Breeding Snake Feed

[fourexes]

well I'm officially fed up with ridiculous pet shop prices for frozen animals and thawing/heating fair gives me the *****s. All my pythons are capable of eating various sizes of quail and was wondering if quail would be a suitable full time diet. Obviously with the odd bit of rodent in between.

I just don't like the idea of breeding rodents as there are enough around naturally as it is. Feeding wild ones to my snakes is a bit sketchy as you never know whos baiting.

Just interested in thoughts on the matter....

Just FYI I have a water python, a mac and soon to be adding bigger snakes to my collection.

 

[saximus]

For three snakes, the amount of work required compared to the cost savings might not necessarily be worth it. Rats are a lot more work than snakes.
It's interesting and kinda fun if you're into that kinda thing though.

 

[Blake182]

Yeah I breed mice and I have 2 snakes soon to be 4 what I did in steps
1. Get 2 tubs I got 60l tubs from kmart $8 each
2. Got 1M of mash from landmark $2.00
3. Got a bag of bio mare ( $26.00)
4. Got 2 edstrom auto nipples ($5.40 ea
5. Got hay stuff for ($5.00)
6. 3 mice ($10.00
= $56.40 all up
but I like breeding them


My 500th post yay

 

[sharky]

I might start breeding them myself!...that's if mum will let me!!!! Because right now I spend around $40 every time I go into the petshop all on frozen rdents!!!!

 

[chase77]

I know you don't want to breed rats but they aren't that much work. check their water and food daily or every 2nd day and change bedding once a week. they dont smell that bad. It is a little expensive to start. I purchased 6 used tubs with water bottles for about $40 each then, food (biomare) and bedding (superior shavings). I've only been doing it for 6 months. I started with 6 female breeders and I have enough rats in the freezer for the rest of summer for my 5 (soon to be more) snakes. So since the snakes started eating again in september till they stop next winter I will have spend about $400 all up on rodents. with a $200 worth of rats left in the freezer. next year will be heaps cheaper cause i wont have to buy the tubs again. So i have spent about $16 per month to feed each snake with what ever is left in the freezer. Next year will be about $10 a month max for each snake. Plus your time. I dont count that cause its a hobby. Or find one of the many guys that sell rats at a good price.

I forgot to add a bought a sealed container to gas them in as I already had a soda stream machine and used some left over tubing I had lying around

 

[caleb96]

Rats that you breed will be nothing like wild ones i breed rats and i have 5 snakes.
It not to much trouble at all if you only have 2 snakes atm and planning on getting another one soon for you i would say get yourself
3 tubs for breeders and just one really big tub for the grow out cage or a few smaller ones
3 female rats and 1 male rat that will get you going and should build up a good supply for you snakes
you will need bedding for them i use wood shavings from norco $22 for a big bag that lasts me about 3 or 4 full clean outs which is good for the amount of rats i have
3 Rodent water bottles
3 food dished they will chew plastic so like a little ceramic bowls will work great
And give them something to nest with when having there babies i use shredded paper but you could use hay to
Hope i could help

Caleb.

 

[pythoncrazy]

I might start breeding them myself!...that's if mum will let me!!!! Because right now I spend around $40 every time I go into the petshop all on frozen rdents!!!!

Why don't you find a breeder and buy in bulk much cheaper doing it this way.

 

[sharky]

yeah, no breeders that I can find in my area I was lucky to find a pet shop in my area that sells them, let alone breeds them! It is still an hours drive to get to the pet shop though....And mum won't drive me to the airport to pick up bulk orders from rodent.pro, etc. Also most of my snakes are hatchies right now and will grow to fast to stay on bulk orders!!!!

 

[wokka]

yeah, no breeders that I can find in my area I was lucky to find a pet shop in my area that sells them, let alone breeds them! It is still an hours drive to get to the pet shop though....And mum won't drive me to the airport to pick up bulk orders from rodent.pro, etc. Also most of my snakes are hatchies right now and will grow to fast to stay on bulk orders!!!!

