Worth it?

Is it worth it to have maybe 1.1 rats breeding for a single or maybe 2 BPs?

With the stores charging $6 for a sm rat, I'd do a 1.2 colony

I'd just do F/T if I only had a few BPs.

Well the only reason I ask is that I don't really want to spend that much on a handful of F/T in a pet store, and also don't wanna have 50 frozen rats sitting in my freezer if I order them... How much do you typically pay for f/t if you buy locally? (I don't have a bp yet, just wanna get all my bases covered)

http://rodentpro.com/

I would suggest you start off with 1.2, preferably 1.3. You can always euthanize extra's and freeze them for later or sell them. If you have a vacuum sealer you can seal the extras for a long time so they won't go bad. I have all my bags proportioned out for 3 weeks of feeding for a single snake. Works great for me, especially when I bought a large order for F/T before getting into breeding my own rats.

I'm started breeding my own rats 2-3 weeks ago, but it takes a 1-3 months before they are settled in and ready to breed. A few of my females are not mature enough too... I currently have 1.4 and will probably hold back several males from my first liter for breeding.

What kind of BP do you have, how big and old is he/she? You must post some of him/her. :D

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Originally Posted by Trogdorpheus

Well the only reason I ask is that I don't really want to spend that much on a handful of F/T in a pet store, and also don't wanna have 50 frozen rats sitting in my freezer if I order them... How much do you typically pay for f/t if you buy locally? (I don't have a bp yet, just wanna get all my bases covered)

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I paid a full years worth of F/T rats from rodent pro. Like I said I vacuum sealed up the extra's so they'll last much longer and I proportioned the bags for 2-3 week feedings. If you plan on buying another snake within the next few months then I'd buy some extra F/T.

rodentpro may only charge $1 per small rat, but the shipping is outrageous. And, justifbly so, cooler/box/dry ice and priority overnight shipping. You end up paying more for shipping than the rodents on small orders.

Find a local source, but 20 at a time for $2-3 a piece, save money....

I get people that want me to ship pretty much everyday, until I quote a shipping rate, then they quickly change their mind...

For anything under about 5 snakes, in my opinion, it's cheaper to just buy your food, but only if you can find a breeder near you. Obviously, petco/smart's prices of $8-10 per rats is stupid, but there are plenty of small pet stores and rodent breeders all over the place..

yall are paying too much. I pay only 2.25 in the San Francisco Bay Area and even cheaper fr frozen. There is also a guy who sales wholesale live rats for 1.50.

Well on rodentpro, with shipping, 50 medium rats is about $103... so that's only $2 per rat. I should also mention that I'd likely be looking into younger snakes, since I like the idea of having it grow up with me, so I could get maybe 75 smaller rats shipped out for about $80. So that's just over $1 per rat.

I guess my only real concern with ordering online is how much space they'll take up in the freezer/how long they'll keep.

If you do decide to breed rats, definitely, definitely try to find someone local who also breeds rats.
I breed my own, however, if I'm ever short on rats, I have someone I go to. I get smalls and mediums for 75 cents each.
It's nice to have someone you can go to other than a pet shop or reptile shop. I know the rep shops around me charge $2 for a sm....which isn't too bad except for when I have to buy a lot. I prefer to save money when I can.

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Originally Posted by lucylove

yall are paying too much. I pay only 2.25 in the San Francisco Bay Area and even cheaper fr frozen. There is also a guy who sales wholesale live rats for 1.50.

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My point exactely....

I laugh when I see people selling medium rats for $0.75 each.

I have sold some that cheap in the past. To tell you the truth I would rather light them on fire than sell them at that price any more.

This is the problem with the hobby. People are cutting each other's throats at every opportunity. This is why an albino burm is $75 at a reptile show. You are buying a snake that will be 16+' long and over 100 pounds and you don't even have to drop a Benjamin to get it?

The guy who is selling medium rats for $0.75 is MAYBE breaking even on costs and that is ONLY if he doesn't count labor costs, in which case he is losing money every time. People who are in this hobby to lose money make me laugh.

On the original topic breeding rats is worth it if you can do it correctly. You will save money

Get into ASFs instead. I have a guy coming this weekend to give me $10 per small pregnant female. Should feed my stock for a couple of weeks.

