Where do you get your snake food?

[Cooper H]

Hey all,
Was just doing a bit of research as I am considering starting a rodent & reptile supply here in Western Australia in February. I really hope this is the right place to ask and that you guys don't mind. Hopefully you can help me out a little by answering five quick questions.
1. Do you buy your rodents online or in-store.
2. Are the following prices a price that would make you order from our supply?
10 Pinkies - $7 - 2g
9 Fuzzies - $7.65 - 5g
8 Hoppers - $8 - 10g
7 Weaners - $8.75 - 15g
6 Adults - $9.60 - 20g
5 XL Mice - $12.50 - 25g
4 XXL Mice - $13.60 - 30g
The only price on top of this will be 1-2 day shipping for $10. Also am planning on letting customers choose how many rodents in each size category they would like!.
3. What size and how many rodents are you all ordering per month.
4. Does local matter to you?
5. Where do you currently purchase your food from if online?

Thanks for your help everyone, hopefully I can help you all out soon with great and local prices!

 

[Herpetology]

I order 6 mths worth of rats from camos reptiles.

But considering swapping to rodentfarm

 

[Yellowtail]

I have heaps, way in excess of my needs at moment, I moved my rodents to Gold Coast and over did it breeding the numbers back up and while I am not in the rodent business if anyone in the SE Qld area wants some they will be a good price. They are all pedigreed lab animals raised on the very best food in air conditioned, filtered water luxury.

 

[-Adam-]

Eeeek - looks like my local supplier is a lot more expensive than that. (Living rural - I only have the one franchise outlet).

$6.40 per adult mice vs the original posters $1.60
$3.20 per Fuzzie mice vs the original posters $0.85

I checked out rodentfarm -

$1.80 per fuzzie mice
$2.90 per adult mice

... works out roughly 1/2 price compared to the local store however freight is the killer which brings it up to a similar price in the end to the local store. Just wondering if I'm completely missing something?

Is there anyone else here who lives in rural/remote areas that only has one or two snakes?

I could probably catch all I need by setting up bait and traps on the farm - but I'm guessing I'm open to all sorts of diseases and/or poisons so probably isn't a great idea...

Also - just so I do have my calculations correct if someone wouldn't mind looking over: for a full size Woma (making sure I'm prepared for when it is eventually fully grown) - I'm going to be looking on average over a year at feeding a rat every 2-3 weeks? (Adult rat works out to be $15 each) - so I guess that averages around $7.5/week for food - which it could be worse.

Although I may have issues if I don't want to stop at one Herp.... (which I've been warned I might get tagged by 'the bug')

 

[Herpetology]

Eeeek - looks like my local supplier is a lot more expensive than that. (Living rural - I only have the one franchise outlet).

$6.40 per adult mice vs the original posters $1.60
$3.20 per Fuzzie mice vs the original posters $0.85

I checked out rodentfarm -

$1.80 per fuzzie mice
$2.90 per adult mice

... works out roughly 1/2 price compared to the local store however freight is the killer which brings it up to a similar price in the end to the local store. Just wondering if I'm completely missing something?

Is there anyone else here who lives in rural/remote areas that only has one or two snakes?

I could probably catch all I need by setting up bait and traps on the farm - but I'm guessing I'm open to all sorts of diseases and/or poisons so probably isn't a great idea...

Also - just so I do have my calculations correct if someone wouldn't mind looking over: for a full size Woma (making sure I'm prepared for when it is eventually fully grown) - I'm going to be looking on average over a year at feeding a rat every 2-3 weeks? (Adult rat works out to be $15 each) - so I guess that averages around $7.5/week for food - which it could be worse.

Although I may have issues if I don't want to stop at one Herp.... (which I've been warned I might get tagged by 'the bug')

Definitely wouldn’t recommend wild rodents

You could however setup your own small breeding population

You’re definitely getting screwed on prices I pay 8$ for 400g rats

 

[Blighty]

Definitely wouldn’t recommend wild rodents

You could however setup your own small breeding population

You’re definitely getting screwed on prices I pay 8$ for 400g rats

Yep, my local decided 200g rats were worth ~$16 a pop.

