Breed em, buy em, or both? Feeder source Poll~Please Vote

Just curious how many of you buy, breed, or do both for your Rats, Mice, Rabbits, Guinea pigs, and other mammalian prey.
Let me know which you do and if you have a specific reason why.

For me, I breed for now but also buy the bigger rats because it wouldn't seem economical to raise up rats for adult boas to eat other than retired breeders.

At the moment, I buy, but plan on breeding when I get more snakes.

I totally forgot the poll lol

I am breeding, but dont have any babies yet. But I have a local source that isnt too badly priced. I think Ill breed for the most part, but may buy occasionaly

There you go - I added them.


I voted both. I breed rats, but do buy mice for the mousers, as I have no patience for breeding mice.

Breeding them, mostly ASF rats with a very rare domestic rat litter from my pet rats.

the ASF are breeding like crazy though, and I have a freezer full of them.

I breed my rats and occasionally buy some.

Both. :)

Just spent way too much on feeders today. Usually buy bulk but ran out. Right now I buy, but I'm seriously considering raising some.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

There you go - I added them.


I voted both. I breed rats, but do buy mice for the mousers, as I have no patience for breeding mice.

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Thanks for adding it for me.

Picking up 4-5 more female breeders today hopefully. Exciting stuff!

I voted for both. I breed my own rats, but I also buy mice for the two who only will eat mice. I tried breeding mice and yeah they stunk up my basement and died way way to easy!

I have been breeding for about two months now, and should have the spacing between litters figured out soon. The savings has been great, and now that I'm at 12 mouths to feed, I can't see going back to buying. I might pick up a couple to freshen the blood lines, but not other than that.

I breed, but sometimes i have to buy because they arent producing enough.

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Originally Posted by jamesw

I breed, but sometimes i have to buy because they arent producing enough.

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Then breed more lol :) I hate when I run into that

Out of 15, I have 7 rat eaters and 8 mouse eaters. Trying to get the mouse eaters converted to rats so I can be self-sustaining.

Good luck with that, Robin... I just acquired a mouse-only girl and hoping she will switch over to make things easier.

I breed and buy... I am hoping to become self-sufficient in this area very soon.

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Originally Posted by Rapture

Good luck with that, Robin... I just acquired a mouse-only girl and hoping she will switch over to make things easier.

I breed and buy... I am hoping to become self-sufficient in this area very soon.

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Thanks! I have to be honest though, I haven't tried that hard to convert them. So far, picking up the mice hasn't been too much of a pain, but I think I'll have to start trying to scent the rats.

My reduced female mentioned in the other thread is the new mouser. I haven't had her long but she didn't take the rat the first time I attempted feeding her, and she has taken a couple mice. She's also skipped once, so I think I will try to make sure she is constant on the mice before I try to change anything.

I've had luck with my collection their all rat lovers like me.

I have 1.2 rats and I do buy, I tried at mice but they didn't seem in the mood after 4 months so I gave up on that. there has been some action with the male and female ratties so hopefully that'll take.

Just picked up new breeders. Asked for 5 females and I got 3 females and 2 males. GRrrrrr

Even though we have 21 mouths to feed, I buy all of my rodents. This is partly because of the lack of space (very very small house and no garage) and also a lack of time. I'd rather spend time with my snakes and doing other things than the time it would take to clean and take care of a breeding colony of rats.

I used to breed in the past and it was nice to always have any size rodent available when I needed it.

deb

I just couldn't justify paying 5$ for a small, 7-8$ for a jumbo, and 1-2$ for a fuzzy rat all the time when I can produce my own for 1/2 that

I breed my own and buy if I ever need extras. Usually my rat colony keeps me supplied and I have extras gassed in the freezer.

Our rats started out as food, but the snake was fasting. Now we have pets and breeders/food.