What area are you in? There are delivery options other than the local airport.

- - - Updated - - -

well I'm officially fed up with ridiculous pet shop prices for frozen animals and thawing/heating fair gives me the *****s. All my pythons are capable of eating various sizes of quail and was wondering if quail would be a suitable full time diet. Obviously with the odd bit of rodent in between.

I just don't like the idea of breeding rodents as there are enough around naturally as it is. Feeding wild ones to my snakes is a bit sketchy as you never know whos baiting.

Just interested in thoughts on the matter....

Just FYI I have a water python, a mac and soon to be adding bigger snakes to my collection.

We are one of the larger suppliers of quail for reptile feed. My observation over the last few years is that the proportion of quail going for reptile feed is falling in relation to the proportion of rats mice and rabbits which the market demands. That implies to me that the market does not think quail are as good a feed as the other feeds suggested. Personally , as a keeper of many snakes, I think a diet of primarily quail would sustain the avaerage captive snake.
If you are looking at breeding your own , Quail are a lot messier than rats as they produce more dust and noise. You really need to artificially incubate Quail ,which adds further exspense and effort. I notice you are an engineer. I would spend your time engineering rather than breeding quail if your decision is an economic one.

 

[fourexes]

I wanted to breed quail because I'm already set up for it, I've bred chooks before & have the housing already taking up space in my yard.

My question was more 'ease of breeding' and 'nutritional content' related.

I don't have the amount of snakes to warrant breeding rats and I don't have anyone to sell them to. One day when it becomes viable I'll consider breeding rats.

 

[Cypher69]

Everyone's talking about the breeding factor....BUT how do you personally kill the rats/mice prior to feeding/freezing?

 

[sharky]

I always thought people just froze them alive or stunned them before freezing which is so in-humane. I would feel really bad doing that but then again I'd do anything for my snakes....

 

[saximus]

Everyone's talking about the breeding factor....BUT how do you personally kill the rats/mice prior to feeding/freezing?

CO2 from a soda stream or a swift crack to the back of the head/neck

 

[saximus]

I always thought people just froze them alive or stunned them before freezing which is so in-humane. I would feel really bad doing that but then again I'd do anything for my snakes....

You're right, it's very inhumane and looked on very poorly by responsible breeders

 

[fourexes]

freezing alive is borderline criminal not to mention morally bankrupt.

most people have a favourite rock near the breeder cage or I was planning on using the co2 method as I already have an industrial gas account and seems much cleaner. I already have nitrogen and argon I don't see why either wouldn't work.

Any scientific thoughts on inert gases?

 

[Madders]

In saying that, how do you go about killing a pinkie mouse? I haven't looked into it but I would assume gassing would be a little pricey. There wouldn't be much mouse left if you tried to rock it?

 

[saximus]

In saying that, how do you go about killing a pinkie mouse? I haven't looked into it but I would assume gassing would be a little pricey. There wouldn't be much mouse left if you tried to rock it?

I just throw fuzzies and pinkies onto hard ground. Instant death. Doesn't look very nice when you're done and you're surrounded by little dead bodies though :/

 

[Wrightpython]

Everyone's talking about the breeding factor....BUT how do you personally kill the rats/mice prior to feeding/freezing?

i let the wife nag them to death but this only works with the male rats

 

[Cypher69]

freezing alive is borderline criminal not to mention morally bankrupt.

I don't quite understand "morally bankrupt" but I always thought freezing alive was HUMANE & painless.
I'm not backing live feeding but I read years ago that prior to a live feed, one would put the (live) rat in the freezer for about 60minutes. The rat would still be alive but brain-dead & oblivious to any pain caused by the snake crushing it.

Like I said, I'm not promoting live-feeding but relating that freezing live rats/mice was thought to be humane.

 

[saximus]

It's not humane at all. You either read incorrectly or you were reading something by someone with no clue what they were taking about