I would have put it in the "breeding rats" forum, but i'm sure it's fine. I'm not sure on price/month but i can buy a 50 pound bag of hog feed for 12 bucks, and 4 cubic feet of bedding for 6 bucks. I have a 1.1 colony of mice, but i have to raise the kiddies up to sub-adult. so at any given time i have about 12 mouths to feed. The feed will last me about 6months, and the bedding about 4. I've been"breeding" for only about 2 months and haven't ran out yet, so this is just a guestimate. I believe the best bedding is Kiln-dried pine. I don't think there is a breed that is specifically good for bp's. I hope this helps, probably doesn't, but still. Gave me a chance to ramble on.