I decided to grab a bunch of females and a male for about the same price.

 

[Herpetology]

Yep, my local decided 200g rats were worth ~$16 a pop.

I decided to grab a bunch of females and a male for about the same price.

Kellyville charges like 30$ for a dolittlefarm jumbo

 

[dragonlover1]

I order 6 mths worth of rats from camos reptiles.

I wouldn't ask camo for the time of day, he has the worst reputation in the whole reptile hobby and yes I have bought from him but never again
[doublepost=1568288161,1568287623][/doublepost]I am in western Sydney and as an example I can get 5 extra large rats for $39 from Platinum reptiles

 

[Wokka]

If you only have a couple of snakes the local pet shop is probably the best go. I costs about $25 to ship 1 rat or 101 rats so one way or the other the buyer is going to pay that. Yellowtail is the only breeder i know who says he produces rodents for no profit. Any legitimate breeder has to pay taxes and labour as does any pet shop but at the end of the day feeding a snake costs about as much as feeding a budgie and a lot less than a dog or cat.

 

[Jamesy93]

Price of rats from a breeder in south east QLD

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Yellowtail]

I don't have a price list but I sell rodents in the Gold Coast area, 190-260gm rats for $6 and 270-350gm $7 in single vacuum packs, smaller rats $2 - $5 in packs of 2 or 4. Adult mice $10 for 10 pack in sizes from 25gm-40gm, fuzzy, hopper, weaner mice $10 for 15 pack. Pick up for small orders can be arranged at Nerang, Oxenford, Southport or Tamborine, large orders can be delivered and I will send insulated boxes with approx $200 worth by Qantas, freight extra of course.

 

[Herpetology]

I don't have a price list but I sell rodents in the Gold Coast area, 190-260gm rats for $6 and 270-350gm $7 in single vacuum packs, smaller rats $2 - $5 in packs of 2 or 4. Adult mice $10 for 10 pack in sizes from 25gm-40gm, fuzzy, hopper, weaner mice $10 for 15 pack. Pick up for small orders can be arranged at Nerang, Oxenford, Southport or Tamborine, large orders can be delivered and I will send insulated boxes with approx $200 worth by Qantas, freight extra of course.

Got anything 400-500g? I’ll order via you next time! Especially for mice.. I’m paying $2.5 per adult

 

[Yellowtail]

Got anything 400-500g? I’ll order via you next time! Especially for mice.. I’m paying $2.5 per adult

I don't usually grow them past 400gm, only a few retired male breeders. I have a lot of big Darwins and I feed them 300-375gm.

 

[-Adam-]

If you only have a couple of snakes the local pet shop is probably the best go. I costs about $25 to ship 1 rat or 101 rats so one way or the other the buyer is going to pay that. Yellowtail is the only breeder i know who says he produces rodents for no profit. Any legitimate breeder has to pay taxes and labour as does any pet shop but at the end of the day feeding a snake costs about as much as feeding a budgie and a lot less than a dog or cat.

I think you're right Wokka. In my instance, I'm looking at a single Herp at this stage. Considering how little they eat, in relative terms it will be much cheaper than popular animals like a cat. I guess if I get into this a lot more and have a lot more pets, then I will have to consider alternative options but I'm probably lucky to have at least one shop nearby that sells them since I'm remote. Obviously it's nicer to have cheaper prices - but that comes with bulk options. Begger's can't be choosers and it's supply and demand. If I chose to live in larger center's, then I'd have more options - but it's the price I'll pay for staying rural.

If I catch the bug and get a lot more Herp's - the price difference will become much more substantial. Then I guess the only option will be to breed myself.


Question: Is there a way to tell if a rodent has thawed and been re-frozen. ie - if it thawed out too much during transit, and was re-frozen at the local pet shop - can I tell? If not - what would happen if I fed it to my snake?

 

[Yellowtail]

Question: Is there a way to tell if a rodent has thawed and been re-frozen. ie - if it thawed out too much during transit, and was re-frozen at the local pet shop - can I tell? If not - what would happen if I fed it to my snake?

That's why I started breeding rodents, it is very hard to tell apart from the ice in the bag and smell when you thaw.