my personal stock rats

[crepers86]

Ok so over the last couple months I started breeding rats. I sell them as feeders and pets. here on Galveston Island business is good. because people either have to order frozen, go 25 miles onto the main land to get live, and half the time they don't have what they need in stock when they get there. Last week I met a BP breeder her on the island and I am working out a contract with him for live and frozen (yes I started freezing due to the demand) he picked up $300 worth of stock from me. Caused me to have to go to the pet store to replace some of what I lost.

this past week i decided to start breeding for my own personal snakes. and I have named these three 1 large male 2 medium femals Ennie Mennie, Minnie... and I hope to have Mo'... I love watching these guys since they are not in the garage they are in my room. I been observing how they sleep. At first I though it was dominance but looks more like the male is protecting his females. I have been enjoying getting to know these guys they are sooo friendly. even though there offspring will be used as food. it is intersting to play with the them and hold them and talk to them but I had to share this photo of the male laying over his females

[wolfy-hound]

I have a tank of rats(they chewed their bin but I needed them as breeders at the time, so moved them to glass tank) that I watch. They get treats(more than the regular rats) and I play with them and fuss over them. The offspring are feeders.

I feel it's the same as ranching. Just because the animals are going to be food at some point doesn't mean you can't enjoy them, treat them well and make them happy until "the day".

[Adam Chandler]

Congrats on your new 'private reserve' rat project!

And yes there is nothing wrong with getting to know your breeder rats personalities and giving them a comfortable life, even though their offspring end up being snake food.

What kind of setup are you running for caging? Do you have any wooden rat racks like this? or all plastic?

[crepers86]

for in my room I am using a reg sterilite three drawer high thingy from Wal-mart but in early January '12 i invested in a rack and 300 rats someone was getting rid of on craigslist for $150 He was selling all his breeder ball pythons as well like nothing less then 1900 grams for 100 a piece, due to trying to get rid of thing in hurry cause his wife was about to have a baby. it is a metal food service shelf with 64 qrt sterilite tubs. I sell for pets, and feeders. I am also looking into starting to do mice. I am hoping that within the next year I can be in a bigger place I would love to branch out and start doing Soft Furs and Gerbels, G Pigs, and even rabbits. Right now though I am researching on breeding crickets and roaches as well.

Last year, because of a sale, and wanting to get into reptile rescue I bought 10 106 qrt sterilite tubs with thirty lids to have enough lids to cut different holes in for different lighting and other above heat sources... samething with 15 64 qrt tubs I bought 45 lids for them. I haven't done anything with the lids and they are just taking space at my mom's house in her garage. I have been searching and making contacts around with the snake keepers on who keeps other lizards and how much it would be worth it to bread the crickets and roaches. Some of the people I have made contact with have explained to me that i could sell them as much as I am selling rats. some suggestions I have gotten is looking into doing some that are just breeding and some that are gut loaded and take some of the gut loaded ones and freeze them

It was suggested to me to superate and price accourdingly. because I am local and don't have much of an overhead, my live rats are pretty cheap, I pre-kill and deep freeze a bunch too. which are cheaper. now the ones that are requested as pets (which I do get quite a few for) are marked up. I never give a price until I know what is being bought. Pets. I am actually studying genetic traits in rats that have color. Like black and white ones in bins, all black ones, or light brown or dark browns or brown and white. and I am thinking of doing my another rack that is just for breeding those because those are what people are wanting as pets, so I can put a slightly high price on them for a pet then a white one that is being sold as a pet.

I have a feeling though I am not done with what I am doing here, and I enjoy it. I am already working on a DBA... my roommate suggested The Rodent or Rat Farm, as well as filling out tax papers for it and such too.

[Scubaf250]

That's awesome! Glad your doing something you enjoy!

I've been trying to think of a business idea that I could start lately but haven't been able to come up with anything... I live in San Diego so pretty much everything has been done lol!

If you get into the insects I suggest Dubia roaches, the are great! And they grow through tiny to about 2 or 3 inches so theres a wide verity of things that eat them.


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[crepers86]

If you get into the insects I suggest Dubia roaches, the are great! And they grow through tiny to about 2 or 3 inches so theres a wide verity of things that eat them.


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I want to do both crickets and roaches... Some just suggested to me in an email and that is doing varies types of worms as well.

[Scubaf250]

Yeah the worms are fun! Especially the superworms lol


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[PghBall]

Nice looking 3-some! But from personal experience, I would not use those Sterilite drawer systems. They have two many angles that the rats will be sure to exploit and you'll end up with a few rats roaming the house before too long. I used Sterilite and rubbermaid bins for 2+ years and even then had chewouts. I have since put mine into a rack system. Anyhow, if you are going to keep them in that setup, get yourself one of these

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...&storeId=10051

[crepers86]

For these I thought about actually getting a rat cage like what you would keep hampsters in

[Rhasputin]

Sterelite drawers are not adequate rodent housing. They can chew out, and suffocate or get upper respiratory infections from the lack of ventilation.

I would move them out of there ASAP.