super newb....

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Originally Posted by rabernet

I am going to provide for mine until they die, I feel like they've earned a nice retirement after providing meals for my snakes. Maybe because my breeders are also loved as pets as well. :)

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That's awesome.. mine are just pretty-much livestock to me. I really do not have time to handle them.. but like anyone who really knows how to keep livestock, I know that healthy rats are happy rats, and happy rats produce better; they live the best life I can give them. :) I did have one girl who was a pet rat before I got her, and I let her live out her life and she passed of natural causes.. I still miss her. I never feel the attachments to any of the current ones like that though..

My breeders are mean as can be. They are breeders and nothing more to me. I still give them good care, they just don't get handled. I just got bit again today trying to refil the food. I'm getting tired of them!!!

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Originally Posted by Pork Chops N' Corn Bread

My breeders are mean as can be. They are breeders and nothing more to me. I still give them good care, they just don't get handled. I just got bit again today trying to refil the food. I'm getting tired of them!!!

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That's a shame :( . Mine are all doll babies - and love to be held and cuddled. I don't think I'll ever tire of them. :love:

i also look at my breeder rats as livestock , but if any of them become aggresive they get fed off . i breed fancy rats so i can sell some as pets , although the majority are used for feeders . i dont want aggresive rats producing for me because i dont want to take the chance that its an inheritable trait . i handle all my breeders on a semi regular basis just to avoid it .

as for breeding your own rats for just 4 snakes , i dont think it would save you very much money , but you just might find that you enjoy the rats almost as much as you do your snakes . its all dependent on what you like .

well. I wasn't talking about breeding them for food, i meant for pets. Give some of them away, and keep some for my ever growing collection. i love my ratties, i dont think i could ever feed any of their babies off.

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Originally Posted by Amy05

well. I wasn't talking about breeding them for food, i meant for pets. Give some of them away, and keep some for my ever growing collection. i love my ratties, i dont think i could ever feed any of their babies off.

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You only have 4 snakes. Just wait and those babies are just as cute as they are in your snake tubs

you have to keep in mind that rats are very prolific breeders . 1 male and three females can produce quite a few offspring . sometimes it can be difficult to sell or even give away all the babies .

i try to feed off the less cute ones to my snakes and keep the better looking ones either for future breeding stock or to sell to the petshop i work at as pet fancy rats . with 17 hungry reptilian mouths to feed it becomes a matter of economics . i save quite a bit raising my own rats for feeders and on top of that , the ones i sell off pretty much pay for the feed and bedding for the ones i breed .

with 12 to 15 breeder females i'm producing enough food for my snakes without buying hardly any . i also know that i'm feeding them healthy rats which in turn means healthier snakes . buying feeders weather live or frozen you just never know bow healthy those feeders are .

it really comes down to what you personally want , but if your going to breed rats you may as well put some to good use for your snakes too .

If you are looking to specifically breed for pet then probably best to do a lot of research online about rat genetics so you know what you are crossing will produce a pet/show quality rat with as little genetic issues as possible. Also figure out how many you want to produce, your market locally, etc. before you end up with a lot of young rats you can't find homes for.

She has 4 snakes and wants to breed rats. I think that is enough snakes to at least put a dent in your saving money towards buying feeders. I say go for it.


I am breeding African soft furs for my one snake.....just 1 snake. Yeah, I know, whats the point? It is definetly work, the rats jump like crazy and bite too. But they are so neat to watch, the experience to me is worth it.....even if it doesn't work out. If it doesn't, I can just quit and feed off what I have....I am sure Stryker won't mind...:)

i breed rats and i really enjoy them but i try to stay away from them and not handle them that much because i dont want to get attached to them since im the one that has to kill their babies or them eventually (well my snake does the killing but its almost the same.. lol).. you guys that say you love your rats.. how can you love them and then again kill their babies and/or them? isnt it hard for you?