:rofl:

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Originally Posted by tomfromtheshade

I laugh when I see people selling medium rats for $0.75 each.

I have sold some that cheap in the past. To tell you the truth I would rather light them on fire than sell them at that price any more.

This is the problem with the hobby. People are cutting each other's throats at every opportunity. This is why an albino burm is $75 at a reptile show. You are buying a snake that will be 16+' long and over 100 pounds and you don't even have to drop a Benjamin to get it?

The guy who is selling medium rats for $0.75 is MAYBE breaking even on costs and that is ONLY if he doesn't count labor costs, in which case he is losing money every time. People who are in this hobby to lose money make me laugh.

On the original topic breeding rats is worth it if you can do it correctly. You will save money

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His normal prices are higher. He'd be crazy if he did that price normally.
He just gives me a really good price because I buy a LOT from him.

When i was shipping rodents to people that needed my extras, my average 15x15x12 boxes would hold about 30lbs of rodents and cost about $35 FedEx Ground.

Big companies overcharge on shipping to make up for their so called low prices, yea right.

No need to ship next day air unless its small order since FAA regulates shipments to 5lbs of dry ice per box when shipped next day air. Shipping ground theres no limit on amount.

if you breed your own, 1.2 is plenty. Females will drop 6-18 per litter about every 2-3 months.

1 snake fed once every 7 days will only consume 52 rats a year. You would have all that after 4 big litters from the rats.

I have a local breeder who I buy from. He usually sells me a vacuumed bag of 25 small/medium rats for $25. Works for me since I only have two snakes at the time.

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Originally Posted by lasweetswan

I have a local breeder who I buy from. He usually sells me a vacuumed bag of 25 small/medium rats for $25. Works for me since I only have two snakes at the time.

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I sell my small rats for $1 each live or frozen. Helps keep the freezer from over filling

If your just feeding one snake if it will eat F/T and your not trying for fast growth to breed I think you could do it with just fine with 1.1 rats and keep your BP healthy. You may not be able to feed every 7 days depending on how many pinkies you get per litter but for a BP to be healthy I don't think you have to feed every 5 or 7 days that feeding regimen is more for fast growth to breed 1.2 would give you some extras.

Well I mentioned the idea to my girlfriend and she said that she's putting her foot down and I can't do it. For some reason a dead rat from some company is different than a dead rat from my own living room and its inhumane. Not to mention she likes rats, so that's probably the main reason. Oh well...

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Originally Posted by tomfromtheshade

This is the problem with the hobby. People are cutting each other's throats at every opportunity. This is why an albino burm is $75 at a reptile show. You are buying a snake that will be 16+' long and over 100 pounds and you don't even have to drop a Benjamin to get it?

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The problem isn't with selling them so cheap, the problem is, because they are so cheap, people who shouldn't buy them are buying them....
I sell regular Burms for more than Albinos, there are way to many albinos now, you hardly ever see a normal anymore..

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Originally Posted by tomfromtheshade

The guy who is selling medium rats for $0.75 is MAYBE breaking even on costs and that is ONLY if he doesn't count labor costs, in which case he is losing money every time. People who are in this hobby to lose money make me laugh.

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1000 small rats a month at .75 will make you money, but not much, kind of a mute point...
I don't know what you sell for, but I'm lucky if I get $1.09 for a small anymore. Any higher than that, and it's the customer cutting throats, not the breeder... He goes somewhere else...

Hey there. I live in SF too. Where do you buy your wholesale live rats? I've been buying live mice every week and it's costing way too much...=(

Thanks!
Jimmi

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Originally Posted by lucylove

yall are paying too much. I pay only 2.25 in the San Francisco Bay Area and even cheaper fr frozen. There is also a guy who sales wholesale live rats for 1.50.

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If your ball will take F/T it may be worth it to breed your own. You have to consider the cost of bedding and food for the rats also.

Breeding is a pain to begin with, but at least you get the sizes that you need. Many times I go into a store and I either have to go too big or too small. Rarely do I get the right size.

Tom must be doing something right because I live close by and contacted him on many occasions and he has none available to sell :gj: