Do you associate with your feeders?

For you live feeders, do you associate with your live feeders?

Do you hold them, name them, or consider them temporary pets?

I don't name or consider my mice pets, but I do hold them and play with them. In fact, one of my mice is on my hand right no as I type this.

mice are just plain dinner!
every once in awhile i have a rat that i keep back and breed that i like but in the end they all usually end up dinner somewhere.

p.s. nice avatar

My word of advice- Dont.

I became attached to my very first group of breeder rats. One always comes up to get her head pat when I open the tub. They are too old to breed and as a matter of fact I do not breed normal rats anymore, but I still have them!!

I guess your technique for relaxing the mice and eleviating the stress before you toss them into the lions is a good for you to improve your BPs safety :D

They get the best care possible however, my feeder colony is just that, I do not nor do I want to get attached to them.

I just got a couple breeders a couple days ago, I even bought a wheel for them, named them also Dinner & Dessert

I am only attached to my breeders, but I've quit naming them.

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Originally Posted by llovelace

Dinner & Dessert

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...hence their purpose. :P

No. I did it once and I had to take her back. I held her for a moment, and then tried to feed Ophelia; she wouldn't eat it at all. None of my other kids would either. It's weird. They'll pounce all over a rat that I've had on the tongs, but if I touch the rat, they won't have anything to do with it.

It's not like I'm attached to my feeders, I just play with them like they are mice, and have no remorse when they're eaten. I can just go grab some more at the petstore anyway. :D

I had rats as pets before I got my snake. I have 4 males who are great pets...also breeders. The females however are too skittish, and tend to get very nippie when they have babies, I only like one of them. The mice I have, if they come out with an interesting color/pattern they get to live, they become breeders, and may be snake food when they are old.
Everting dies, and with a short lifespan like rodents it does not bother me that much. But I could never feed a snake my 4 fave boy rats, also I don't think my little 1yo bp could handle a 2-3lb rat (my boys are big)

All of our breeders and holdbacks are pets and named. Unfortunately we really dont spend enough time with them, so I am glad they all have their buddies in their tubs with them all the time.

Hopefully Connie will chime in and add another point to the pets and food corner.

I'm here!! LOL, I'm dearly attached to all of my animals, including feeder breeders. I've named all of my breeders, and I think I'm up around 40 females now.... (ASF's are a different story, I don't socialize them or attempt to. They are just handleable for my needs and their colony is named just to keep track of lineage.)

I keep 3 pet only rats as well, 3 boys that live in a big cage. Dewey, Johnny be Quick, and Bootu.

I suppose it's easier to understand if I say that I only socialize with my breeders, as they will not be fed off for any reason until they expire or their quality of life requires intervention (gassing). Not everyone can keep retired females and I completely understand that point of view.

The pups are fed off when weaned, or grow up for only a few more weeks for larger snakes. I don't grow attached, and I don't name them.

I suppose as time goes on I might run out of names, but giving names also helps me keep detailed information about all of my rats, their lineage, and phenotypes.

Bottom line from me, don't name your food and you'll be fine.

I love to watch mine, but they are named food. Just cleaned the cages and they are a lot more relaxed than at first. I talk to them, like I do all animals, but I only named my male breeder. Even then, one day he will probably be food.

All my breeder rats have names, and I talk to them, socailize with them and give them the best care possible.

As noted they have their buds so I do not feel any obligation to them in that regard, but I do feel that every bit of attention they get, and any attempt I make at meeting their needs... social, psychological, and physical... keeps them healthier, happier, and has the benefit of making them better breeders and better parents, as well as better cagemates.

That benefits them, me, and the snakes (the snakes get more feeders that way).

We always have one pet only rat... right now a hairless dumbo named Stanley.

I really enjoy my rats, even my feeders. But does not mean that I have any trouble tossing them to a snake. I am a suck in that I really enjoy them, but I am a pragmatist in that if I got attached to the feeders I would be over-run with rats in no time. So that is easy to make that decision (one learned from experience).

Same with my retired breeders. I have allergies, and cannot keep the retired females around indefinitely (only have the lung capacity for so many furry beasts) so I make every attempt to re-home them, but the point their health starts to fail I do not hesitate to euthanize them and donate them to a boa keeper that I know.

Mice... I talk to them, I can handle them, but they are not pets. Eat your young... meet a snake... bite me... meet a snake... fail to breed... meet a snake.

ASFs. I handle them such they are manageable, and on occasion they do something I find kind of cute, but they are not pets, do not have names, and rarely tug my heart strings.

Even my long term breeder rats, if I wake up to find one has expired I do not get sad over it. I just hope they didn't suffer.

I think keeping rodents, or any feeder, you have to respect that animal, know what it needs, and make every attempt to meet those needs.

Bruce

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Originally Posted by Bruce Whitehead

All my breeder rats have names, and I talk to them, socailize with them and give them the best care possible.

As noted they have their buds so I do not feel any obligation to them in that regard, but I do feel that every bit of attention they get, and any attempt I make at meeting their needs... social, psychological, and physical... keeps them healthier, happier, and has the benefit of making them better breeders and better parents, as well as better cagemates.

That benefits them, me, and the snakes (the snakes get more feeders that way).

We always have one pet only rat... right now a hairless dumbo named Stanley.

I really enjoy my rats, even my feeders. But does not mean that I have any trouble tossing them to a snake. I am a suck in that I really enjoy them, but I am a pragmatist in that if I got attached to the feeders I would be over-run with rats in no time. So that is easy to make that decision (one learned from experience).

Same with my retired breeders. I have allergies, and cannot keep the retired females around indefinitely (only have the lung capacity for so many furry beasts) so I make every attempt to re-home them, but the point their health starts to fail I do not hesitate to euthanize them and donate them to a boa keeper that I know.

Mice... I talk to them, I can handle them, but they are not pets. Eat your young... meet a snake... bite me... meet a snake... fail to breed... meet a snake.

ASFs. I handle them such they are manageable, and on occasion they do something I find kind of cute, but they are not pets, do not have names, and rarely tug my heart strings.

Even my long term breeder rats, if I wake up to find one has expired I do not get sad over it. I just hope they didn't suffer.

I think keeping rodents, or any feeder, you have to respect that animal, know what it needs, and make every attempt to meet those needs.

Bruce

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You put it better than I ever could have. (Why is there not a smile that says :cheers:

This is an excellent thread.

I have a feeder mice colony. I enjoy them quite a lot. They aren't nearly as nice as rats, but they are still fun to have around. I try to do everything they need to be happy, healthy, and all that. Every one of them is handled at least a minute or so at least once a week, which has several benefits. First of all, it gives me a chance to evaluate their health a little more thoroughly than just opening the tub and looking at them. Second it tames them down, which makes it easier to do whatever needs to be done with them. Finally, I believe that the more comfortable the mice are with me, the less likely it is that there will be problems with cannibalism of babies.

Many of the mice have names. I am trying to name all of the breeder males, mostly as a way of keeping track of which colony is which. A few females that are more favorites have names also.

However, I was very clear with myself and the other members of the family when we got the mice that every one of them is snake food. The only exception to this rule is if I feel a mouse is not healthy enough to make a good meal. Even the named ones and the favorites get fed off if/when they are no longer a productive member of the colony.

I will admit that the first few times feeding off babies that we had raised up in our house was very hard. The very worst was when one male that was something of a favorite was not getting the job done with his females. So into a snake's tub he went. The snake struck readily enough, killed the mouse, but then turned his nose up at the meal and did not eat it. It made me feel terrible that the mouse had died for no reason.

I do think if/when we start breeding rats, I'll have much more trouble feeding them off, especially the retired breeders. Rats have a lot more personality and form more of a bond with you. So I know after I've had a particular rat around for a while and gotten to know it, that it will be hard to feed it off. I'm not sure what I'll decide... it is a bridge that can be crossed when the time comes.

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Originally Posted by kc261

I do think if/when we start breeding rats, I'll have much more trouble feeding them off, especially the retired breeders. Rats have a lot more personality and form more of a bond with you. So I know after I've had a particular rat around for a while and gotten to know it, that it will be hard to feed it off. I'm not sure what I'll decide... it is a bridge that can be crossed when the time comes.

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It's definitely harder with rats to feed them off. It's gotten somewhat easier for me to feed off the babies but my breeders are some of the friendliest (I don't tolerate mean rats lol, too many hungry snakes for that to happen) coolest animals I've ever owned. They all get treated like gold. They all have names, get to come out and socialize with us and they are all around really happy rats :D.

Yeah it does suck sometimes feeding off the babies but the snakes have to eat too. Right now we're pretty much overrun! I think at last count we had something like 30 pinks 20 fuzzies and a few small rats. Most of them will be euthanized and fed off but a few of my snakes will only take live so there's always a few of them around.

I think it's pretty cool sometimes to see the different colors/patterns that we get from our rat breedings. There's a few right now that I'm really tempted to keep just to see what they turn out looking like lol.

It breaks my heart to feed off my rats. Not quite so bad with mice. I thought it would get easier with time but it doesn't. I love my rats, food or not.

see edit note. *meh*

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Originally Posted by anendeloflorien

...coolest animals I've ever owned...

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I always tell people that one of the nicest things about having snakes has been hands down keeping rats. They are some of the most ideal pets and animals IMHO. Never had a rat in my life before this, and am amazed they are not promoted more often as pets over gerbils, mice, and other rodents.

I would say I used to name and play with the breeder rats far more than I'm able to these days. The numbers are simply too large now to make special "pets" of any of them really. I do still keep back certain nice tempered adult females, once they finish their breeding lives, to help socialize my upcoming female breeders. I've always found that I prefer dealing with big female rats on their litters if the females at least have a basic and good association with me and my hands in their space.

Whether they have names or not though, my respect for these creatures and my committment to their proper care hasn't changed. Without their contribution my family would never be able to maintain the size of the collection we currently own. :)

I have never named any of my breeders or feeders.

I do mess with the breeders everyday. But no one gets names. I could imagine having to tell the wife that I just feed off little johnny to one of the ball pythons. She had a hard time with it on the first litter of rat pups.


Famous Saying from Monsters Inc
Sulley, you're not supposed to name it. Once you name it, you start getting attached to it. Now put that thing back where it came from or so help me...

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Originally Posted by JamieC

The mice I have, if they come out with an interesting color/pattern they get to live, they become breeders, and may be snake food when they are old.

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Same here. I don't name them but am a sucker for nice coat patterns/or new interesting colors. I've got an extra male now because I want to use his genetics...but am not ready to feed off the breeding male I got now.

But really it's not so bad. I'll end up with a couple "pet" mice. Oh well, they will be gone in a year anyway. I can handle that.

(it was too late to edit my other message)

I've been thinking of starting a rat trio also but have been hesitant. I know the breeders would become pets. Also from what you folks are saying I don't know if I could feed the babies off. :oops: That wouldn't work too well.

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Originally Posted by Microddot

I have never named any of my breeders or feeders.

I do mess with the breeders everyday. But no one gets names. I could imagine having to tell the wife that I just feed off little johnny to one of the ball pythons. She had a hard time with it on the first litter of rat pups.

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Yeah I hear ya there man. I have to like physically block my girlfriend from naming all the babies lol. She gets WAY too attached to them way too fast. She can't even be in the same room while I'm feeding them off. She just tells me not to even tell her which ones I'm feeding, just let it be a surprise when she opens up the tub or cage and realizes that there's a few less than there were the day before.

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Originally Posted by snakelady

I've been thinking of starting a rat trio also but have been hesitant. I know the breeders would become pets. Also from what you folks are saying I don't know if I could feed the babies off. :oops: That wouldn't work too well.