I buy too, b/c I had enough snakes eating smaller rats, that I've fed them off, and have to buy the xlg/jumbo for Hera and the larges for Wrigley. I'm temporarily out, but have four females getting tubby with baby tummies. :D :D

Zeus WAS eating FT rats, but had been off and on a fast for the last 7+ months, so I tried live mice. He ate 3 of those (not quite) two weeks ago, and Wed's feeding, was in shed. I've got a bunch of live mice right now, and I'll try to raise them (AGAIN! :mad: ) for the het albino girl too, who has refused everything else I've tried, but has eaten a live mouse two weeks in a row. Once she's eating regularly, I'm going to try to switch her to rats but for now, I'll have to either buy or breed the mice. :bleh:

< Stinky, nasty, raggedy, little buggers! >:mad: :mad:

We have been self-sustaining on rats for a long while now. Mice are another matter. Two different attempts to start mouse colonies have failed miserably so for now I'm buying for the mouse eaters.

i breed em but i'm burnt out at the moment:(

where's the section for that!

Well I did buy but now my asf rats are breeding so profilickly that i haven't had to so I am hoping I can just never buy again...ahhhh, that would be nice.

I breed my own for myself, but usually I can barely keep up with the demand. I'm also currently in charge of our herp societies rodent sales. I buy most of those from rodent pro, but man are the shipping charges high.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

We have been self-sustaining on rats for a long while now. Mice are another matter. Two different attempts to start mouse colonies have failed miserably so for now I'm buying for the mouse eaters.

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The only reason I like mice - is because they feed my crew. I'm a little resentful right now though, that four of them are taking up a 10 gallon tank. There were five, but one was picking fights with the others last night, and he got to meet Pretzel, who would have gladly met the other four if I'd let her! LOL

I buy live now. I used to buy bulk but have a few picky eaters that don't like F/T.

I think I will breed rats one day, but for now I don't have the patience to raise food. hehe

I do hate spending close to $100 bucks a month on snake food though.

I breed rats. I already had the males...my companions. Then, my brother was bringing in a small stock of young rats for me to try with my snakes (they'd never had rats before. these were free, decided we'd freeze them and try them). Well, little did I know, he also had two pregnant, a bit older, females dumped on him with the stock. So, naturally, they got dumped on me, too. They had their litters, which was more than enough food for 5 weeks...one of the younger ones got sat up with one of my companion males and will have her litter in about 2 weeks. I have some saved from the stock dump and they're getting big for my biggest boa, Marley. I use pre-killed for him. Haven't had to buy him a rat for 3 weeks, now. Got enough for at least another 3 weeks...if I absolutely HAVE TO, I will buy him a rat after that, until the others get big enough. But, I have means of getting another stock dump, I just haven't given the "ok," yet. Not enough space for another dump. Most of my cages/tubs are either in-use, or reserved. The two that are not in-use and don't have "names" on them are used strictly for housing sick animals.

My reason for breeding is because, it saves me alot of money. The stuff suggested to make a healthy rat food mix is mostly already stocked in my house, so I only need to spend about $20, tops, a month for unstocked items. With food, bedding, toys (yes, i give my rats toys to play with to keep them happy and active), treats; I spend about $40-$50 a month. I was spending roughly $200+ a month to keep my snakes fed. That was when I truly did not know the living conditions of the prey items, how and what they were fed, water quality, cleanliness of environment. Now, I have the security of knowing I am caring for the prey just like they are pets, they are fed a high-quality, nutritious diet, and are in a generally stress-free and extremely clean environment.

I buy my mice b/c I only have one snake for now. She won't eat f/t so I just started buying them once a week. When I get more (or when there are more snakes between Kasi and I) I'm going to breed rats, I think. Lilly will definately be on rats by then (she could switch over now if I could get them with out having to drive an hour) and any younger ones I may have can just start on the hoppers. But, after the bill of putting my truck in the shop, all of that is going to be a long ways off.....*dreams* Maybe I should get out of the dorms first too.... :P

I have been breeding rats for about a year now. I am OK at the planning/self sustaining part...With 40 mouths to feed weekly, buying rodents just wouldn't work for me. I have tried to start a mouse colony..but its been 5 weeks and so far all they do is kill each other/eat their young....I might just ramp up the rats and forget about the mice....

