is Raising feeder mice for you?

[jitami]

That's really not too bad, especially for that many mice. Thanks Inge!

[Zephyr]

*Sigh.* It's the same way with roaches, the feeling guilty part when you send them to the slaughter. Only thing is it's about 1/100 the cost overall. :P

[Snake lover 3-25]

what do you feed roaches to???? i thought you kept them as pets!!!!!

[infernalis]

Thats the thing when we keep carnivores as pets.

Lizards are very fond of roaches and crickets.

[Lori P]

I went thru so much agony about this at the beginning... and now I'm much better at it. The one problem I can see me having is, I will get too attached to the breeder mommas... I can't imagine I'll be able to feed them off once they have done so much for me and the snakes. So I guess I'll have a momma mouse retirement farm. :-)

Speaking of which... at what age should the mommas be retired??

[jitami]

Lori, it's easier(in my head anyway) for me because I don't have anything that could eat a full grown mouse. Do you think you could pass your retired mommas on to someone else? Still to be used as food, but you wouldn't have to "do the dirty work"? Of course, I think I'd be happier knowing that I euthanized it humanely than trusting someone else to do the same. Hmmmm... momma retirement farm, huh ?

[infernalis]

We had a young mama "Cinnamon" she was a good mama, suddenly was just dead, for a whole day it bothered me to look in that cage.

I stay "detached" to the point where my best moms will bite me when I reach in. (no human interaction allowed) and since they get no contact from me, they hate me. Its best that way.

Moms will produce really well for about a year, then taper off. I have always felt that they earned a rest after a year.

And every once in a while, a really cool mouse will con you into moving it from the food line to the production line.

If you can view it as a miniature live stock farm, and remember the ending is always the same, breeding mice can also be very rewarding.

[Jenlang_79]

I could never do it but thank god for people like you!!! If all people couldn't raise them to kill well then I wouldn't be able to keep my snakes...so I truly appreciate what you do!!!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I tried keeping a breeding group of mice once.... never again until we live on our own... and have a shed!

[Snake lover 3-25]

why not????