I can imagine breeding your own rats would be more efficient if you have a big collection of snakes to feed. I actually bred my own rats, but it wasn't really necessary since I only have 4 snakes atm. Got a HUGE overload of rats I eventually had to put in the freezer, which means I had to feed F/T anyway. If you have a good ventilation rat room, rat racks and many snakes, feeding live may be something for you.