Rats or Mice?

[jarobin]

So, we've decided to start breeding to feed our snake. It just seems more cost effective. Plus, we love animals and my boyfriend is especially fond of rodents. I posted yesterday on the mice forum and have since done some more research that I feel breeding is doable. Now the question is, do we breed mice or rats? I only have the one snake, so we probably would only get 1 or 2 of each sex. Well, we'd start off with one of each and then keep one of each from the first litter to raise to full maturity and breed them too. Most of the time the males and females are going to be kept separate so they don't breed too often.

Right now Parker is a littler over 1 year old. He is 28 inches long and is eating 3 hopper mice a week (and still hunting). His belly and hunting habits suggest to me that he's ready for the next size up. He is really picky and sometimes he doesn't eat and it's such a waste of money to buy the rats pre-frozen when hes in a refusing mood. So originally we were thinking mice. But I guess it's only a matter of time before we are going to need rats anyway. I know full grown rats will be years away though. So I read that a pinkie rat is basically the size of a fuzzy mouse, and a fuzzy rat is about the size of a hopper and can get to as big as a weaned mouse. So basically, I'm assuming he's either going to eat a weaned mouse, or a fuzzy rat. I just don't know which to breed.

Right now we only have one tank, its a 10 gallon we found at a consignments store that came with a hide and wheel and we got it for $10! Couldn't pass that up!! I planned to get a 5.5 gallon for the males and breed/nurse in the 10 gallon. I'm thinking a 5.5 gallon for 2 adult rats may be too small, so I'm considering a 2nd 10 gallon if we go for rats. We do plan to euthanize and freeze the weaned mice or fuzzy rats as soon as they reach the age. And from what I gather, neither of those are ages when they reach sexual maturity so it will be ok to leave them with mom, and eventually moms until its time to kill them. But I guess it's also a matter of is a 10 gallon ok to house up 12-24 rats for 2 weeks while they grow, plus the adults. Decisions, decisions.

Any advice and/or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

[The Serpent Merchant]

First off are you sure that your BP is over a year old? If so he should be eating rodents much larger than hoppers.

If he will eat rats then I would breed them as you will need fewer rodents. Nutritionally mice and rats are about the same. Whatever will be the easiest for you to feed and what your snake is most likely to eat.

[jarobin]

yes I'm sure. We got him last 4th of July and he was about 4-6 weeks I think. I don't know why he's so small, honestly. He's healthy and everything but he did go a LONG time last winter not eating at ALL. We were lucky to get 1 fuzzy in him every 2 weeks. We wasted a lot of mice trying to feed him and then as soon as April hit he started eating again. He ate 2 fuzzies, then 3, then we switched to hoppers. He was eating 1 hopper for a while, and refusing the 2nd. Then in July he started eating 2. He only recently (in the past week or so) started eating more than 2, he would refuse the 3rd. And after he started eating 3, now he is looking for more. So he basically got hungrier recently. Not sure what to make of it. I was told he was refusing in the winter because of it being a hibernation time. It's been a gradual process and he's not exactly the smartest either. He doesn't coil all the way around the mouse, and sometimes he can't figure out how to turn the mouse around and he'll drop it. Then he won't eat it and we have to try again. If he drops it twice, he won't eat it. And yes, we are heating it the right way lol. I check the temperature every feeding before giving it to him. Lately, like I said, he's actually eating again. Last week he decided to climb something in the branch in his enclosure and couldn't figure out how to eat from it, but wouldn't get down. Now we take it out when we feed him because he went for it again this week during feeding time.

I'm hoping this new found hunger and eating streak continues and he does start eating bigger mice, or the rats. But like I said, we want to start breeding them, especially with him being so picky and the pre-frozen ones get costly if he refuses. I'd rather breed them myself and if he refuses, its not that big a loss.

[DooLittle]

Here's my 2 cents- We at one point or time, have had them all.Mice are the stinkiest. Plus, you need to feed multiples when your snake has some size. Rats are nice but they smell too. Not as bad as mice. Rats grow up pretty fast, so turn around is nice. Plus rats are usually pretty cool. African soft furreds (asf's) smell the least. They have large litters, but they don't mature as fast as rats. They can also be bitey little buggers. Nice thing about them is that they don't smell to much, and they will potty in one spot only. So you can spot clean, and not have to clean whole tank as often as with rats or mice. Right now we have rats and asf's. Me personally, I would stay away from the mice. Hope that helps.

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[jarobin]

omg those african soft furred rats are so cute!!!! I don't know if i could kill them. I would definitely have to make my boyfriend do it lol. I wouldn't mind having a few of those as pets haha

Where could I get them? I live in NJ. I like them and I like how you explained they don't smell as much and seem easier to maintain. Plus large litters that don't mature as quickly is a big plus.

[luvmyballs]

It's not so hard to kill them when there is blood dripping down your arm from a bite. Ha ha seriously thou they can be mean but they do mellow a bit with handeling . Check with your local reptile store to see if they sell them.

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[JaGv]

i say rats they get up to the size you will need them for your snake faster than mice.

[DooLittle]

Lol, some can be bred to be friendly, but they aren't typically "pet" material. You will have no problem feeding one off after it has lanced your finger open for being to close to its babies. They are very cute, and we definately have some more trustworthy than others. They also can be hard to come by apparently, you might try searching the internet, and may have to get them shipped in. I am west coast, so not sure where you could get them. They are also bps natural prey.

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[I-KandyReptiles]

My ASFs are incredibly nice. My male will occasionally nibble on my finger when I stick my hand in, but he doesn't bite.

I'd go with rats. ASFs grow quickly at birth but slow down around the time you wean them. And mice just reek.

[Annageckos]

I would go with what ever animal you like most. I breed rats, I love rats. I have had mice, but they STINK. I switched my ball over to rats as soon as I could, I didn't want to bother with mice. She started out with small fuzzies, then moved up to larger fuzzy rat pups. Now she is taking smaller weanlings. Rats don't smell much if you keep them clean. I clean my tubs/cages every 5-7 days, depending on the number of rats in them. I use both pine pellets and pine shavings and it works great. I put a thin layer of pellets on the bottom, then a layer of shavings on top. I get both of these at a local feed store cheap, much cheaper then a pet store. I also feed harlan lab blocks and I have noticed a drop in the smell(I use to feed dog food, the rats also look healthier and are having better litters) IMO a ten gallon tank is way to small, even for one rat. The smaller the space the more you will have to clean it. You may be able to use the ten gallon to grow the rats out, but you will have to clean it every couple of days. Another thing I like about rats is that they make great pets, even the breeders. There are so many different colors and patterns. I recently have had blue dumbos pop up in one of my litters.