Quote Originally Posted by PatriotPythons View Post
I had a whole big long post typed out, but its not worth posting. If you guys want to kill the messenger than so be it.

Just remember, I didn't name names. I didn't call anyone out. I just pointed out what I've seen with my own two eyes.

I went out to Pennsylvania dutch country a few years back to buy a guy out of rats. He was keeping them on turkey bedding, about the dirtiest pine known to man, and all he fed them was hard corn. That is not an isolated incident. It happens all over the place.

Has anyone ever bought frozen jumbos and thawed them out to find out that they had their throats slit? I won't say all, because I can't verify it, but a lot of those rats are from labs. They experiment on them, then they give the carcasses away if you know who to talk to. These rats are very often sold as feeders at reptile shows. Its not cool in my book, but I don't have to live with the guilt of doing it because I don't do it.

Its a thankless industry and highly competitive and people cut corners all the time for the sake of making an extra ten cents per rat.

I am at full production if I have 180 pairs running. That would be 30 racks full of rats for me. I don't venture into the sales end because of what I have seen. I could never compete with the factory farms.

I thank you guys for your concern, but please don't shoot the messenger. I'm not the bad guy here.

I breed just enough rats to feed my retics and supply a few close friends with food for their snakes, bird, dogs etc and some people do buy rats from me as pets. I only breed them in pairs. I probably do it the least cost efficient way that there is LOL, but I like to keep track of the production and improve the species while I am at it.
This just doesn't sound right. Or maybe it's a little right, but not to the degree you seem to be implying. I have never, in decades of rodent feeding, seen a rat with its throat cut. That I'd like some proof of before I actually believe it.

Not everyone is just shoveling rat crap to make a dime more. Some do it the best they can, this I personally know. I also know that it IS a crappy business with some really reprehensible people in it, which is why I am willing to believe what you say provided you produce some proof. Short of that, sounds a lot like sour grapes to me.