up four trash bags today with shredded paper, I thought--- could I use this for bedding for the mice and rats?? It's free... there will be a LOT of it... so even if it needs changing more often, that's fine. Any reason not to use it??

Oh, and Wayne, I ran across some baby black and white "cow" mice the other day and HAD to treat myself. :-) Got four females and a male. They are SOOOO cute!!! Hope they make babies soon!!!!

[jitami]

I know a vet who uses it for puppies... don't know why it would be any different for mice?

[infernalis]

Speaking of the cows.... The adult is the father.

My favorite is the brown one.

http://www.dekayi.info/breeding/1cow.jpg

http://www.dekayi.info/breeding/2cows.jpg

http://www.dekayi.info/breeding/mice.jpg

[Hornets23]

Those are WAY too cute.

[Aundrea]

OMG they are sooooooooooooooooooooooooo CUTE!!!! I love the cow pattern!!! :eek:

[Snake lover 3-25]

omg soooooo cute!!!!! seriously if i had had their mom and she delivered those i'd never be able to give them up.........

[misskris]

I'm soo glad mice and rats don't appeal to me :)

[brain]

I'm soo glad mice and rats don't appeal to me :)


Same here.

They are just a food source guys...:rolleyes:

[Lori P]

They are indeed a food source. They are also living, sentient beings who deserve the common respect and courtesy that all beings deserve. And there is nothing wrong with us giving them extra love and attention and oooohs and aaaaahs from time to time... cute is cute!

[Stefan-A]

cute is cute!
Cute is tasty.

[Lori P]

LOLOL Yes. Cute is tasty, too. :-)

[crzy_kevo]

lol ya they are cute i still havent gotten mine switched out for new ones that might actually breed :(

they are living for free and it sucks

[Hornets23]

They are indeed a food source. They are also living, sentient beings who deserve the common respect and courtesy that all beings deserve. And there is nothing wrong with us giving them extra love and attention and oooohs and aaaaahs from time to time... cute is cute!


Amen Lori!

[ssssnakeluvr]

Cute is tasty.
I'll take your word on that....I haven't tasted one.....:eek:

[Stefan-A]

I'll take your word on that....I haven't tasted one.....:eek:
Everybody's had cute.

[infernalis]

Yes, Cute is VERY tasty....

http://www.dekayi.info/nature/carmella.jpg

[crzy_kevo]

ok so i am trying one last thing before i right off these mice i have seperated them
the female is in a metal enclosure on the other side of the room i am going to try reintroducing them in a week because and if that doesnt work then they will become feeders and i will have to get a new pair for breeding feeders for the rat snake

[infernalis]

After much thinking, We decided to sell ALL the rats off to the pet store.

I am done, no more..

Just found a female who escaped while pregnant, she nested behind a rack of snake enclosures.. Thankfully we caught her while nursing pinks, so the litter has not had a chance to disperse through our house.

However she destroyed the wiring leading up to several cage lights..

All of my animals are eating frozen / thawed food, and the pet shop does not pay me enough to warrant the damages to my home from escaped rats.

So we decided the best thing to do is just call it a day and cease the breeding operation.

The money we will save not buying all the food and bedding can be channeled into frozen feeders for the herps.
it will also free up 3 very large aquariums for my snakes.

[brain]

After much thinking, We decided to sell ALL the rats off to the pet store.

I am done, no more..


Yea I was thinking the same thing untill I got my radix's now have to adjust my monies between pinkies and worms. :p:p
Go figure.

[ConcinusMan]

Yes, Cute is VERY tasty....

http://www.dekayi.info/nature/carmella.jpgPerhaps it is. I've accidentally slow-roasted pinkies before. They really don't smell all that different than a darker meat pork roast.:p I fed them to my snakes anyway! They didn't seem to mind one bit.


I'm soo glad mice and rats don't appeal to me :)

Yeah, cute they're not. At least not to me. The only rodent I find remotely cute are our local squirrels, and even then, I'm not like "awwwww, it's so cute!" Their cuteness factor, what little there is, only keeps me from wanting to eradicate them. In fact, I feed them a bit too, just for kicks when I'm bored. But if they were a good food source for my snakes, I wouldn't hesitate to use them.:cool: (the squirrels that visit my yard are non-native and not protected by any laws)

Raising feeder mice is definitely not for me. First off, you don't save as much money as you think you would. Secondly, they stink beyond belief and aren't as easy to breed as you might think. It's work, and there is expense. It's just not worth it. I'd rather pay $1 per pinky than to keep breeding adult mice anywhere near my house.

Still, I do not hate them for what they are and I do have feelings about feeding live rodents or any other animal, to any other animals. Unlike some sadists out there, I do not enjoy watching them struggle or suffer as they are being eaten alive and so prefer to feed using f/t dead rodents. I know, i've done it, and even posted video of it. Just saying I didn't enjoy it.

Shoot Brain, those radixes would thrive on fish and worms alone and probably eat as much as you'll give them! Mine will eat anything, any time, and they don't seem to care if they get pinkies at all.

[brain]

Shoot Brain, those radixes would thrive on fish and worms alone and probably eat as much as you'll give them! Mine will eat anything, any time, and they don't seem to care if they get pinkies at all.


You are very right there.

[Steveo]

Breathing life into an old thread here...

Would it be economical to run one tank of mice for ten snakes + ~4 litters of scrubs every year? I'm thinking I could donate any extras to the raptor nonprofit where I volunteer and use that as a tax writeoff. I would probably still need the occasional pack of silversides for the pickeringii, but I've spent about $300 in the last 10 months on snake food and that's only going to increase as they grow and reproduce... the king will be 2 years old in August and already eats two adult mice per week, with the 2 milks not far behind. I can't imagine it would cost that much to raise some mice. I already have a tank and substrate.

How bad is the smell? Would it spread beyond one room? I have a ventilation fan in the spare bathroom that pulls air away from the main living area and out of the building, wich takes care of the cat box smell from said bathroom.

My guppy experiment didn't work out but mammals grow more quickly and I won't have to carry buckets of water all the time :rolleyes:

[Invisible Snake]

I think breeding rats is better than breeding mice; less of a smell, larger litters, less of a chance of cannibalism.

[BUSHSNAKE]

i do both rats and mice and it was the best thing ive ever done. With the right equipment its very easy and cheap. I spend probably about a third of what i would spend if i were to buy my own feeders. Plus i know my snakes are getting a quality diet.

[BUSHSNAKE]

i think rats smell worse then mice...its a stronger smell. they also dont have larger littrers. After 2 years of breeding mice ive had one death and no eating babies. get your mice from a closed established colony and they will do great.

[BUSHSNAKE]

if you can reduce the number of males you have you can cut down on the smell

[Steveo]

I think breeding rats is better than breeding mice; less of a smell, larger litters, less of a chance of cannibalism.

I don't know that I could get away with rats; I think the mice will already be a tough sell to the missus... and we're not supposed to have rodents or reptiles in the apartment to begin with... and I just don't think I have the room for rats. I don't want them to be visible. I might be able to make some room in a closet after spring cleaning, but not that much.

When we buy a house next year, I'm going to have a shed and a room in the basement or extra bedroom for pets... then I could do rats.

[Steveo]

if you can reduce the number of males you have you can cut down on the smell


How many would I need? Could I do 1M/4F? I figure that would get me about 50 pups per month, which would be plenty. I have burned through 100 pinks in a month before, but I think I will be moving most of my future scrubs before they get big enough to down them like candy.

[BUSHSNAKE]

i think 1.4 is perfect.