Breeding and freezing rats to prevent parasites/disease?

[Ambassador]

I've seen some Youtube videos and internet posts about people that breed rats but then insist on still freezing them and thawing them before feeding to "kill parasites." How big a concern is this? I'd like to start a small colony in my shed with the intention to feed freshly killed prey to my snakes. Freezing them ahead of time (aside from when you have too many) would seem to defeat much of the purpose of raising rats to begin with.

[bcr229]

The concern may be in larger breeding operations where wild rodents could potentially enter the facility and get into the feed bins, which would cause cross-contamination since parasitic transmission is typically fecal-oral, and rats step in their own "stuff". If the rat colony is in your house I wouldn't worry about it.

[Bogertophis]

I've been growing my own rodents for a long time- I freeze many for convenience, but I've had NO parasite problems from feeding my own fresh-killed rodents either- because all my rodents are housed safely- no contact possible with wild rodents- and they're "clean".

Years back, I ended up supplying a local pet store after they finally visited the premises that their previous rodents were coming from- it was an outdoor shed, with easy access by wild rodents. That explained why those rodents seemed sickly & had fleas & other parasites- they were a health risk to humans too, not just the snakes feeding on them. All rodents are not created equal.

[Ambassador]

Thanks for the info. I guess since I would be keeping them in a shed (wife says "no" to in the house), I would just need to be sure the door gets closed and there aren't any access points for the wild rodents. Would you expect fleas or something similar to be an issue in a shed setup? There are a few screens for ventilation that I suspect a small insect could get through but nothing terribly large.

[Bogertophis]

Thanks for the info. I guess since I would be keeping them in a shed (wife says "no" to in the house), I would just need to be sure the door gets closed and there aren't any access points for the wild rodents. Would you expect fleas or something similar to be an issue in a shed setup? There are a few screens for ventilation that I suspect a small insect could get through but nothing terribly large.

"Sheds" are not all the same- just keep in mind that a dirt floor can be tunneled into, & any gaps can be a problem. Domestic mice can get thru something the size of a dime (same as their skull) while domestic rats* can get thru holes the size of a quarter. (*Domestic rodents are typically larger than wild ones.) Wild critters smell food & water so they can be pretty determined. Wildlife carries fleas & mites etc.- I can't promise they won't go thru window screens.

Then there's temperatures- I don't know where you live, but rodents cannot be allowed to get too hot or too cold, or they stop breeding (become infertile when too warm) & ultimately die. I hope you've thought this out carefully. Wild creatures go underground when temperatures above ground are severe- captive domestic animals don't have that option. While I think a shed could be constructed that would be adequate, I have to say that off-hand, I've never personally seen one (ready-made) that I'd consider raising rodents in. Many sheds are made of metal, which conducts heat all too well- and they're not insulated.

And btw, I have decades of experience raising rats, mice & hamsters- & in the past, I had a small business selling them too (they supported my snakes very well, lol). Now it's just mice, & they're only for my personal use. Depending on where you are, if the windows on this shed have only screen, you might easily experience "break-ins" by other animals such as skunks & raccoons. Maybe even feral cats?

[Malum Argenteum]

Other issues to consider (since the discussion has gotten more broad than just the parasite concern) is providing a certain size prey for one or a few snakes would not really be possible if only feeding prekilled; the rodents grow faster than the snakes eat, and so a litter of rodents is only a suitable size for a short period of time. It would take a sizable snake collection and some really close attention to timing litters to provide prekilled prey on the regular.

Also make sure that the cost of a CO2 rig (tank and flowmeter) is budgeted in.

I raise my own mice; I need all sizes of FT, and need regular access to live and prekilled for starting hatchlings. I used to raise rats too, but at a certain point raising feeders becomes more of a chore than raising the reptiles, so I purchase frozen rats now.

There's also the psychological factor of killing rats; of all the animals I've raised (for human and animal food) and hunted, I personally find rats the most problematic to euthanize. I do really like the quality of the feeders I can produce myself, though -- I have yet to find an equivalent substitute from any supplier.