When does it start becoming economical to breed your own rats?

I currently have my 3 ball pythons and dumeril's boa on rats. Green Tree Python will only need to eat adult mice, so she doesn't count in.

How many snakes do you think you could have for it to start becoming really economical to breed your own rats? Six? Ten?

What's the total cost of caring for say 2 females and 1 male rat per month, plus raising the babies until they become "small rats" size to euthanize for feeding?

This is a good question, one I just talked to my husband about. Today was feeding day and to feed my 9 snakes it costed me $30 at the store today so I'm really thinking about getting some rats to start breeding since I plan on having more snakes in the future...

Personally, my time is worth enough to not breed my own rats regardless of the size of my collection. Once I factor in spending time with my family, my full time job (including my daily commute), and caring for the collection - especially during hatchling season, finding the motivation to establish and care for a feeder collection just to save a few dollars isn't worth it to me.

For me, buying frozen feeders in bulk and staying on the lookout for reliable local feeder sources is the way to go. :)

Eric- I see, that makes sense. Do you know how many dollars exactly is it saved per month, for your collection for example? If it's not THAT much saved, I also think it's probably not worth the trouble for me... I'm not keen on raising a bunch of rats, unless it really can save a couple hundred a month or something.

Also, what seller online do you buy in bulk?

I'd say don't start breeding rats unless you really like rats. I just started breeding my own, but with all the upfront costs of caging, feeding, toys, and cage furniture I'm running at a loss. I may be able to come out on top eventually, with a few more females and a little luck. But there are a lot of variables. It's hard to say how much you might would save, or even if you'd save money at all.

So far I've spent $40 a month on food and bedding for 1 male and 2 females. I got 13 babies from one female the first month, but my second female had a bad litter. Several were born dead and one wouldn't come out. I had to euthanize the poor girl and buy another. Hopefully I'll have better luck this month.

If money were my only concern I'd just stick with buying frozen online. It's quick, easy, and cheaper than the pet store. But I wanted pet rats. They're friendly and affectionate when they're properly socialized and my kids love them. Getting a few extra meals for my snakes is just a nice bonus. But as far as the feeder side is concerned I also like that I can control the quality of their food and cull them at the exact sizes I need. I've gotten "pups" the size of fuzzies and "fuzzies" the size of pups from the pet store before.

For the record I have 7 ball pythons, so I'm looking at getting at least 3-4 breeding female rats eventually. I want to make sure the ones I already have will breed okay. Fingers crossed for no more dead babies.

Good advice, thanks. :) $40 a month is more than I thought for just 2 females and a male. I'm not too keen on raising rats if it's not a huge gain, so I guess I'll be sticking to buying f/t in bulk.

I started breeding when I reached 10 snakes, the way I do it my feeders run me $0.40 to $0.50 each (basics yearly cost divided by the number of feeders produced, I can't really calculate based on age of the prey and food consumed.)

When breeding snakes to me is just a necessity, being able to have the right size prey at any given time is important and relying on someone is just not an option (anything can happen like major die of and than you are stuck with a supplier that cannot deliver).

Most of my collection is fed live but I keep a few animals on F/T to take care of the surplus produced during the winter.

I don't like it but it's part of breeding snakes for me.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Good advice, thanks. :) $40 a month is more than I thought for just 2 females and a male. I'm not too keen on raising rats if it's not a huge gain, so I guess I'll be sticking to buying f/t in bulk.

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Admittedly, the food I buy is pretty expensive. I get 2 small-ish bags of Oxbow and they're around $10 each, so you could probably find something cheaper or save by buying in bulk. I am keeping my rats as pets, so my model isn't the most cost efficient.

My rodents cost me $70 a month in food an bedding plus maybe another $75 in electricity to heat/cool the she.
I also feed live so the nice thing is that if one of my snakes doesn't eat then the rodent gets to live a little longer.
Plus I offset a lot of my cost by selling live and F/T local. :gj:

Oh hey, almost forgot to mention: If you are interested in buying f/t online Layne Labs is pretty great. I've been buying from them the past few months while I get my breeding program going. I'm pleased with the quality of their feeders and their sizes are consistent. They're also located in CA, so shipping won't be as much as it is out of state.

Thanks for the info guys! In that case, I won't breed rats maybe until I get to at least 20 snakes, if ever...

And thanks for the rec on Layne Labs :D I use Big Cheese usually, but the last pack they sent me were mostly on the smaller end of the size range, which I don't think they did before...

I breed my rats to AFRMA standards, have some sought after colors/types and socialize the babies.

I'm able to sell the the excess rats for between $10 and $45 a piece. Which covers all the rat and ASF related expenses and I've got them on expensive organic food.

But I like rats as pets. They are as much of a hoby as the snakes...

But yeah. Free feeders.

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Originally Posted by voodoolamb

I'm able to sell the the excess rats for between $10 and $45 a piece.

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:O:O:O WoW :O:O:O

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

:O:O:O WoW :O:O:O

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Yes. I know. Niche market.

Right now I'm focusing on dwarf, hairless, harleys, red eyed martens, dalmations, and black eyed siamese.

I socialize them, and send a lot off to pet homes or to other breeders. Basically the culls feed the snakes and the rats cover their own care costs.

So it's been very cost effective for me to breed my own rats and use them feeders with just 5 snakes...But I really enjoy working with the rats. All my breeding stock are beloved pets.

I have hairless/dumbo and albino Siamese

I want a black hairless dumbo dwarf. My dream rat! Lol
I have a self black standard dumbo girl that carries both dwarf and hairless... so one day soon!

