We feed rats here, both regular ones and ASF's. The ASF's fill the role that mice might for another keeper in that they don't outgrow the snake's needs due to their smaller size but have the advantage of no smell as mice have.

For me, there's never been a moral issue with both keeping rats as pets or naming and spoiling my adult breeder rats, while just as easily feeding off their offspring. The adults that are a permanent part of the colony are one thing, their offspring is another - born to be fed off and never named, they are cared for properly of course but not handled or bonded with. For us it works, even the kids know that some rats get names and stay, other rats do not get names and are intended for the snake's dinner.

Personally I think rats are a fantastic creation of nature. A great pet, a great prey animal, easy to keep....my favorite rodent.