Breeding Rats For Food.

[Miss B]

Hey Miss B, are Bio-mare cubes the same as "lab blocks"? I have been trying to streamline my feeding, at the moment my mix is far too involved trying to ensure proper nutrition. Where do you get them from?

24 females, 6 males, 60 babies at the moment. I guess they breed more over the summer!! I have about 8 months worth of snake food in the freezer now so guess i may start selling 'em off!

I don't think so? Bio-mare is a horse feed, I buy it from the local produce.

I think it's about $30 for a 20kg bag.

 

[Hsut77]

I don't think so? Bio-mare is a horse feed, I buy it from the local produce.

I think it's about $30 for a 20kg bag.

We have just moved to feeding a mix of Bio Mare, Barastoc Rat food, Pasta and Good quality dog food, the Rats love the bio mare, first to be eaten then the Dog food, pasta and rat block last!! Seem to be getting better numbers with this mix but time will tell.

Link to my rat rack (s). A little different than the other but same principle..

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/other-animals/rat-farm-94724

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-herps/rat-rack-built-duw-78590

 

[Recharge]

Breed them too, have about 200 (estimate) in 2x6ft cages
it's fine buying them from breeders in Brisbane, but there are often problems with supply due to demand being so big.

the more breeders the better, so as not to have some of the severe shortages we've had in the last 2 years.

 

[dailyskin]

Luckily, with only one snake, the cost isn't a problem, but if I had several, I think breeding is the go. ALSO - consider buying a pair of Hopping Mice. They are native, and they are expensive ($200+ a pair), but they breed at a more steady pace (regular litters of 3-4, gestation of 32 days, sexual maturity at 60 days).

Not only are they HEAPS cuter, but they are nice and native, and if you have excess, you can sell them for a fair bit live!

 

[Jewly]

Hi dailyskin...I don't understand why you'd go for Hopper Mice when it's much cheaper to go with rats. Rats can drop litters as much as 15-20 and the gestation period is only 21-23 days.

Oh and the reason I decided to breed my own rats is because it became such a pain to find frozen rats in my area. Half the time I'd go to the pet stores and they would be sold out, or they didn't have the right size. This way I can cull at the exact size I need.

 

[Saz]

I breed mice for food, but I couldn't do the rats, although I tried. Too intelligent and affectionate for me to kill. I'd never make a decent farmer :/ I only breed the occasional pet litter now.

Luckily as I have mainly Anteresia I don't need many rats as they are fine on mice. Breeding yourself is definitely the way to go though, my freezer is packed full.

Now I have pet rats...much to my partners disgust LMAO!

 

[dailyskin]

Hi dailyskin...I don't understand why you'd go for Hopper Mice when it's much cheaper to go with rats. Rats can drop litters as much as 15-20 and the gestation period is only 21-23 days.

Hmm, for a few reasons actually:

- once you have outlaid the initial cost, they are no more expensive to breed
If you have surplus stock to your own requirements, you can raise some to maturity and sell them for $100+ each, which is a nice earner.
- I prefer to support the breeding and awareness of native animals
- They are sooooo much cuter to watch!!
- I have a (I know silly!) theory that they are better cos they are what the snake would naturally eat, being natives (I know this is silly, just a psychological thing for me!)

Also, for people with only 1 - 3 snakes, say a couple of Maccies, they produce babies at a more stable, appropriate rate for feeding, if you have a small colony, rather than ending up with 20 babies often!

BUT I totally don't think most people should, could or would do this!!! It's just a thought I was putting out there! For most, breeding rats is definately the way to go!

 

[FROGGIESrCUTEo_O]

2 dollars :shock:[/QUOTE]

At one shop nearby they're $3.50!:shock:

 

[Snakebuster]

I'm about to breed my rats now.. The shop near me sells rats and mice for terrible prices..

Guess how much a pinkie mice is?

2 dollars :shock:

You have GOT to be kidding!!:shock::shock::shock:

 

[Rainbow-Serpent]

2 dollars :shock:

At one shop nearby they're $3.50!:shock:[/quote]

$3.50 :shock::shock: !!!?????

It'd be cheaper to breed your own!

 

[batcho101]

i'm currently breeding my rats aswell. i dont have the fancy setups as some people on here.
i have 3 males and 12 females all together in a big 4x6 foot cage with a few different hides for the babies to cuddle up in. at the moment i have about 40 pinky rats and about 20-30 at about a month old. feed them mix of scraps, charf and mixed seeds.
they never seem to fight or eat each other's young which is why i have separated any of them yet

 

[misssullivan]

I bought 2 females and 1 male ( mice ) and one of the females turned out to be male but that one escaped and ate poison so i didnt need to worry about having 2 males to 1 female. lol

Atm i have the same male and female and also 2 other females from a previous litter. The male is black and white and so is 1 younger female, the older female is a gorgeous gingery-grey wif pink eyes and the last female is a darker ginger-grey and white.

I keep the male seperate untill i have only 4 frozen ones left, so by the time the females have given birth i will be down to or will have just fed the last frozen one! thats only with one juvie spotted to keep happy tho.

 

[batcho101]

well heres some pics of my cage and the pinky's i got this morning. second lot in a week i have taken

 

[dailyskin]

Ohhhh they are SO cute in the second piccy! Could never cull them myself!

 

[Radar]

28 females, 4 males, all females are seperated when pregnant and raise their litters in seperate tubs, then get grown out in large wire cages (approx 1mx1m) when we need larger sizes. Breeding females get replaced once a year, this provides us with the jumbo's and ensures we always get about 10-20 in a litter. Only ever had one female kill a couple of her young, so she went straight to the freezer. At $2 a pinky up here, the setup expense and time taken to look after then rats properly is well worth it (especially when you have a few snakes to feed.

 

[mis_gmh]

so far i have 2 breeding males, 7breeding females, 1 just gave birth this week with a tiny litter of 4 and my big girl gave bith to a huge litter of 17 yesterday. I have 3 ready to pop this week as well.

If any one on here has any blazed or rare coloured rats for sale please let me know as i will pay $$$ for the right rattie.

kind regards
laura

 

[dailyskin]

LOL the pet shop we get our frozen mice from also breeds designer mice for pets... And it's the same stock!

So often our feeder mice are long haired, or Manx, or rare colours haha!

 

[ricky_91]

go the bio mare cubes. i got 30 female and 10 males when i started i think i have about 100 females and 25 males now and i have a freezer full and I'm giving them away to friends

 

[IgotFrogs]

wow ricky this is a very OLD thread

 

[Recharge]

and your point frogs? it's a thread that is and will still be relevant for years to come.
tsk tsk, some people. "OMG THIS IS MORE THAN TWO DAYS OLD!! AUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!".. heh