Starting a Feeder Colony (or Colonies)

I'm going to be setting up at least one feeding colony in order to provide food for my four 2011 ball pythons. They currently get two small mice a week, but I want to move them on to bigger foods since they've proven to be capable of taking two small mice in one feeding rather than in two feedings as I currently do.

I currently have three female ASFs that are no older than a year old and will be acquiring at least one male ASF at the end of the month, but I may get two males and three more females. I planned on keeping them in groups of 1.3 in various sized aquariums since I have a bunch of empty ones currently (10-75 gallons).

I was also thinking of starting a mouse colony and/or rat colony but will I need to start one (or more) if the ASFs are breeding normally? I plan on expanding my snake collection in the future to include more ball pythons and possibly a burm, so I want to be sure that I have my bases covered for the time being while still being able to expand easily, if need be.

I think with two breeding groups and 6 females that should be fine for what you have and maybe a couple more snakes. I would start a small colony of rats if you plan on bigger snakes, which will work for a little while.

Keep in mind that your female asf's are about too old to be breeders and will need to be replaced soon. Their litters usually begin to taper off around 7-8 months old.

I would start a rat colony as suggested by Jessica (2) 1.4 should should be plenty

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

I think with two breeding groups and 6 females that should be fine for what you have and maybe a couple more snakes. I would start a small colony of rats if you plan on bigger snakes, which will work for a little while.

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Originally Posted by llovelace

Keep in mind that your female asf's are about too old to be breeders and will need to be replaced soon. Their litters usually begin to taper off around 7-8 months old.

I would start a rat colony as suggested by Jessica (2) 1.4 should should be plenty

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Would it still be worth my time to get a male ASF for my current three female ASFs? None of my snakes are big enough to eat a full-size ASF yet, so I'd like to put these ones to use for at least a little bit if I can get at least one litter out of them.

As for the standard rats, would I be able to feed a retired breeder to my ball pythons or would that be way too big? I ask because getting a bigger snake is a "maybe" rather than a "for sure," so I'd rather not be stuck with a couple of large rats that I don't have a use for as far as feeding and breeding go.

Sure go ahead and get a male asf, let them breed & raise up some more females to replace the old breeders, remember asf's are slow growers. Then feed off old ones to the "maybe" snake you'll be getting :).

As for the rats, they breed for alot longer than asf's, my sugestion would be to get a RTB, that would solve your problem on feeding off retired rat feeders :)

Good suggestion ... I'm fighting myself on getting a boa.

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Originally Posted by llovelace

Sure go ahead and get a male asf, let them breed & raise up some more females to replace the old breeders, remember asf's are slow growers. Then feed off old ones to the "maybe" snake you'll be getting :).

As for the rats, they breed for alot longer than asf's, my sugestion would be to get a RTB, that would solve your problem on feeding off retired rat feeders :)

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Huh, I never thought about it that way: Getting a larger snake in order to make use of retired breeders rather than having a ton of them as pets. Sounds like a good plan to me!

Also, I'm guessing that a mouse colony is unnecessary since the snakes should be able to take ASF pups and rat pups in the place of small mice?

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

Good suggestion ... I'm fighting myself on getting a boa.

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My original "fight" with myself for getting my two normal ball pythons was actually between them and an anery RTB!

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

Good suggestion ... I'm fighting myself on getting a boa.

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Don't fight it, give in :D, I have 3

I almost forgot: What would I be looking at for the minimum caging requirements for an ASF breeding group and a rat breeding group? I imagine that a standard 10 gallon aquarium will be much too small for 1.3 ASF, so would a 20 long be fine? As for the rats (1.3 or 1.4?), would a 65 gallon (48" x 18" x 17") work? I figure that I may as well use what I have before going out and buying totes and such to supplement the current caging availability.

I had my asf's 1.3 in 10g tanks, then I started breeding rats, fed off all but 1 colony asf, moved them to a 20L critter cage.
The rats are 1.5 in 40g critter cage, and all the left over 10g tanks are maternity cages.

I'm just waiting, as I have been for months, for this man of mine to build my rat racks :rolleyes:

Yeah 10 g would work at first but not with babies growing up.

I have mine in concrete mixing tubs so I dunno.

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Originally Posted by llovelace

I had my asf's 1.3 in 10g tanks, then I started breeding rats, fed off all but 1 colony asf, moved them to a 20L critter cage.
The rats are 1.5 in 40g critter cage, and all the left over 10g tanks are maternity cages.

I'm just waiting, as I have been for months, for this man of mine to build my rat racks :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

Yeah 10 g would work at first but not with babies growing up.

I have mine in concrete mixing tubs so I dunno.

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Okay, thanks for the advice. As far as empty aquariums go, I have five ten gallons, one 20 long, one 55 gallon, and one 65 gallon, so I think I should be fine for both the ASFs and the rats.

AGreed. You will be fine!

Yeah I'd put the asf's in the 20L, the rat colonies in the 55 & 65, and use the 10's as maternity wards, you're all set! :D

I picked up 1.3 rats today. I got the females from one breeder and the male from another to try to avoid inbreeding. Hopefully I get some babies from these ones in a month or so.