ASF Care, Breed, Size?

[ThyTempest]

How much are ASF's, and do most petstores/rodent breeders carry them?

[frankykeno]

We bought ours from a rodent breeder that attends the Taylor, Michigan snake show for $5.00 per young adult ASF. He seperates them by gender so it's very easy to pick out a nice breeding group to start out with.

[ThyTempest]

We bought ours from a rodent breeder that attends the Taylor, Michigan snake show for $5.00 per young adult ASF. He seperates them by gender so it's very easy to pick out a nice breeding group to start out with.

Cool, thanks a lot. I may try to get over to the Taylor show next month. I heard that there is a guy that breeds them for the Kalamazoo show, maybe it is the same one. I emailed somone about the breeder to get his info, if you happen to know the name or number of the breeder you got yours from, could you send me a pm?

Thanks a lot

[Corrupter]

How much are ASF's, and do most petstores/rodent breeders carry them?

I bought a trio of full grown adults ready to breed at $20. Btw, I have taken my male out and re-introduced him twice now and he hasnt been mauled or killed. I pulled him out right before the females had babies because I was afraid he would eat them like my male rats did a couple times before I started pulling them out too. I am not saying it will always work out nicely, just that it is possible.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

There is no need to "Chance" pulling the male out, and then introducing. The male will NOT harm the babies. They are EXTREMLY good dads. Very protective, very caring.

If they were to make a TV series on the ASF family structure, it would be like leave it to beaver... only they would bite if you pissed them off!

[littleindiangirl]

I have to ask, are you planning on raising your own feeders for one snake?

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Caution though... It would be just about impossible with one snake to not get almost immediately over run. These things reproduce more consistantly then any other rodent. When the females have their babies, they will be pregnant again by the end of that day. my average litter size is 12... and that is every 3 weeks. Some will sell mice and rats to pet shops when they get too many... but many pet shops will not take ASF's. Generally speaking, there love to bite makes them undesirable pets for the main stream pet trade.

Mike

[ThyTempest]

Yeah, despite what everyone says, I think I do want to breed feeders for only one snake, sort of. I would be sending away some for a fiend, but it is really not a factor. Pandora ate 2 adult mice last feeding, and was ready for a third, but that was the first time she had multiples, so I didnt offer the third. She is on live, so for me to buy 2-3 live feeder mice, or an equivalent in rat, would cost me about 5 dollars. 5 dollars a week seems like nothing, but at 20 bucks a month for a broke college kid, I just know it is going to add up. Food is rediculously cheap, as is water, and I already have a ton of tubs I can use, all the tools, zip ties and hardware cloth is already purchased, since I have one tub made right now, since I will need something no matter what I keep or breed.

I want to try to switch her to frozen thawed, that way, I have two options the way I see it. I can ....buy frozens a hell of a lot cheaper, or breed and euthanize, freeze as population control, which I could feed, sell or if no other solution, compost them for my mom's gardens.

Should I pick up a few f/t and try to offer those first, and if that doesnt go well, do the process with stun, p/k, f/t etc. Last feed, she was hesitant to strike until the mouse was standing still. I just have a hunch that if I pre-scent and make sure it is warm, and wiggle it on some tongs, she will take it.

ASF's just seem like a better choice because they dont smell. My mom isnt too happy about rodents in the house, and in august we are moving into an apartment in which we wont have space to keep rodents in a room all by there lonesome, so we will be around any smell any feeders make constantly. Another reason why I want f/t, and preferably ASF's.

Hope this makes at least a lick of sense.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

with the cost of caging, bedding, quality food... for one snake... you likely won't save any money breeding your own rodents.

I have 10 snakes, and I save a little breeding my own rodents.

[ThyTempest]

Ack, maybe, but I really need to find a solution to this. I am really hoping she will switch to f/t easily, that will save me a lot of money, either locally or from a big supplier.