What to feed hopper mouse?

I have recently decided to feed live opposed to F/T, since my beeps have refused F/T more often than not, but will eat live 100% of the time. The place I get my hoppers from is a bit of a ways away, so I have decided to just take one monthly trip instead of weekly ones. In this case, I will need to feed them but am totally lost as to what they eat at that stage.. I can't find "lab blocks" that I have read about, and I've seen things like bread suggested, but what do you feed your live mice/rats? I threw a blueberry in there today and the one I got today went to town, but presumably they can't live off of blueberries.
Also, I'm keeping them in a critter keeper and am not comfortable punching out the top hole for a water bottle so I have a water dish in there..are they capable of using these at this stage? The one I got today is 12g so is probably closer to a weaned mouse.

I use bread and cheerios but I've only had to keep them alive for a couple days whenever I have a stubborn snake that isn't hungry. I have been considering purchasing a hamster cage just to make it a little easier and for peace of mind that the little buggers won't escape

Bird seed, sunflower seeds and the like

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Timelugia

Bird seed, sunflower seeds and the like

---

So basically treat them like hamsters? Sorry for the thread jack. I've been considering breeding feeders when I convert my den into my snake pit and I assumed mice and rats had the same needs as a hamster. I want them to be as healthy as possible so they will be more beneficial to the snakes. The main thing I want to get sorted out is fleas. The couple that I had to keep alive attracted ALOT of fleas. I know they can't really harm the snakes but I don't want them to give the rodents any diseases. What is the best way to combat them without anything toxic?

Mice will eat almost anything. I bought mine mouse food from Walmart, which was mostly seeds and stuff. They will seriously eat almost anything. I kept a rat alive for days on just carrots, his poop turned orange and I started feeding him properly after that. lol

Hoppers are not weaned and therefore still need to be with their mother while the may nibble on a little dry food if you are lucky, do not feed junk with zero nutritional value like most commercial pet mouse food, or bird seed and so on.

Buy some dog food 18 % protein max, and no red dye.

Also unless this BP you are feeding just came out of the egg this is not the appropriate size prey.

??? Seeds have tons of nutritional value. Including protein, lots of fat and vitamins.

Nutrition Facts
Sunflower seeds, driedSunflower seeds, dry roastedSunflower seeds, oil roastedSunflower seeds, toastedSunflower seeds, dried

Amount Per 1 cup, with hulls, edible yield (46 g)100 grams1 cup (140 g)1 cup (140 g)

Calories 818

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 72 g	110%
Saturated fat 6 g	30%
Polyunsaturated fat 32 g
Monounsaturated fat 26 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0%
Sodium 13 mg	0%
Potassium 903 mg	25%
Total Carbohydrate 28 g	9%
Dietary fiber 12 g	48%
Sugar 3.7 g
Protein 29 g	58%

Vitamin A	1%	Vitamin C	3%
Calcium	10%	Iron	41%
Vitamin D	0%	Vitamin B-6	95%
Vitamin B-12	0%	Magnesium	113%

there are tons of other seeds to feed, too, this is just one type. Most commercial feeds, have multiple seeds plus "dogfood" style kibble.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Godzilla78

??? Seeds have tons of nutritional value. Including protein, lots of fat and vitamins.

---

That's what I thought too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Godzilla78

??? Seeds have tons of nutritional value. Including protein, lots of fat and vitamins.

---

Maybe for your little pet mouse but you need quality for feeders.

Do you think feeder breeders feed seeds?

Too much fat too much protein but hey I only breed a few thousands of feeders each year and have done so for a decade.

I have a pet hamster and I do keep hoppers overnight. I have the "gut load" mentally like I do with insects, even if it does nothing for mice lol, and I feel better knowing it has a good meal before becoming dinner. I feed it what I feed my hamster, but much less in quantity because it is so young.

I give it 2 cheerios, small piece of green veggie and a dog kibble. The hopper usually can eat all of it overnight or hide the extra somewhere. Water is in a small reptile dish that I could not use for my lizard. I don't use water bottles for my hamster or bunny. They never drink enough and it seems like it is such a struggle trying to get enough water. Every hopper I bring home would drink from the bowl. I use a small plastic lid as a food bowl. I keep them in a 6 qt tub that I bought extra and use papertowels as substrate. They poop a lot and likes to hide inside the papertowels.

