Herps as feeders

[Jay_Bunny]

I was wondering if anoles can be bred easily. Since I plan on switching my ferrets from a raw diet to a whole prey diet and to get all the bases covered I need to feed a variety of feeders. So far my list includes:

Rats
Mice
Hamsters
Gerbils
ASFs

I will also include these once I have a house and enough space to breed them:

Rabbits
Chickens
Button Quail

Naturally, a ferret will eat small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. So I talked to someone who keeps ferrets and she said adding herps to the ferret's diet would be fine, especially in the summer when herps make up a good portion of the ferret's natural diet.

So I was wondering if anoles could be bred easily as feeders and if there are any non-toxic frogs would be a good choice.

(Note: Please only answer my questions. I've had enough of people telling me to feed my ferrets' crappy kibble. Please do not make any mention of what I should be feeding my ferrets. I have done my research and I know what I'm doing. I plan on going to veterinary school and specializing in animal nutrition and exotic animals.)

[MarkS]

No, they are not easily bred. One of the easiest lizards to mass produce are probably the leopard geckos.

[771subliminal]

never done so myself but just read that its pretty easy, good luck

http://www.reptilespark.com/home/anoleman/anole.html

[elevatethis]

Possible to do so, sure. Practical, probably not. The costs associated with raising some kind of lizard or amphibian will probably outweight the benefits to an otherwise already balanced diet. You'll need caging, feeders for the breeding stock, etc etc, all of which adds up.

[Muze]

I'm curious to know if the diet you are planning for your ferrets will have any effect on their lifespans. I used to have ferrets, and they all lived very short lives (all fed expensive ferret kibble). They all seemed to develop some disease or another (I had them vaccinated, etc., and very well taken care of. But all my care was according to what I was told by vets & other 'experts'). Keep us posted.

[Sebrina]

That expensive food might not have been the best, just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's at all good for them. I've come across at least a few dozen products for Ball Pythons at the pet store that were absolute rubbish and they sold them for a fortune.

Here's a little more info about ferrets including their lifespan and more:
http://www.centralpets.com/animals/m...s/fer1396.html

[SoCaliSon]

I know that you can buy "feerder anoles" for decent price in bulk from KingSnake in the feeder section occasionally.

[Clear]

Some of the best kibble I found was 8in1 premium. It was highly recommended on the ferret forum I was on. But as far as herps as feeders, leos are probably the easiest for you to breed. You can also do a rack system but your need a incubator for the eggs.

[SoCaliSon]

Feeder Anoles...
Feeder House Geckos...
Feeder Tree Frogs...

I know you are looking at breeding them, but Just in case that ends up being too much ... You can always just buy what you need. I have never ordered from the guy that sells this stuff so I cannot vouch for him.. Just know that I have seen his ads.

[Jay_Bunny]

I'm curious to know if the diet you are planning for your ferrets will have any effect on their lifespans. I used to have ferrets, and they all lived very short lives (all fed expensive ferret kibble). They all seemed to develop some disease or another (I had them vaccinated, etc., and very well taken care of. But all my care was according to what I was told by vets & other 'experts'). Keep us posted.

And that is probably why they lived short lives. Kibble is a horrible diet for ferrets, no matter how "good" the bag says it is. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, meaning they only digest and use meat based nutrients. A diet high in plants, such as kibble (grains and veggies are used to make it a kibble) can possibly lead to adrenal disease and several other health problems. This has not been proven scientifically but only because the only people who would do the study are the people that would end up losing money because of it. Feeding your ferret a meat only or whole prey diet allows them to eat the closest thing to a natural diet. This helps with weight management, teeth and gum problems, nutrient deficiencies, ect.

In short, as long as I'm feeding a wide variety of prey items or if I'm feeding raw, and feed a wide variety of that, and I monitor my ferrets' food intake, they should all live long happy lives. Switching them to a raw diet has already cleared up some issues they had while on a expensive "good" kibble.

I will look at those links. Thanks! I know it would probably be expensive to breed reptiles or frogs for feeders, but the raw diet is already expensive, so I wouldn't be adding on too much. If breeding them proves to be too difficult, then I will just buy the feeders I need.