I keep rats as pets. I bred them for a short time, but for me it was a cost issue, and a smell issue. To get permits to put up a shed, run heat and electricity to it, was cost prohibitive. Keeping the breeders in the house was a nightmare. Quite simply, it smelled.

Now i I pay someone else to breed them and deliver them to me.

If you don't like rats you probably wont like the amount of time spent cleaning cages, feeding, watering, and the other daily maintenance. You will spend more time taking care of your rats than your snakes.

If you were to pay someone to look after your rats would you save money on feeders ? When the answer is yes i would say that is when you would want to start breeding your own rats. The maintenance of your rats becomes another job or hobby depending on how you look at it. In your case an extra freezer and bulk orders of frozen rats would be a lot easier.

I pay 92 dollars every two weeks for one week of live rats, and one week of frozen. That's for eight balls, three juvenile boas, two adult boas, and the thirteen just born boas, plus crickets and waxworms for three beardies and one crestie. More than worth it for me, to avoid the stench and time of raising a colonies.

I don't plan to breed rats no matter how many snakes I accumulate because:

1. They might escape.
2. I'd feel too guilty about feeding one off to do it. It's an animal that depended on me. Sort of a pet!
3. They might escape.
4. I might end up with pets.
5. They might escape.
6. They'd take up room, and I want all the room I can for herps.
7. They might escape.
8. Frozen/thawed involve no care, killing, or guilt about killing a possibly friendly animal. Just buy them pop them in the freezer, and use as needed.
9. They might escape. I don't want gnawed walls and furniture, rats dying in some inaccessible place, the dog might get bit, and it might attack the beardie or geckos.

Not for me, even if it dies cost more!!!

I started breeding when I hit the twenty snake mark. I order frozen in bulk. However, I have a few snakes that take live only. So I keep a few few females for breeding. I do prepare some of the live as frozen thawed as well. If you get into breeding you will want to breed a few for convenience. I will admit I don't like rats. The snakes are so much easier to care for. Their bites are no where as bad as a bite from a rat. However to do what I want and to have the convience of the live feeders. I Do what I must.

i just dropped $105 on this week's ration of rats.

i have 62 snakes to feed, so per snake, it's not too bad, but next time i move, i'm getting a house with a yard.

i will then buy one of those little sheds they sell at home depot, and raise rats in it.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...5dfe114dff.jpg

This is Frankie. He was supposed to be a feeder. No one wanted him so as a fuzzy... I fed him baby formula I had in the pantry. About two days in he gained a name. And hubby bought him a cage (at that point he lived in a cardboard box.

Now he is an a huge cage with fleece and toys and organic food.... and two friends. I have an issue with cute feeders becoming cute pets. Now I request the ugly or plain white ones.

Beware. When raising your own the risk of feeders becoming friends gets bigger!!


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how do you prevent frankie from pooping everywhere?

With a little work most rats can be litter trained.

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Originally Posted by se7en

how do you prevent frankie from pooping everywhere?

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Calm relaxed rats don't poo all the time.
The more nervous the more they go.

Frankie won't poo if he isn't stressed. Pee? Well I didn't neuter him, so he does mark me. It can be reduced by using a shirt or fleece cloth that already smells like rat.


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I'm with Eric from the first page...my time is worth more to me than the time and investment it would take to raise my own. I've had as many as 26 snakes in my collection and I've found it best for me to place large-ish online orders and fill up my freezer.

I DO love rats, but given my occupation, I wind up spending a lot of money at the vet when I have rats too. >.>

Frankie is adorable!

My colony so far, is two males. I feed Oxbow, and bought a Critter Nation for them. No savings there! Best part is having one on my shoulder. They are fun. Love to watch the way they use their little hands. I also like to watch their expressions - such sweet inquisitive little faces.

Well as you could see Frankie was eating the chicken off my dinner plate. LOL!!!

I have three males, one female separate. She would have a friend, but she has a habit of amputating toes so she lives without any girlfriends.


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I have an issue with cute feeders becoming cute pets. Now I request the ugly or plain white

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I have the same problem! I made it a couple years in between my last group of pet rats then I got a batch with 1 in particular that was beautiful AND super friendly so of course I couldn't feed her off and needed to save her and a friend "for my son" as pets lol

I'd say breeding rodents isn't for everyone, there's a lot of time and energy involved and if you counted your time involved or hired employees to care for the rodents you'd probably have very thin profit margins in most cases. However, if you have free time and don't mind working with animals for no pay or pay per hour figured into your bottom line then you may want to try it. If you don't figure time into the equation the economy of it comes down to two things, feed and bedding.

In fact if you did it right you could almost breed your rodents for free. For example, if you dried out your grass clippings you could have free bedding. And if you got all the expired food from feed stores you may be able to get that at a discount or even for free. If you had some land you could even grow your own corn, oats, and barley and make your own rodent food. I use pine chips for bedding and I keep making it thinner and thinner in the cages so it's cost effective, but still has to do it's job. I also use feed store grain, some as low as $8 per 50 pounds. I come out way ahead breeding rodents if you don't count my time involved in daily feeding / weekly substrate replacement / and monthly scrub down of everything.

That said, the main reason I like to raise my own rodents is so that I can be self sufficient, especially since I live in the middle of no where LOL. I can get feed and bedding anywhere for my rodents, but in some places you'd be hard pressed to actually find live rodents. When I was actually feeding frozen thawed I had a lot of rodents that I would throw away that my ball pythons wouldn't eat. Now I actually do a mix of frozen thawed and live / fresh killed. I usually start with the frozen thawed and if they don't bite I'll try a fresh killed. I usually start with my pickiest eaters first so I know if I'm going to need more or less in the end.