-
Hello!
Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.
Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....
Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.
Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.
Do you breed mice/rats for your snakes?
- Thread starter tim88
- Start date
Quigs
"Got R Did"
I answered yes, mice only. However, I think you should have added another option as well. Both...I think you will find that even some of the very large scale breeder have to supplement there own supply of mice every now and again!
Honestly, I have just started my own colonies of mice and hope soon to not have to buy feeders from out sources as often! But I know that this is sometimes a nessecary evil!
Quigs
Honestly, I have just started my own colonies of mice and hope soon to not have to buy feeders from out sources as often! But I know that this is sometimes a nessecary evil!
Quigs
ThEmAnwHoCaNeAt
New member
I breed my mice. Breeding my own mice has saved me a lot of money and isn't too time consuming.
DAND
New member
Both mice and rats
It all started when I got home from the pet store one time and found out I was given small rats for the large ones I wanted and was charges for. I called the shop and the owner told me that that was the size he was sent for large. I told him that if they are small rats the should be sold as small rats. He didn't want to return my money. So from then on I started to breed my own. He lost a good customer who was spending a couple hundred bucks a month. Now I breed my own and sell the extra. I end up feeding all mine for free and make a few bucks as well.
It all started when I got home from the pet store one time and found out I was given small rats for the large ones I wanted and was charges for. I called the shop and the owner told me that that was the size he was sent for large. I told him that if they are small rats the should be sold as small rats. He didn't want to return my money. So from then on I started to breed my own. He lost a good customer who was spending a couple hundred bucks a month. Now I breed my own and sell the extra. I end up feeding all mine for free and make a few bucks as well.
Amanda E
Snake Addict!
While I voted that I buy all of mine, I do plan to start my own colony of mice in the next year or so.
Buying in bulk is okay for now, but I'll need many more mice once I start breeding my snakes. My freezer just couldn't hold enough mice to make it as economical as breeding my own, despite the time it will take to care for the mice.
If breeding mice turns out to be a fun side project (which I figure it will; I always loved the rodents/rabbits I had as a kid), I'll try breeding rats and possibly rabbits.
Buying in bulk is okay for now, but I'll need many more mice once I start breeding my snakes. My freezer just couldn't hold enough mice to make it as economical as breeding my own, despite the time it will take to care for the mice.
If breeding mice turns out to be a fun side project (which I figure it will; I always loved the rodents/rabbits I had as a kid), I'll try breeding rats and possibly rabbits.
Taceas
USW = UB313
I agree with Quigs on the "Both: Breed & Buy" selection. =)
I breed my own mice for pinks up to hoppers...and I buy bulk frozen adult mice and various rat sizes.
It's saved me a ton of money and really isn't too time consuming. It also gives me something to do in the winter months when the snakes are sleeping.
For a $13 - 50lb bag of food, I can feed my 3 colonies for 6-7 months. All I really pay out the rear for is the aspen bedding that both the mice and the snakes are housed on.
And besides, who could resist all these cute faces?
And not all of these mice are permanently together. Most of them are young and were still wanting to suckle off of their mother which just gave birth again. Kind of hard for newborns to drink when all the spigots are taken.
I breed my own mice for pinks up to hoppers...and I buy bulk frozen adult mice and various rat sizes.
It's saved me a ton of money and really isn't too time consuming. It also gives me something to do in the winter months when the snakes are sleeping.
For a $13 - 50lb bag of food, I can feed my 3 colonies for 6-7 months. All I really pay out the rear for is the aspen bedding that both the mice and the snakes are housed on.
And besides, who could resist all these cute faces?
And not all of these mice are permanently together. Most of them are young and were still wanting to suckle off of their mother which just gave birth again. Kind of hard for newborns to drink when all the spigots are taken.
