Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 503

0 members and 503 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.

» Today's Birthdays

Ziggy31984 (40)

» Stats

Members: 75,014
Threads: 248,474
Posts: 2,568,391
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, DetectiveIcarus
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25
  1. #1
    BPnet Veteran mmchoppers's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-27-2006
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    340
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 17 Times in 1 Post
    Images: 7

    I'm concidering a colony

    The price for rats is murder! I'm paying 15 bucks a week just for rats! With all of your professional opinions, is it cheaper to breed the rats, is it a hassle? Thanks guys!!
    myspace.com/unknownpalace

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran TheAudOne's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-11-2006
    Location
    In my happy place
    Posts
    1,127
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Images: 17

    Re: I'm concidering a colony

    Depends on how you house them, what you feed them etc.
    I get 6 rats for about 24 bucks...that's the cheapest in town...I was paying about 30 and change for awhile...that was through petco.....I now buy tham at a crappy local pet store.... I'm going to start breeding my own ASAP because I'd rather know where there coming from, what they eat, how there treated and that there not sick with mites or worms.....so to me, even it cost more to breed them I would do it.
    I rack my husbands balls & show my rack on Ball-Pythons.net
    ~I make girls with balls look good~

    Qiksilver "
    yes, watch your children, I'll convert them to satanism..."

  3. #3
    BPnet Veteran hoo-t's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-02-2006
    Location
    Oklahoma City
    Posts
    944
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 13 Times in 13 Posts
    Images: 36

    Re: I'm concidering a colony

    After the initial investment (rack/cages/tanks, water dispenser(s), food dispenser(s), etc), it will be waay cheaper. And its more fun, too. And like Audrey said, you KNOW what your snakes are eating.

    Umm, they do have a tendency to smell bad, though.

    Steve

  4. #4
    BPnet Veteran monk90222's Avatar
    Join Date
    11-28-2005
    Location
    North Jersey
    Posts
    2,232
    Thanks
    431
    Thanked 289 Times in 205 Posts
    Images: 11

    Re: I'm concidering a colony

    The rats require much more time and effort than the snakes do. With that said, I breed my own rats, have a colony of about 20 and wouldn't have it any other way. I control what the rats are eating so I know my snakes are getting the most nutritious meal they can possibly have.
    Plus I enjoy the genetics of rats, its fun to see what pops up in each litter!!
    Good Luck with your colony!!

  5. #5
    BPnet Senior Member jglass38's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-28-2004
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    10,055
    Thanks
    215
    Thanked 509 Times in 244 Posts
    Images: 1

    Re: I'm concidering a colony

    Quote Originally Posted by monk90222
    The rats require much more time and effort than the snakes do. With that said, I breed my own rats, have a colony of about 20 and wouldn't have it any other way. I control what the rats are eating so I know my snakes are getting the most nutritious meal they can possibly have.
    Plus I enjoy the genetics of rats, its fun to see what pops up in each litter!!
    Good Luck with your colony!!
    I agree! Lots of work but also fun and nutritious!

  6. #6
    BPnet Veteran steelsack's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-02-2003
    Location
    on top of spaghetti
    Posts
    550
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Images: 23

    Re: I'm concidering a colony

    I bred rats for just over a year and finally got sick of the hassle. Cleaning all the time and the smell is just the worst.

    Finally broke down and began ordering from rodentpro. The shipping may come close to or exceed the amount I'm ordering, but even so I paid less than half what I would have at pet store prices (they're 8 bucks a pop around here).
    Was wierd to plunk down 65 bucks for rats, but I'm good for 7 months per order.

    Oh yeah, and you get to play with the dry ice that comes in the box, like cracker jacks with good toys, lol

  7. #7
    BPnet Veteran
    Join Date
    08-20-2006
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    593
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    Images: 58

    Re: I'm concidering a colony

    With all the talk of dry ice, should we make a thread (hopefully sticky some where hehe) about some of the fun stuff that can be done with the dry ice? Also, there are some good examples of home make feeders in the feeder section. I'll TRY to remember to get some pics of mine monday. I remembered today, but had forgot the camera.

  8. #8
    BPnet Veteran SnakeySnakeSnake's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-18-2006
    Location
    Old Sebilis
    Posts
    1,529
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
    Images: 69

    Re: I'm concidering a colony

    Depends on how many rats you need. It can be tricky.

    Ask Jamie about this, he has learned a lot

    First you need to make sure you have rats reaching the right size every week for food unless you plan on freezing them all when they hit a certain size, and then feeding frozen as your next batch get ready

    Too much math involved, head hurts
    bryan

  9. #9
    BPnet Veteran recycling goddess's Avatar
    Join Date
    11-14-2005
    Location
    meditating in the garden
    Posts
    9,785
    Thanks
    36
    Thanked 44 Times in 22 Posts
    Images: 104

    Re: I'm concidering a colony

    i have a pretty good deal going. at this point i only have two snakes which eat rats and they can eat mice as well (they are boas) - so i have one rat who is breeding age right now... and she just birthed her second litter... two of her babies from her first litter are almost ready to breed. we feed them becky's rattie mix (homemade) as well as leftovers like pizza, chicken, eggs etc.

    we have them in a bird cage - 3'x2'x18" wide - i make them hammocks out of polar fleece. i invite my friend's male rat over for a sleepover for a week... and then wait for mama to make a nest. then she goes into a breeding cage to birth.

    IMO it's much cheaper to breed than to buy.
    in light, Aleesha




    You have 1440 minutes a day... how are you going to spend yours?

  10. #10
    Registered User Tefoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-29-2005
    Location
    Florida,in a herp lovers dream.(Not so much so after the start of next year,08)
    Posts
    58
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Images: 6

    Re: I'm concidering a colony

    I breed all of my feeders..
    It dose take time and energy and money to start with,but the money you can save makes up for it Big time I believe....
    But then I also have a hart for rats,so I enjoy breeding them....
    No matter how much you save though,if you don't like breeding rats then the work messes it up a bit....


    And it dose kinda help if your breeding to feed more then just a few snakes.
    Tefoe:

    4.10 ball pythons(?)
    And tons more reptiles.
    "Remember,The Crocodile Hunter"

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1