Feeding Live compared to F/T?

Other than the fact live can harm the snake....Can anyone tell me why to feed F/T? I have checked into buying F/T for all of mine and switching them over from live, but the price's are just too high! For me to be able to feed all of my snakes I would be looking at spending $200 plus a month for F/T. Now feeding live only cost me around $100 a month for feed and bedding. Medium Rats - 20 for $89.95, need 1 bag, Small Rats - 20 for $79.95, need 1 bags, Rat Pups - 20 for $57.95, need 1 mabe 2 bags. Thats $227.85 - $285.80 a month without shipping. Just wandering if it would be worth it?

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Originally Posted by ROACH

Other than the fact live can harm the snake....Can anyone tell me why to feed F/T? I have checked into buying F/T for all of mine and switching them over from live, but the price's are just too high! For me to be able to feed all of my snakes I would be looking at spending $200 plus a month for F/T. Now feeding live only cost me around $100 a month for feed and bedding. Medium Rats - 20 for $89.95, need 1 bag, Small Rats - 20 for $79.95, need 1 bags, Rat Pups - 20 for $57.95, need 1 mabe 2 bags. Thats $227.85 - $285.80 a month without shipping. Just wandering if it would be worth it?

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That's because you're only looking at a month to month basis and not up to a year. Also it's all depending on where you get your prices from. I mean aside from shipping the price of small rats is the most expensive at like $1.15 a rat, depending if their running a sale or not. I'm not sure why you're pricing is coming up so high. I mean granted with the amount of feeders you have you're probably going to come out cheaper if you're doing your own breeding, but people like me don't breed rats.

I don't know where your shopping but I just put what you need into a shopping cart at Rodentpro.com

20 med (2 bags of 10)
20 small (1 bag of 20)
50 pups (1 bag of 50)

That comes to $72.50
Plus shipping its $124.99 total

That order still has 72% of box space free. I always try to fill the box up to get the most out of the shipping charges.

I also used to save money buying from Rodentpro using their coupons and buying their rats sold as HOTDEALS. I was always happy with them.

I used to buy twice a year and it was much cheaper than buying local f/t. That was until I found Bulkmice here in Houston so now I can buy bulk without paying shipping.

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Originally Posted by KMG

I don't know where your shopping but I just put what you need into a shopping cart at Rodentpro.com

20 med (2 bags of 10)
20 small (1 bag of 20)
50 pups (1 bag of 50)

That comes to $72.50
Plus shipping its $124.99 total

That order still has 72% of box space free. I always try to fill the box up to get the most out of the shipping charges.

I used to buy twice a year and it was much cheaper than buying local f/t. That was until I found Bulkmice here in Houston so now I can buy bulk without paying shipping.

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I havent bought any...I breed my own for feed. I was just asking because I check a few sites and it seemed really high. I got those prices from LLLreptiles. Now I havent checked Bulkmice, Im only about an hour away from Houston.

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Originally Posted by ROACH

I havent bought any...I breed my own for feed. I was just asking because I check a few sites and it seemed really high. I got those prices from LLLreptiles. Now I havent checked Bulkmice, Im only about an hour away from Houston.

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No offense but I wouldn't buy f/t feeders from LLLreptiles. For 50 rat pups, 30 small rats and 20 small rats I came up to $81 at Big Cheese, but if I call in I get a bit better pricing since I order a few hundred dollars with them several times a year. Then shipping is cheaper for me than it would be from Rodent Pro. I'd say probably about $15 cheaper.

http://bulkmice.com/

Check them out. I placed an order one morning for pickup and it was ready about an hour after the order was placed. I ordered around 930 and was home with my rats by 1130.

They came in actual Ziplock bags and were clean and all similar in size and weight.

Why not just snap the necks of the live ones you're feeding? I just went and got a months worth of live rats, snapped their necks, bagged them and froze them. I prefer seeing my animals food live beforehand so I can check for any illness/issues before feeding. I may not be able to detect all diseases they may have but it gives me peace of mind to see not porphyrin, strange activity, ect. Just a thought.


Sent from an anxious girl!!

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Originally Posted by KMG

http://bulkmice.com/

Check them out. I placed an order one morning for pickup and it was ready about an hour after the order was placed. I ordered around 930 and was home with my rats by 1130.

They came in actual Ziplock bags and were clean and all similar in size and weight.

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Thanks, Im going to check into them. I may just order for one month first to see if I can get them switched over first. If I do get them to, I may just order from them and make a trip down to Houston!

