Big Cheese Rodent Factory

[starmom]

I just got my order from the Big Cheese Rodent Factory (BC). I have only ever ordered from The Mouse Factory (TMF) and so I was curious as BC has a good reputation and everyone says they're product is clean and healthy looking.

My comparison:
BC is far less expensive than TMF. Shipping is way less also. The people who answer the phone and take the orders were very nice and they got the product out the door the day after my order and took 2 days to get to me by bus.
Both places pack really well and use lots of dry ice which my teenage loves because he can then make.... oh well.....never mind!!!

Both places put there product on a tray and vacuum seal the trays.
TMF rats look like they've been bathed and neatly and lovingly arranged on each tray. There is never any feces or broken limbs. There is barely any smell when blow drying them after thawing. They always run on the small size.
BC rats are dirtier, though not dirty. They are kind of shlopped onto the tray. There is no evidence of feces or broken limbs, but the fur is dirty and yellowed on several rats. I can live with this if they don't stink when I blow dry them after thawing which I won't know until next Thursday evening.They look plump and large and I'm glad I ordered different sizes!

So, next week I will conclude this comparison with a smell test and the biggest test of all~ my snake's reaction to new rats!

[nevohraalnavnoj]

Have your snakes fill out a taste-test survey and let us know.

As I was feeding my pee covered, blood soaked rats from RP last night (which also smelled terrible) it really reminded me how excited I am to order from BCR next time. Their prices and shipping combinations were also excellent.

JonV

[SatanicIntention]

I'm glad to have Big Cheese close enough to where I can drive to get them. I get large orders of live mice and 4-5 frozen 2.5lb rabbits each time, and always get an overcount on the mice in case one decides to bite the dust. The rabbits are clean, heavy, well-muscled and do not smell at all when thawed. Plus, they are only $2.25/lb, and are individually bagged. The live mice are chubby, healthy and the snakes like them(at 45 cents apiece too).

[Blue Apple Herps]

I love BCR, no complaints from me. Switched to them after two bad experiences with RP and haven't looked back.

[stangs13]

BCR is the best! I won't go to anyone else Since trying them. I live close enough to them to get free shipping, and there prices are cheap. Your snakes will enjoy them.

[dsirkle]

I ordered from Big Cheese once and got clean, nicely packed uniform size rats. I can get better prices on shipping elsewhere though.

[nwheat]

Big cheese is great!! After reading a thread like this, and doing some price comparisons, they have been the only place I've ordered from.

[PhillyBoyInTN]

Placed my first order today. Friendly service, great prices on rats and shipping.... I'll post results of my balls taste tests shortly

[starmom]

So, we fed the Big Cheese rats Thursday night and I have some impressions of the Big Cheese (BC) versus The Mouse Factory (TMF):
You get what you pay for. The Big Cheese costs less than the Mouse Factory and you get less.
BC rats are less plump in the belly than TMF; BC rats look less healthy.
BC rats are dirty (feces and urine) compared to TMF.
BC rats smell more compared toTMF; though still nominal.
2 of the BC packages had lost their vacuum pack vacuum. Thankfully I have a lot of snakes and so this doesn't really matter, but I have never had a package from TMF lose its vacuum packing.
Importantly, my snakes ate BC rats just as eagerly as they at TMF rats.

Conclusions:
I would order from TMF over BC any day.
Why? The rats appeal to the humans. They are clean, plump, neatly arranged~ all the rats look very sweet lying there.
So, is this important to the snakes? No.
Will I order from BC again? Yes.

Summary:
While I believe that TMF has better rodent quality, cleanliness and packaging, I am not certain that those things justify their rather high price per rodent. I believe that BC is almost as good and with a wee bit more attention they could be better. I will speak with them regarding the vacuum sealing and will speak with them regarding the feces on the rats since it is possible to not have that (exemplified by TMF). Also, Chris at BC told me that their rodents were very clean and so maybe these couple of packages were an exception rather than a rule.
All said and done, BC is a worthy place to order from and I will give them a second try in 6 months.

[Clementine_3]

I have not tried BC, only RP and TMF. I can only say it is a night(mare) and day difference between the two! My yearling IJCP finally started eating TMF fuzzies, she was hooked on the nasty, stinky, feces/urine coated broken limbed and sometimes headless RP rats for whatever reason. It made me ill giving them to her but she refused to switch. I was washing the dang things and still did not feel comfortable giving them to her! TMF is just a phenomal place to deal with and I could not happier with them!