Lol! I have heard mice are a pain in the patella to breed so I am sure you are not the only one who has failed in your mouse breeding endeavors! I have only ever ordered f/t from LLLReptile and Rodentpro. I have to say the way LLL packaged the rats was much tidier and the rats certainly appeared well cared for and were fuller too but I dont know how bulk ordering works if at all with LLL which is why rodent pro is more convenient for such needs IMO. I breed my own because I enjoy it and I know the quality of care put into my feeders. As for how big of an order to place its more cost effective to place bulk orders for up to (X) months because shipping is pretty spendy. I suppose if you order for a 6 month stock you could order a couple different sizes to keep up with the growth of your snake(s) depending on how many you have and how big they are, etc.