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Originally Posted by Flint

Why not just snap the necks of the live ones you're feeding? I just went and got a months worth of live rats, snapped their necks, bagged them and froze them. I prefer seeing my animals food live beforehand so I can check for any illness/issues before feeding. I may not be able to detect all diseases they may have but it gives me peace of mind to see not porphyrin, strange activity, ect. Just a thought.


Sent from an anxious girl!!

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We only have 2 pet stores here close to me. A Pets Mart and a Petco. Pets Mart doesnt carry live rats here and Petco does. I went and bought 10 Medium Rats from them and cost me $55. Im not having any problems feeding mine live yet, but would really enjoy not having to clean the rat bins every week and get my shop back.

Oh, you're looking to stop breeding. Sorry, I thought you were going out and buying live. Ever try putting an ad on your local CL to see if anyone near you is breeding?


Sent from an anxious girl!!

Its all in what your time is worth to you. Raising your own you will be spending much less money than anywhere you can buy f/t. So if you spend 45 minutes a week cleaning tubs you are using 3 hours and 15 minutes a month. Figure out what the cheapest you can buy all your rats for f/t then subtract the amount of $ it cost you to raise your rats per month. Take that number and divide it by 3.25..if that number is not worth more than and hour of your time you should buy your rats.

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Originally Posted by Flint

Oh, you're looking to stop breeding. Sorry, I thought you were going out and buying live. Ever try putting an ad on your local CL to see if anyone near you is breeding?


Sent from an anxious girl!!

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Yes, theres 1 or 2 that breed a VERY small litters, not enough for them and me both.

Honestly bulkmice isn't going to be cheaper than Big Cheese. They're both out of Texas and I'm in Louisiana and when I called both places, Big Cheese was a lot cheaper. Also they vacuum seal their rodents. You can even go pick up from Big Cheese as well.

That would depend on the order size. Bulkmice will deliver free on orders over $300 to a few major cities around Houston. Dallas, College Station, and Galveston being some. They will also deliver to your door in Houston on qualifying orders but me being so close I can make smaller orders more often.

If they ordered twice a year that should be over a $300 order and could get them free delivery.

Or like me, driving to pick my order up saved me more on shipping than any other sites lower prices would have. I checked around and Bulkmice was very competitive but I don't get special prices from Big Cheese.

Aside from time, I personally think breeding your own feeders is cheaper and more rewarding than commercial F/T, so I would just stick with that.

Not to mention not all snakes take F/T. And any snakes that do not eat the live feeder, you can always save that rat for the next week. In comparison, an uneaten F/T feeder is usually dumped and wasted. Thus wasting more money.

I never waste a feeder. I will refreeze once or its eaten by somebody.

I currently feed both F/T and live. I don't have as many snakes as you do though, so I don't need as many rats breeding. I have one tub so far and am making another couple today. Only takes me maybe 5 minutes once a week to clean the tub. Dump bedding into garbage bag, wipe down several times with Clorox wipes, dump new bedding in, replace water bottle and done. The F/T I have to take out hours beforehand, dump the water and put more hot water in multiple times, then do a good zombie dance to get my pickier eaters to eat. With my pickier two it can take several tries and reheating with the hairdryer before they strike and actually eat it. With my best two it's gone as soon as it's put in front of them. With live I just drop it in, watch the strike, and that's it.

If I had to breed mice I think I'd quit though. I can't do the smell.

I have 12 now. All are on FT except one who is sometimes on FT and sometimes not. She's had RI issues and going back to the vet, so we'll see if I can get her sorted out. When she's doing well she takes FT no problem along with the others.

If I had a lot of snakes, I might setup a rat colony to breed my own live feeders. With just 12, though, FT is convenient.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

Not to mention not all snakes take F/T. And any snakes that do not eat the live feeder, you can always save that rat for the next week. In comparison, an uneaten F/T feeder is usually dumped and wasted. Thus wasting more money.

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Or you get some king snakes and boas as clean-up crew.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Or you get some king snakes and boas as clean-up crew.

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But what about the folks who don't want kings or boas?

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Originally Posted by satomi325

But what about the folks who don't want kings or boas?

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And boas can still (should) only eat so much.

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Originally Posted by DooLittle

And boas can still (should) only eat so much.

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That was my thought. I have my first guy, Allure, to eat up anything the girls don't eat. From everything I've read boas need to eat less than Bps so they don't become obese, so I won't be giving my girl any extras.

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Originally Posted by DooLittle

And boas can still (should) only eat so much.

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The thought did occur to me, but since I haven't/don't own a boa, I wasn't 100% sure.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

But what about the folks who don't want kings or boas?

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That's easy. Get a blood python! My big girl can always find a place for a little rat. She is a great helper. :gj: