Breeding mice/rats

[Bryony]

is it really cost effective to breed mice/rats?

who here breeds their own and how do you do it (i know the obvious and NO jokes please)

whats the best way of killing them, the less painfull method

[ether]

I believe that is is very cost effective if youy have many snakes and the best way to kill them is CO2.

Regards Ether

[Bryony]

WOULD IT BE COST EFFECTIVE FOR 3 PYTHONS?

[saikrett]

breeding would be, but not sure about the CO2
Plus, it might bwe an idea to have a talk to your local petshop, they are usually very willing to take excess mice off your hands

[Bryony]

oh ok, good to know
i have access to free CO2 if i get this job, other wise i might still have free access at my old vet job so that won't be a problem

how do you CO2?

[glacey]

I find it cost effective and I only have 4 pythons. Easy enough to palm off to other breeders or petshops. I have 2 medium birdcages and 1 of them is just used to house a female and new babies, I've had up to 20 rats in the other cage no probs. They live on scraps, so no real cost.

Be wary of their breeding frequency - you'll have 50 before you know it!

[moiette]

hi, breeding your own food for your snakes is not only cost effective, you are also able to control parasites from getting into your reptiles through the rats/mice - this is one of the major reasons my husband and i breed our own.

[insectovor]

Plenty of ways to do CO2 otherwise known as Carbon dioxixde.
Put your mice in a bag and let the co2 flow in and they will go for a sleep.............
I personally feel better when I breed my own mice because I know that nutritionally they are good. However there are a lot of good quality mice /rats for sale but I prefer home grown... Just remember that mice will need looking after......

[lutzd]

Originally Posted by insectovor

... Just remember that mice will need looking after......

Yep - that's probably the key point! If you've got a shed away from the main residence, then it's not so bad, but boy! They do smell after a few days! You have to clean their cages at least every 3 or 4 days or the smell becomes really bad.

They can be fed largely on scraps, but I used to suplement mine with boiled wild rice mixed with vegetables, and freeze it in ice-cube trays; makes dishing it out easy and saves waste.

Rats, on the other hand are easier (in my humble opinion) and don't smell quite as bad. The breeders can become quite tame (with regular handling) and are very intelligent (compared to mice, anyway).

Just my opinion, as I said....... but if you've got the time to look after them, go for it! :-)

[Bryony]

i used to have mice and they did smell but rats don't as much but i'm not sure where i can keep them except for the garage next to my car

[obee]

i think if you have access to a good clean reliable product,at the right price, then you are crazy to breed your own[if you have a lot of reptiles].i used to breed my own and with a lot of reptiles i was spending more time with the rats than the reptiles.our wildlife park now buys and no longer breeds because after time spent by a keeper maintaining rodents and the feeding costs it worked out cheaper to now buy.i set up a breeding facility on my fathers farm in south east qld and i can get 1600 rats sent to me for 50 bucks freight.because i set him up,know what they are being fed and that they are co2 killed.i no longer have feeding or supply problems.he directs his business to select ppl so they are able to let him know in advance what they require and when, so he always has what they need.several ppl have even given him an idea of what they need for a year and he works towards that amount.by not offering to everyone he can guarantee a supply.excess is sold outside arrangements and as he increases breeders he can take on more ppl,so far working well.

obee

[Simon_Archibald]

I had the same problem as Obee - too much time with the rodents. I only had 10 breeding tubs going (which is not a lot for a large collection which must be fed regularly) and it was too much work, but still didn't bring the supply I was looking for.

I have since culled my entire stock and am using the frozen reserves. I will soon be buying bulk regularly.

Simon Archibald

[Magpie]

I have 37 rat tubs, it takes me 20 minutes every day and 2 hours once a week to keep them clean and keep the smell to a minimum. the trick with smell is to use plenty of bedding so it doesn't get too damp in there. Price wise, yes it's worth it but only if you have the spare time. If you are busy busy or a tv addict then just stick to buying, for 3 snakes it's only gonna cost you $10 a week or so.

[africancichlidau]

Yes I agree with Maggie, for a couple of snakes you may as well just buy 'em but if you have a larger number then there are definately savings to be made by breeding your own. I am lucky cos my lovely partner Marrianne looks after the furred animals in our house Little treasure she is

[lutzd]

Originally Posted by Bryony

i used to have mice and they did smell but rats don't as much but i'm not sure where i can keep them except for the garage next to my car

AARRRRRRGGH! Don't do it! Learn from my mistakes, girl! That's what I did, and pretty soon the car started smelling of rats! Not a good move!