I do both.... :rolleyes: Hopefully I'll get to the point where I'm not buying Ratties, just a few mice for my mouse eaters and crickets for the ones with legs! :crix:

I buy new blood for the rat colony and thats all at this time with the 2-3 orders for XXL rats a year

I buy. I don't have time to breed, but I've tried it a few times with good success too. I might try it again, but I think the girl will throttle me. Who knows!?

Go for it, she'll start naming the rats before you know it!!

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

At the moment, I buy, but plan on breeding when I get more snakes.

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X2!

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Originally Posted by tweets_4611

I buy my mice b/c I only have one snake for now. She won't eat f/t so I just started buying them once a week. When I get more (or when there are more snakes between Kasi and I) I'm going to breed rats, I think. Lilly will definately be on rats by then (she could switch over now if I could get them with out having to drive an hour) and any younger ones I may have can just start on the hoppers. But, after the bill of putting my truck in the shop, all of that is going to be a long ways off.....*dreams* Maybe I should get out of the dorms first too.... :P

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Shannon... I am not spending $2 per mouse at PetCo anymore.. I would be spending around $12 a week or more to keep my guys full. They are eating machines!!! You can have some of my pups, if I can have your firstborn....female BP that is :P

We breed both mice and rats. It would be way too expensive to buy each week, all year round. I admire those of you who have the production schedule down - I've been breeding rats/mice for over 2 years and I still end up with too many in the winter and not enough in the summer. Especially when the balls hatch! We tend to supplement buy in the summer for the hatchlings and some of the adults.


I really don't like the mice - they are way more smelly, they are slow to produce, and they eat their young. If I could switch my mouse eaters over to rats and figure out a way to start my hatchlings on rats I would give the mice up in a heartbeat!

I started breeding mice a couple of months ago. It is so aggravating due to them eating their babies. Now that I have a different set up and a different organization method I think it is going to help alot. So far I have seen tremendous improvement. However just last week I set up tubs for rats. So now I am going to try my hands with them as well.

It is expensive to feed all of the animals but Iam going to try and start a "successful" breeding mission.

So all in all I breed them but mostly buy.....

I breed all my own rodents... I like to know the quality of the rodents my snakes get. In a bind though, its nice to live close to one of the largest rodent producers in the world.

Just started to breed them about 2 months ago. It is so cool to raise all the rats and to be surprised every time a momma gives out babies, they are so cute.

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Originally Posted by Sasquatch Art

It is expensive to feed all of the animals but I am going to try and start a "successful" breeding mission.

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Good luck with that. Once it was all said and done, it took us about 6 months before we broke even on our feeder breeding, but since that point, our cost per feeder has gone through the floor. We still "refresh" every once in a while from big cheese to keep inbreeding down, but the bottom line is still much lower than week-to-week feeder purchases.

I buy b/c I only have one snake.:tears:

I started breeding mice about a month ago and (after haveing to feed off a bad male three weeks in) and now that i know for a fact that breeding is going on, and that they are getting bigger, im about to stop buying mice. But for now i buy adult mice for my adults, and breed for my little one( which is about to change once my 8 adults pop) So soon it will be Breed only, Cost is not a issue with buying food, its going to get them once a week.

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Cost is not a issue with buying food, its going to get them once a week.

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I only have one snake, so I plan on buying 2-3 feeders at a time so I don't have to take as many trips. I have a tub that I was going to use as a seperate feeding container, but is now going to be the feeder bin.

As far as the poll goes, I buy. :D

I find that my ASF's and Mice are as much fun as the snakes themselves. sometimes even more!

Have never had a problem with the mice eating the babies. I keep three females together... and they have babies / nurse together. I take the male out right before they pop. I put one med size igloo in the tank right before they pop (same time i take the male out) and put shreded newspaper in the igloo. Before I know it there are 40 pinkies under the igloo... and the moms all take time going in and nursing.

I breed all my rats. I picked up a couple of normal girls from TSK that were mouse eaters. I had no problem switching them over to rats.
I see no need for mice.
Just bought 400lbs lab block and 10 bales bedding. :D
Managing the colonys so you have the right size rat at the right time is the hardest part.I would rather have to gas and freeze the surplus than not have enough.