When does it start becoming economical to breed your own rats?

Thanks for the info guys! In that case, I won't breed rats maybe until I get to at least 20 snakes, if ever...

And thanks for the rec on Layne Labs :D I use Big Cheese usually, but the last pack they sent me were mostly on the smaller end of the size range, which I don't think they did before...

I breed my rats to AFRMA standards, have some sought after colors/types and socialize the babies.

I'm able to sell the the excess rats for between $10 and $45 a piece. Which covers all the rat and ASF related expenses and I've got them on expensive organic food.

But I like rats as pets. They are as much of a hoby as the snakes...

But yeah. Free feeders.

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Originally Posted by voodoolamb

I'm able to sell the the excess rats for between $10 and $45 a piece.

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:O:O:O WoW :O:O:O

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

:O:O:O WoW :O:O:O

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Yes. I know. Niche market.

Right now I'm focusing on dwarf, hairless, harleys, red eyed martens, dalmations, and black eyed siamese.

I socialize them, and send a lot off to pet homes or to other breeders. Basically the culls feed the snakes and the rats cover their own care costs.

So it's been very cost effective for me to breed my own rats and use them feeders with just 5 snakes...But I really enjoy working with the rats. All my breeding stock are beloved pets.

I have hairless/dumbo and albino Siamese

I want a black hairless dumbo dwarf. My dream rat! Lol
I have a self black standard dumbo girl that carries both dwarf and hairless... so one day soon!

I keep rats as pets. I bred them for a short time, but for me it was a cost issue, and a smell issue. To get permits to put up a shed, run heat and electricity to it, was cost prohibitive. Keeping the breeders in the house was a nightmare. Quite simply, it smelled.

Now i I pay someone else to breed them and deliver them to me.

If you don't like rats you probably wont like the amount of time spent cleaning cages, feeding, watering, and the other daily maintenance. You will spend more time taking care of your rats than your snakes.

If you were to pay someone to look after your rats would you save money on feeders ? When the answer is yes i would say that is when you would want to start breeding your own rats. The maintenance of your rats becomes another job or hobby depending on how you look at it. In your case an extra freezer and bulk orders of frozen rats would be a lot easier.

I pay 92 dollars every two weeks for one week of live rats, and one week of frozen. That's for eight balls, three juvenile boas, two adult boas, and the thirteen just born boas, plus crickets and waxworms for three beardies and one crestie. More than worth it for me, to avoid the stench and time of raising a colonies.

I don't plan to breed rats no matter how many snakes I accumulate because:

1. They might escape.
2. I'd feel too guilty about feeding one off to do it. It's an animal that depended on me. Sort of a pet!
3. They might escape.
4. I might end up with pets.
5. They might escape.
6. They'd take up room, and I want all the room I can for herps.
7. They might escape.
8. Frozen/thawed involve no care, killing, or guilt about killing a possibly friendly animal. Just buy them pop them in the freezer, and use as needed.
9. They might escape. I don't want gnawed walls and furniture, rats dying in some inaccessible place, the dog might get bit, and it might attack the beardie or geckos.

Not for me, even if it dies cost more!!!