Domestic rats and mice do not handle high temps or drafts very well. They are also very susceptible to two airborne viruses carried by wild rodents (Sendai in both and SDA in rats). Both of those diseases will decimate a colony.
'rat farms' smell because they have inadequate space and no air circulation. If you give rats adequate space, lots of air, feed a high quaility diet and clean frequently, they do not smell. Mice have a distinctive odor, but the above will make it tolerable.
The rats you feed your snakes have been domesticated for quite a while; there is a world of difference between a domestic animal and it's wild counterparts living outdoors. I know you said you care for your reptiles more than rodents, but the feeders are sentient living creatures that I firmly believe any responsible keeper should be raising as humanely as possible. That rodent is giving its life so you can keep your herps, is it really that difficult to clean a few cages so you can keep them indoors where you don't have to worry about weather, disease and parasites?
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