Sometimes I think that as a feeder breeder, I can get rid of those problem genetics and breed the good genes faster than the pet breeders as I don't have to place every rat I breed. I am also right in the middle. IMHO, I am breeding some really excellent pet quality rats right now that I am REALLY proud of. Some will be food and others will go to be pets. If I find a problem in one of my lines, I don't have to find someone to adopt that whole line. They are not using space at home, and not in a pet home where they could have problems (health/temperament/etc).

With my breeders that I have no use for genetically, I find other feeder breeder friends who need them. I am way too attached to feed off my adult breeders unless they have an illness. I would love to get into the position where I can work on the longevity of my rats, as I feel that is a huge problem with pets and breeders alike. I want my girls to be healthy enough to continue producing for 2 plus years, even with the strain of harem breeding.

Maybe what some people don't realize- I got into breeding my own rats because I was sick of seeing the poor sickly rats I was getting as feeders every week. Now that I breed my own, I know exactly what kind of care my fuzzies are getting and I know they have a pretty darn good life with treats and pets before they fulfill their purpose. Let's also not forget the fact that they are just so darn cute and fun! Breeding rats gets me though to ball breeding season.