Is it worth breeding feeders for 5 snakes?

I currently have 5 corn snakes. I'll one day have many more, but for now just 5. Two are on adult mice, two are on hoppers and one is on pinkies and about to move up to fuzzies. Would it be worth having a breeding pair of mice for feeders?

My thoughts were with 1 breeding pair I can use the first litter once they hit the fuzzy stage for my smallest snake. Then, I could use the next litter once they hit fuzzy stage and then grow out the next litter after that until they're adults. Or I could do this in reverse since it takes more time to grow out adults and they're usually more expensive anyway.

Any thoughts on whether this is worth it?

I guess it would depend on your point of view.
You have the measurable costs of housing, equipment (water bottles etc) and food as well as the space they take up (not much but still a spot where you can't have a snake
Then there is the time you spend caring for them - cleaning, water changes, feeding euthanizing, etc. - and the smell of rodents in your house.

What is your time worth?
How tight is your budget?

There are certainly some advantages to having your own food supply, You have better quality control, and live food for the picky eater or babies.

It has been a lot of years since I raised mice/rats as feeders. So my advice is pretty sketchy ! One pair is not enough, even for a small group of snakes. It would mean having that female preggers almost constantly. Having at least 2-3 females would be more practical and kind. That way there could be a pause between litters and in case of some health condition ( of the mice ). They do not take up a lot of space, but they do have a distinct smell.

I have about 30-50 mice at any given time to feed 4 snakes. I haven't figured out if it's saved me much money, but I like the thought of the mice having a good life before they become snake food. I started with 6 females and 1 male, and have kept some offspring to continue the breeding line. I pick up used cages and equipment when I find them cheap. Sometimes it's a fun project, sometimes it's a chore.

The main drawback for me is that I hate the smell of mice so I raise them in a semi-insulated garage that I have to keep heated. I'm not sure how much that is actually costing me over the winter!

You could try rats. The pups might be the right size for two of your snakes and it wouldn't take too long to grow them up large enough for the adults. That won't help your baby situation of course.

Rats smell too, but not as bad as mice. They're also much less likely to eat their babies saving you a lot of frustration when you're counting on the litter. Don't waste your time with 1:1 though, get 2 or 3 girls with your boys, depending on your space.

As far as the economics go, I'd say "maybe" in your situation. I'd say do it if it's fun and interesting, but not if it's the primary factor.

I've worked with mice in research and in the past tried to keep some when I got a pregnant female.
My feeling is you couldnt pay me to raise mice in my home. Between the smell, the bites and them eating each other I am happy to pay even a premium price for dead frozen ones to use at my convenience.

When I walk by the animal housing buildings (university campus) and get a whiff of mouse smell I want to puke.

Even rats- my boyfriend had me take care of his pet rat and the girlfriend he got for it. The male died and I found the female eating him. Boyfriend conveniently out of town so I got to deal with it. Never again!!!!

Another big NO from me. Not worth it at all. You will spend far more in bedding and food than you will save from ordering online. And the smell is awful. Even cleaning every 3 days, the smell is still bad. And that's a lot of bedding over the span of 6 months.

^ just to comment on that, I use newspapers and the confetti from my cross-cut paper shredder at work for bedding. The mice like newspapers to tear into little strips for building their nests. I don't buy bedding at all. But yeah, the smell is not okay for inside the house as far as I'm concerned.

I tried to raise mice to save money when my collection was small like yours. It never actually saved any money. I either never had they size I need for the snakes or 1 would go on a rampage and kill all its tank mates. When ever a male would die from old age or too much sex the tank, that only had 3 females would go nuts 1 of them would eat the others babies or they start fighting And you can almost forget about bring a new male in cause there is 3 months of waiting for him to stop eating babies. Any how, I sat with my wife and did the math every month and the cost was almost the same as buying frozen. So, I say no way, not worth the time, smell and aggravation.

a mouse can die from too much sex? o.0
Other than a few pets as a kid, I don't have any experience with mice.
They sound pretty nasty (cannibals) Is there a reason they do so much of this? Stress, maybe?
If they are this bad, how do they survive in the wild?