Feeding Live compared to F/T?

Its all in what your time is worth to you. Raising your own you will be spending much less money than anywhere you can buy f/t. So if you spend 45 minutes a week cleaning tubs you are using 3 hours and 15 minutes a month. Figure out what the cheapest you can buy all your rats for f/t then subtract the amount of $ it cost you to raise your rats per month. Take that number and divide it by 3.25..if that number is not worth more than and hour of your time you should buy your rats.

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Originally Posted by Flint

Oh, you're looking to stop breeding. Sorry, I thought you were going out and buying live. Ever try putting an ad on your local CL to see if anyone near you is breeding?


Sent from an anxious girl!!

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Yes, theres 1 or 2 that breed a VERY small litters, not enough for them and me both.

Honestly bulkmice isn't going to be cheaper than Big Cheese. They're both out of Texas and I'm in Louisiana and when I called both places, Big Cheese was a lot cheaper. Also they vacuum seal their rodents. You can even go pick up from Big Cheese as well.

That would depend on the order size. Bulkmice will deliver free on orders over $300 to a few major cities around Houston. Dallas, College Station, and Galveston being some. They will also deliver to your door in Houston on qualifying orders but me being so close I can make smaller orders more often.

If they ordered twice a year that should be over a $300 order and could get them free delivery.

Or like me, driving to pick my order up saved me more on shipping than any other sites lower prices would have. I checked around and Bulkmice was very competitive but I don't get special prices from Big Cheese.

Aside from time, I personally think breeding your own feeders is cheaper and more rewarding than commercial F/T, so I would just stick with that.

Not to mention not all snakes take F/T. And any snakes that do not eat the live feeder, you can always save that rat for the next week. In comparison, an uneaten F/T feeder is usually dumped and wasted. Thus wasting more money.

I never waste a feeder. I will refreeze once or its eaten by somebody.

I currently feed both F/T and live. I don't have as many snakes as you do though, so I don't need as many rats breeding. I have one tub so far and am making another couple today. Only takes me maybe 5 minutes once a week to clean the tub. Dump bedding into garbage bag, wipe down several times with Clorox wipes, dump new bedding in, replace water bottle and done. The F/T I have to take out hours beforehand, dump the water and put more hot water in multiple times, then do a good zombie dance to get my pickier eaters to eat. With my pickier two it can take several tries and reheating with the hairdryer before they strike and actually eat it. With my best two it's gone as soon as it's put in front of them. With live I just drop it in, watch the strike, and that's it.

If I had to breed mice I think I'd quit though. I can't do the smell.

I have 12 now. All are on FT except one who is sometimes on FT and sometimes not. She's had RI issues and going back to the vet, so we'll see if I can get her sorted out. When she's doing well she takes FT no problem along with the others.

If I had a lot of snakes, I might setup a rat colony to breed my own live feeders. With just 12, though, FT is convenient.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

Not to mention not all snakes take F/T. And any snakes that do not eat the live feeder, you can always save that rat for the next week. In comparison, an uneaten F/T feeder is usually dumped and wasted. Thus wasting more money.

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Or you get some king snakes and boas as clean-up crew.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Or you get some king snakes and boas as clean-up crew.

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But what about the folks who don't want kings or boas?