So after considering my alternatives (2.50 per medium online with at *LEAST* $12 shipping---OR $4.50 per medium rat in store) I have decided to start breeding my own feeder rats. The initial cost is higher yes--but with the right cost-saving measures (ie bulk rodent block at $1/lb) it WILL be dramatically cheaper even to feed say 1 litter of 12 (3 mths of food for my 1 bp) to the size I need which means 1 rat will eat 0.5 lb/monthly seeing as they eat 1 lb/monthly as full grown adults (according to feeder sites they can reach the desired stage in as little as 6-8 weeks). So---that'd bring my total feeding budget to say 8 dollars per month those two months---and then only $2-3 to feed my breeding pair untill I need a new litter. This is compared to $16 plus tax in store bought/$22 for one month of online for 1 bp.
Bedding does not have to be store bought--I have plenty of shreddable paper products.


The fun part is trying to calculate how many breeder females we will need to be able to supply the amount of feeders we need without wearing them out prematurely but also without making our colony too large (meaning more tubs and expense then we need). This is what I don't yet know (still researching but having difficulty).


So we need on a weekly basis:


14 medium size (200 g or so) rats (for the 40 pound dog---yaay whole model prey feeding)
2-3 medium size (for my bp and 1-2 other snakes we'll be considering---otherwise just my bp)


So approximately 15-17 medium rats a week---erring on the larger estimate side to be safe.


How many females would this require while allowing them to recover adequately between litters and remain healthy?