Can a small scale breeder make it?

Can a small time rodent breeder make it?

Say a small breeder produced 200 asf, 200 rats, and 200 mice per month. Could they sell small bulk online to clients and actually make a profit? Or do most users try to buy in large bulk from the larger breeder companies?

It depends on what your looking to do. If your looking to make your house note breeding for 100 mice and rats a month wont do it for ya. But if your looking to make a car note or take a trip every year then. I birth 150 - 200 rats a month and thats just to fee my small collection.

Just to give you an idea of what some smaller buyers buy a month, my local herp haunt buys like 300 rats and 500 mice a month. It takes alot of breeders to do that but I do know they buy $800.00-$1000.00 worth of feeders every month

Depending on what you mean by "make it". On a small scale you just have to expect smaller income.

You need to source the cheapest supplies and be smart about it. For example, a large breeder may be able to afford a fancy premade breeding rack whereas you will want to build your own out of the cheapest materials possible.

Buying food and substrate in bulk/wholesale will also save you.

Richard

The customers are there, most areas are very limited as far as having steady suppliers of live rodents. If you have the time, space, and resources to put into it....go for it....you can get a pretty decent return out of it once you get a good colony established.

I said yes but I know that we buy out 2 small breeders per month during the summer and we still have to buy from a local pet store sometimes. (We also breed some of our own)

With the size you stated you could (like Freaky Frog stated) probably pay a car loan or take a nice trip once a year with your income.

Small word of advice if you are going to do this...Automation.

Make sure you have auto watering systems and a good rack system set up it makes all the difference in the world.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kellysballs

I said yes but I know that we buy out 2 small breeders per month during the summer and we still have to buy from a local pet store sometimes. (We also breed some of our own)

With the size you stated you could (like Freaky Frog stated) probably pay a car loan or take a nice trip once a year with your income.

Small word of advice if you are going to do this...Automation.

Make sure you have auto watering systems and a good rack system set up it makes all the difference in the world.

---

Automation is the key to any good business I have found out :D

Yea I am looking just something simple for right now while I am in school. I actually have the space for a huge setup, I have a 17'x17' 1 1/2 story barn that is empty!

good luck we have a local store thats wanting to buy from us as soon as we start producing a large enough surpluse. now we are having trouble producing enough for us lol.

Haha, you can't tell anything from this pole because the numbers are so close. You may be able to make profit, but it would be way too much of a pain in the rear till you eventually make a profit. Even if you do make a profit i doubt it will pay for the time put into it. Sorry

You can make a profit off 1.3 ASFs, and probably mice or rats as well. I don't see why you couldn't make a profit off producing more.

The trickiest part for small-timers is finding buyers. If you had a 1.3 colony of ASFs with a single reliable repeat customer, you would come out on top pretty soon. You wouldn't make ALOT of money, but you would technically "make it", if your goal is just profit :D

If your goal is to sell feeders as your only source of income and support, for example, a family with a stay-at-home spouse(no extra income) and 3 kids.. I think not.

I am currently breeding only mice. All the surplus i am selling to 2 local pet stores. I should be able to bring in about $150 profit per month after my new breeders kick in and i can supply the amount that they both want. Right now i am a little shy and they are having to use other suppliers till i get a few more to sell.

i found most of my clients are coming from craigs list then they tell there friends i avaerage about 150 200 extra a month and takeout about 40 buck for supplies it's fun we started with mice 2:4 colony and starting rats come next year i love it

I wouls also add it depends on your location. in more rural areas you will have less demand for rodents.
Take where I live for instance: there are no pet shops within 50 miles, but the reptile comunity is very small. I have one regular customer, but he only has one bp, so he only gets a few small rats, or jumbo mice a month. When i feel the need to size down i sell of extras to those pet shops, but only head out that was once every 2 months or so.
I will be buliding a rack as soon as i move to a biger place(in the next 2-3 months) and then possibly expand and get more advertising out there.
Put up flyers, and make some business cards, and make sure you get your name out there.
I'm sure you will do fine.

As strictly online maybe not but there are some small scale breeders that are very close to me that I buy from. They sell to local pet stores and seem to do well. Good luck on your endeavor.

I have a 28 tub rack that will be running fully within the next month, I will have 4 tubs with 3 females in each producing babies each week. I have had a few people contact me from craigslist and from kijiji. I will be building an online store soon also!

2 pets hops here..a small one and a petco who won't buy from a private guy.


neither will take asf's.

It's up to you. I would think yes. One of the local pet shops in my area wanted me to supply them with mice and rats. I told them I'd talk to my snakes. LOL I don't have time to do it and only breed rodents for my snake collection. Taxes---write off everything!!!

Post on kingsnake.com also. I read your other posts and sounds like its a go.
I think a hard working survivor has a fighting chance! Let us know about the online store.