How much do you pay for live mice?

I've seen a bunch of people post here about getting ripped off at big chain stores.

I don't follow the logic though.

They have an item at a specific price. You can purchase at that price or not, it's up to you. It may be higher than you like and it may be more than you pay now, but is it really a rip off?

They wouldn't be that price at a big chain store unless they were selling for that price. Hence, not everyone, by a wide margin, thinks those prices are "ripping them off."

We're snake keepers, we know rodent breeders. That doesn't make anyone into a bad guy just for charging people who don't know what we do more money.

Ever use a company auto mechanic? Or, do you know a guy who does the same but works for less? The company guy isn't a rip off, he may be a thief, but his prices are clearly posted and you get to make the choice whether or not to pay them.

Then again, maybe charging higher prices to those who don't know where to go for lower prices is ripping people off.

If it is, then a lot of folks are doing it, not just big chain stores.

Oh well, just wonderin'.

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Originally Posted by BeastMaster

$2.50 a month for misc costs........

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...NewDigs027.jpg

Start out with 1 male and two females (cost me $3), go to walmart or whatever and get a rubbermaid snaptight 15qt for $4 and a water bottle for $1.87. Food is about $5 for a 2-3 month supply. I have over 20 healthy mice in my little colony now. I just upgraded to a 30 qt container (gen pop) for $7 and the ones in the picture are for pregnant females and their babies. Breeding your own is just too easy and cheap NOT to do, especially if your snake requires a certain size mouse like my little king did.

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Personally, knowing how much ammonia (a strong colorless poisonous gas) rats and ASF's give off, I can't see drilling a few holes being enough ventilation for mice either.

Just buy a roll of 1/4" hardware cloth and put it on the lid (several sticky's and DIY on this site) and KNOW you are providing enough ventilation.

Luckily, mice can be separated by sex and reintroduced later (unlike ASFs), so you don't need to have a CO2 chamber on hand all the time because they just keep producing more and more, however, it's a good idea to learn how to humanly euthanize rodents via CO2 before you begin to breed. You will likely need to put them down at some point, or sell live, which it can be difficult to sell off extra live if there is no market.

My two cents.

I pay 1.50 for mice, sometimes $3 at the nearest store. Then rats cost more. $3-$5 each. I buy them at the pet store and feed right away because I dont want to keep them. I pay average about $10 a week to feed 2 small bp. You know sometimes they don't eat just one. Sucks for me huh?

local stores on mice are atleast 2.50,we pay 45 cent though a feeder breeder,but we breed rats,at 5cu ft bag of aspen being 12 bucks,and 40 pounds of food for 14,a LOT cheaper