I don't know about you but just by keeping a live hopper overnight makes me feel guilty every time I feed him to my bp. I know it must be done, but it bothers me after the deed is done and I have to clean an empty tub and find traces of it living there, ie hidden stash of food. It would be extra hard for me to keep it longer than that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

Maybe for your little pet mouse but you need quality for feeders.

Do you think feeder breeders feed seeds?

Too much fat too much protein but hey I only breed a few thousands of feeders each year and have done so for a decade.

---

Which dog food would you recommend? I'm not looking for brand names. I just want to know if food for puppies would be better or adult

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by c0r3yr0s3

Which dog food would you recommend? I'm not looking for brand names. I just want to know if food for puppies would be better or adult

---

Puppy of adult is not the important the important is the label

You want something with about 16% to 18% of protein.

Fat around 6% to 10%

The important is also no red dye.

Id use a small wire cage used off craigslist if i was you and get the Lab Block at Tractor Supply Plus or Country Max ect.. (25lb for $19.99). A bag of that will last 2 years if only feeding a couple rats.. Then get a glass water bottle so they dont chew it or youll have a mess.
With all this said, your not going to like doing this i dont think. Mice stink Awful after only a few hours and Rats are great but will grow to big within a month. I Breed ASF's because of No Smell and they dont grow fast at all but you cant get them at Pet Stores.. Before you spend a lot on this project try it for a week with what you have. You might change your mind quick when you smell that stink off the mice when you come home from work hahahahaha
Ps- any dog food that isn't colored is ok for the time youll have them until you find Lab Block.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

Puppy of adult is not the important the important is the label

You want something with about 16% to 18% of protein.

Fat around 6% to 10%

The important is also no red dye.

---

Thank you!.. What do you do about fleas?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by c0r3yr0s3

Thank you!.. What do you do about fleas?

---

Fleas?? Heck if the store you get feeders from has fleas go somewhere else . I have 3 dogs, 4 Pet Norway Rats and 60 african soft fur rat breeders and I've never had a flea Thank God.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

Fleas?? Heck if the store you get feeders from has fleas go somewhere else . I have 3 dogs, 4 Pet Norway Rats and 60 african soft fur rat breeders and I've never had a flea Thank God.

---

I'm pretty sure the fleas came from either my dog or one of my cats. It was more than likely my cat. She was a rescue and likes to disappear for a few days at a time. I was leaving for work one day and found the cat on my front porch and she was hanging out with two raccoons. I also randomly have fleas in my yard so I'm preparing for the worst. I was thinking about cutting up a flea collar and putting the pieces in a small container with holes in it, then putting that in the cages somewhere that they can't get to

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by c0r3yr0s3

Thank you!.. What do you do about fleas?

---

Supposedly spraying an equal mixture of apple cider vinegar and water helps, so maybe you could periodically spray your cat when she goes outside? You could also spray it around the feeder enclosure to deter fleas, since it's non-toxic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by c0r3yr0s3

I'm pretty sure the fleas came from either my dog or one of my cats. It was more than likely my cat. She was a rescue and likes to disappear for a few days at a time. I was leaving for work one day and found the cat on my front porch and she was hanging out with two raccoons. I also randomly have fleas in my yard so I'm preparing for the worst. I was thinking about cutting up a flea collar and putting the pieces in a small container with holes in it, then putting that in the cages somewhere that they can't get to

---

I wouldn't put any chemical near the feeders as it would then be ingested by the snake. Pesticides are poison for a reptile

What I feed my Breeders. $19.99 for 25lbs. Its also available free shipping depending on where you get it on Amazon.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ee3822feae.png

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by c0r3yr0s3

Thank you!.. What do you do about fleas?

---

Sorry but I never had fleas in my colony never had them because I practise strict quarantine principals just like with my snakes

If your feeders have fleas find another source That's unacceptable.

You could pre-treat their tub with Provent a Mite but I would not recommend feeding those before a month or 2 has passed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

Sorry but I never had fleas in my colony never had them because I practise strict quarantine principals just like with my snakes

If your feeders have fleas find another source That's unacceptable.

You could pre-treat their tub with Provent a Mite but I would not recommend feeding those before a month or 2 has passed.

---

It was a one time thing and I'm positive they came from one of my cats. I got rid of them and my dog and cats are flealess. I just want as much knowledge as possible and who'd be better at answering all my questions than a successful breeder