High cost of Snake Food

[Pauls_Pythons]

Another thing that goads me is how some rat suppliers name their rats large/extra large when they are really small/medium. It should be compulsory that they are sold by weight or at least a minimum weight per rat is advertised so the buyer can easily compare prices.....(similar to how we compare supermarket prices).
You advertise weights wokka even with the volumes you are dealing with so do many other reputable breeders. Its as though others use the large/medium rat title as another way to con the buyer.

 

[Wokka]

One consideration it the genetic line of rats used to produce the food. My observation is that whilst there are adult rats in Australia that tip the scales at over 1 kilo most mature rats are less than half of that. females are normally 3-400 grams and males 4-500 grams. Some lab rats are huge but generally they don't handle "farm" conditions, which expose them to many natural bugs.

 

[dragonlover1]

It is interesting that rodentpro only charge an extra $1 for ball park double the weight as rabbits increase in size!! That is about $1 per pound or $2.50 per kilo. One of you internet experts can probably find them on a supermarket website for around $20 a kilo in Aus.

Ha this is why we need a couple of lacie's,small rabbits cost $25,if the coastal refuses that's $25 down the drain! Sure our local raven gets a feed but it's not our aim to feed ravens especially at those prices.
Luckily we have a local supplier for our rodents and we get them for less than half the price of petbarn,otherwise our pythons would have to find a new home.

 

[Wokka]

I don't really pay much attention to reptile food prices as I grow it all at home. I do supply mice to a friend who has a juvenile Stimson's Python. Most of the time I get them to buy me lunch for the mice. If I did ask for money the local pet shop prices are triple the cost!

You are lucky to be lunching in Australia. Swapping lunch for mice in USA you'd go hungry!

 

[Ann-Maree]

Just a snapshot of what we have down my way for comparison. There is a lot of weight variation in what's available in one animal.

 

[pinefamily]

Haven't used them, but have heard good things about them.

 

[GBWhite]

Unfortunately, just like the majority of other retail outlets a lot of pet shops and especially those associated with franchises make it a common practice to increase the price of stock to around 300% to cover operating costs and make a profit. Hence the high cost of rodents when purchasing from a pet shop. I've got a diploma in small business and when I used to sell rodents to independent pet shops (franchises are usually governed by the terms of their franchise agreement) I would use the marketing method of informing them about the benefits of target marketing by using the strategy of applying a smaller profit to increase turnover (smaller price=larger turnover=decrease in wastage=higher profit) and encourage them to use the method of keeping the prices of rodents to a very minimum to get more people through the door who may in turn recommend them to others and/or purchase other items for their reptiles or even other pets. Seem to have work quite well but appears to be a very uncommon marketing strategy these days.

 

[Ann-Maree]

Haven't used them, but have heard good things about them.

They are friendly and helpful, the product has been fine to my newbie eye.

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

@ Ann-Maree, Generally those prices look quite competitive, (cheap in comparison to some). I just dont see how anyone can charge almost double the price for what could be 20g between a large and a jumbo rat.

 

[bluedragon]

im just going to breed my own snake food

 

[Ann-Maree]

@ Ann-Maree, Generally those prices look quite competitive, (cheap in comparison to some). I just dont see how anyone can charge almost double the price for what could be 20g between a large and a jumbo rat.

It's all about what a person will pay at the end of the day.
Still depending on the size of say a medium rat 91-160grams your looking at almost 2x the size for the same cost. For someone like me who has 2 snakes that's not likely to be a huge issue. Big breeders probably breed there own or have a fairly good set up with a supplier. It's the people in the middle that breed and sell smaller amounts who might feel it the most.

 

[Yellowtail]

Ann Maree those prices are not bad for rats and around the best you can get in NSW buying large numbers. The fuzzy mouse prices are high but anyone using a lot should be breeding their own.

 

[dragonlover1]

Unfortunately, just like the majority of other retail outlets a lot of pet shops and especially those associated with franchises make it a common practice to increase the price of stock to around 300% to cover operating costs and make a profit. Hence the high cost of rodents when purchasing from a pet shop. I've got a diploma in small business and when I used to sell rodents to independent pet shops (franchises are usually governed by the terms of their franchise agreement) I would use the marketing method of informing them about the benefits of target marketing by using the strategy of applying a smaller profit to increase turnover (smaller price=larger turnover=decrease in wastage=higher profit) and encourage them to use the method of keeping the prices of rodents to a very minimum to get more people through the door who may in turn recommend them to others and/or purchase other items for their reptiles or even other pets. Seem to have work quite well but appears to be a very uncommon marketing strategy these days.

Yes George you are right,Most people don't seem to get the small profit /quick turnover thing anymore,they all seem to want huge profits as well as quick turnover...you can't have it both ways

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Ann Maree those prices are not bad for rats and around the best you can get in NSW buying large numbers. The fuzzy mouse prices are high but anyone using a lot should be breeding their own.

Problem is there are quite strict rules on breeding rodents here in Vic. If we were to breed our own and got reported we would be in serious trouble.

 

[Wokka]

Problem is there are quite strict rules on breeding rodents here in Vic. If we were to breed our own and got reported we would be in serious trouble.

I think you will find the same requirements exist all over Australia. Intensive animal production is not a permissible use without development consent, in many land zoning , particuarly residential, so most operations are acting illegally.The line is probably crossed once you start selling. It is also classified by the ATO as: livestock industry n.e.c and subject to standard taxation requirements. These requirements add significant costs to doing business "properly" so it is probably not comparing apples to apples when comparing prices of a pickup (cash) business to those including GST. Cash prices should be approaching half of those through the books! Can someone enlighten me as to the taxation situation in USA? That may be another influence on pricing.

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

I agree wokka, and these home breeders will be crying in their beer once the local councils/ATO come knocking on the door.

 

[Ann-Maree]

Ann Maree those prices are not bad for rats and around the best you can get in NSW buying large numbers. The fuzzy mouse prices are high but anyone using a lot should be breeding their own.

That's good to know, l definitely don't want to come across as unappreciative of the work that goes into producing them. We have similar licencing laws that govern backyard egg sales in S.A. it cost a grand or so to have the premise inspected for a licence. It put a few off but not all, so far ther has been no crackdown.

 

[Yellowtail]

Keeping and breeding rats and mice in NSW is not illegal and there are many "fancy mouse" breeders and clubs. There are regulations as to the standard of cages etc and individual councils have their own interpretation as they also do with keeping of venomous snakes.
Victoria should pay more attention to the mass farming of dogs.

Running a commercial operation from a residential property is another matter with a whole lot of restrictions and regulation.
Queensland appears to be very lax with the keeping of rodents.

 

[SpottedPythons]

Saw a packet of 5 Weaner Rats at the shop... $32. That's over $6 dollars a rat, and you can get them cheaper than that in the Small Mammals section of the same store!