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You do what you have to do for the life of your snakes. All of my ex-breeder males are way to big to feed a ball python, so they don't have to worry about being dinner. They do have great personalitys, rats can be fun. I will breed a mean female, just for the fact that if she is mean I won't have such a problem when it comes her turn to meet the snakes.
Bite me once and you are on the menu.
My big boys will sit on you, love to be petted, and will take any attention from me they get, or any body else:rolleyes:
(I've had "pets" that to me would have been food, chickens, ducks exc..)
Snakes gotta eat, but it does not mean you should stay away from a great animal like a rat.

The only named rodent in recent history (my first breeder boy rat, Tom Cruise) became dinner this week for Lourdes (*CHOMP!*). I try to socialize with my breeders, hold them and talk to them so that it's easier to work with them during cleanings or moving them around...

Other than having to euth my favorite breeder boy mouse recently, which made me sad, I usually don't have a problem manually euthanizing feeders or breeders for the freezer or for dinner day.

Like Bruce said tho, bite me and you're going in the freezer right now, buddy. :P

I don't name my female mice, they get numbers for tracking purposes, but I recently broke down and started calling my breeder male Max. I've only got the one so he rotates between 10 females... quite the ladies man..lol.

My rats are a slightly different story. I have two male rats only so that they have a cage mate when not with my females and they are definitely pets. Tame enough that I can open their tub and let them roam around on the floor while I do things. It's nice to know I won't loose them, I can't take credit for this, I adopted them from a rat lover who tamed them down for me.

My female rats have names but as still skittish because they came from petco. I had every intention of not getting attached but kept getting Female 1 rat mixed up with Female 1 mouse and had to name them. I don't think I'd be sad to see them fed off but they get treats and pets which is more than I can say my mice get. I've just had my first litters from these girls and am looking forward to holding back two girls for breeders. I want to see how tame I can make a rat I've handled since birth, *sigh* attachment here I come.

However rules apply. Bite me, cannibalize all your young, or fail to breed and you are gone.

I have to admit I do, even more since my boy prooved his white tail tip to be genetic, it is just too cool...:P
It was quite an odd feeling to feed my first baby to my corn (and you know how a baby corn handles a living pinkie I guess, only prekilled the next time for sure) , but that is their meaning of life , so no concerns but also no names for the offspring and I will keep my first breeders as pets till death for sure.
But I have to say I still have no "feeling" for my asf, I dont really like how they look (froggy eyes) and they always go to freeze mode when I come close-
My mice all tamed down due to their regular mealworm snacks from my hand and they start climbing on it looking for bugs on their own.
My rats are no feeders, but great and loveable pets, when my boa will be ready for rats, I will start a new group, I guess my boys are too old to be daddys.

I moved in with my sister temporarily a while back and my 8 y/o nephew Gavin took a liking to my bp Valo. I was thrilled. I took Gavin with me to get a few mice for Valo and when we got home he ended up playing with the mice for like an hour, deciding what order they would die in based on their cuteness. He named the cutest (and last to die) Fuzzy. I was less than thrilled.

However when it came time for them to become dinner Gavin watched Valo eat with no remorse. Morbid little kid that he apparently is, I still made sure to wait till he was with his dad for the weekend before throwing "Fuzzy" into the lion's den. Just to make sure that one wasn't a different scenario.

I'm proud to say Gavin now has his own baby bp, named Dali just like my girl that joined the family right before I moved out of my sister's. My sister refuses to buy more than one mouse at a time so Gavin doesn't have time to get attached. lol

As for me, I don't care much for mice. They're pretty cute to look at but I like the snakes better and have no real problem watching at feeding time.

Rats on the other hand are a whole othe story. My bps are all 08s and on either hoppers or adult mice so far. I'm really dreading switching to rats and for Dali and Max that will be very soon. I've had many pet rats when I was younger and I loved them dearly. They would sit on my shoulder like little parrots and one of them actually ate food out of my mouth (I didn't really consider the diseases I might be risking at the age of like 10 lol) and went to school with me a few times in my pocket. Rats are so very intelligent and social... *sigh*

I'm def. going to switch my bps to frozen before it comes time for rats. Mostly because I'm more worried about the damage a rat could inflict on them than a mouse, but also because I'm a wussie. lol

Sorry for being so long winded :P