Small Rat Breeding Setups

[littleindiangirl]

I attempted to do some math, to see what you’re really spending on raising rats rather than ordering FT online. (I rounded up just to cover any incidents and averages from my own colony)

Raising 4 adult rats to feed 1 snake

Food
4 rats to feed
.83 lbs ea wk /rat
3.32 lbs eaten /week
13.28 lbs /month
50 lbs /bag
3.77 months/ 50 lbs bag
3.18 bags /year
$25 * 3.18 bags = $79.50 /year

Bedding Pellets
40 lbs /bag
3 scoops /tub
36 scoops /bag
12 tub changes /bag
5 tubs /week
2.4 weeks /bag
21.67 bags /year * $6 = $130.02 /year


Raising your own feeders
$209.52 /year

Aspen l x w x h (Aspen is cheap and has been given very generously. This is an optional number)
4 cubic feet /bag
.083 cubic feet /tub (12" x 6" x 2")
.42 cubic feet /week (for 5 tubs)
9.5 weeks /bag
2.4 months /bag
5 bags /year * $12 = $60 /year

Raising your own feeders w/ lots of aspen
$269.52 /year


Buying FT Bulk online
.99 each small rat
20 /bag
2.6 bags /year
$51.48 /year FOR 1 SNAKE
$38.16 shipping /box

$38.16 * 2 (for shipping once every 6 months) = $76.32 shipping /year

Buying Bulk online

$127.80 /year


Everyone is welcome to double check those numbers. I checked and double checked, but I very well could have missed something.

[Argentra]

Good work, there. It's MUCH cheaper for me to raise my own feeders, mice or rats, because I don't really pay for bedding or food. Can't go into details, but let's just say I get some killer deals from a friend.

And I know all about the claws thing. Not only have I cared for flighty lizards and birds, but I have had pet rats that hated having their claws trimmed.

[jglass38]

First off, great post! Everyone should weigh things out and know what they are getting into before they start breeding rats. I enjoy breeding rats and having them around. That said, I think the numbers comparing cost of raising your own feeders to buying FT are apples to oranges. A lot of snakes just won't eat FT and even if they will, FT becomes extremely time consuming once you have more than a couple of snakes. When I first started keeping Balls I convinced myself that I could get them all to eat FT and I'd never have to buy/breed live. Well once I got to 10 snakes I was throwing out thawed rodents every week because animals wouldn't eat. Now with 60+ snakes and the potential of 120+ hatchlings next season, I have to feed mostly live and I supplement with FT where I can. Helps me to be able to keep my production down but I could never do all frozen.

[Argentra]

That's one of my problems with FT as well. If a snake refuses (and I have two who regularly like to do so), that's one or two rodents tossed out! If you feed live or PK (as I do) then you just save whatever they don't eat for next week.

Oh, and I just picked up my rats tonight and had to get some large pups since they didn't really have anything between that and adults. Two are 30g and the other two are 32g. Is that too small to be on their own?? I'll be giving them some baby food tonight just in case... They're awful cute, tho.

[anendeloflorien]

I just got my 2.2 rats a couple of weeks ago. I know financially it's really not going to save me anything because I only have one BP but I love my rats! Lol, to me it's a win/win because the rats I have are awesome and further on down the road they'll be giving me some babies to feed to my snake (hopefully snakes by then lol). I already have just about everything I need for a CO2 chamber and I think I will go with your advice and do the euthanize and then freeze thing.
Thanks!

[littleindiangirl]

I already have just about everything I need for a CO2 chamber and I think I will go with your advice and do the euthanize and then freeze thing.
Thanks!

Good to hear.

Just as a recap:
This method is ONLY good for a snake(s) that eats FT.

Rats just grow too fast and within a week your prey will be too big for your live eating animals.

If your snakes only eat live, this set up simply WILL NOT WORK! For that, I recommend 12 female rats,ASF or Mice in that they don't get too large for your snakes that only eat live.

[kc261]

This is a great post Connie.

It is pretty common to see people asking about how to breed rats for their 1 or 2 or 3 snakes, and how to do it. Has anyone thought about stickying this?