I have tried on two occassions to breed my own mice, although very successful.. I could not take the smell. I bought 6 proffesional breeding cages, keep them extremely clean, not too crowded, proper food, bedding....... even a little vinegar or vanilla extract in their water. I have 90 corns and several other colubrids. It was not a matter of trying to breed enough mice to feed them all. It was an attempt to offer them a meal once in awhile that I knew the quality was superb. I have used other breeders in the past, but my last order was placed with Big Cheese Rodents. 3,000 of various sizes. The quality was excellent. And the best part is, I was able to throw out the clothes pins for my nose. REG
Quigs
"Got R Did"
Hey Tim,
I, too have recently started breeding my own. I just have one colony so far though. I want at least 3 more though. Where did you get the lab mice? Locally? Only place I could find Swiss Websters (which I read and was told is a very good lab strain) on the web was a place in Upsate New York. Not only they wanted $3.50 for an adult but the live shipping probably via air freight would be WAY outta my range of willingness to spend on them! I'm look at adding another 3.12 most likely.
Any help would be great!
Thanks,
Quigs
I, too have recently started breeding my own. I just have one colony so far though. I want at least 3 more though. Where did you get the lab mice? Locally? Only place I could find Swiss Websters (which I read and was told is a very good lab strain) on the web was a place in Upsate New York. Not only they wanted $3.50 for an adult but the live shipping probably via air freight would be WAY outta my range of willingness to spend on them! I'm look at adding another 3.12 most likely.
Any help would be great!
Thanks,
Quigs
tim88
The system is down
Quigs,
The lab mice I have are Swiss Websters. They seem to be doing great so far-- I,ve probably pulled out about 100 pinkies in the last 10 days. I bought them from a place in Indianapolis as surplus adults for $0.85 a piece. Their website is www.harlan.com.
Shipping was about $25 plus a $10 box charge, so overall I think it was an okay price.
Good luck.:cheers:
The lab mice I have are Swiss Websters. They seem to be doing great so far-- I,ve probably pulled out about 100 pinkies in the last 10 days. I bought them from a place in Indianapolis as surplus adults for $0.85 a piece. Their website is www.harlan.com.
Shipping was about $25 plus a $10 box charge, so overall I think it was an okay price.
Good luck.:cheers:
magick-bears
New member
tim88 said:
Tim,
Do they requier an FDA license like Charles Rivers Labs do? Also how did you find them for $0.85? Did you ask the customer service rep? I have been all through there web site and there is no mention of Surplus Adults.
Thanks,
Jeff C.
CornCrazy
What's one more???
REG...
Try putting the mice on Alfalfa pellets( for bedding). It was suggested in another thread, so I decided to try it. So far, my mice have been on alfalfa pellets for about 4 days now and they is hardly any odor. When I first walk into the room the mice are in, I can smell a slight alfalfa odor, but after a few seconds I don't even notice it. I got the pellets at my local co=op for around $8.00 for a 50 lb bag.
Taceas...you should also try to alfalfa pellets if you want to save a bit on bedding costs!
Try putting the mice on Alfalfa pellets( for bedding). It was suggested in another thread, so I decided to try it. So far, my mice have been on alfalfa pellets for about 4 days now and they is hardly any odor. When I first walk into the room the mice are in, I can smell a slight alfalfa odor, but after a few seconds I don't even notice it. I got the pellets at my local co=op for around $8.00 for a 50 lb bag.
Taceas...you should also try to alfalfa pellets if you want to save a bit on bedding costs!
Hello Corncrazy, Let me know the status, as you go along. As you mentioned alfalfa, I use to put a pile of alfalfa and hay strands on top of the rodent cages as a treat and for them to use to build a nest. And I did notice a much more pleasant smell for a short time. Keep us posted. Thanks REG
CornCrazy
What's one more???
Hi,
I have all of my mice in our second bathroom. It's the only extra space I have. So far, I like the alfalfa. The alfalfa does have a bit of a smell when I first enter the room they are in, but it is WAY better than the smell of the mice. I actually went a week before I changed the alfalfa pellets. It still didn't smell nearly as bad as before (when they were on aspen). I don't think I could go two weeks, but it has stretched cleanings out to weekly instead of every 2-3 days. I think I am going to purchase the chlorophyll to go in the water as well. I want to see if it helps to fight the odor from the inside and out.
P.S. - The only thing I don't like about the alfalfa pellets is that it is pretty dusty.
I have all of my mice in our second bathroom. It's the only extra space I have. So far, I like the alfalfa. The alfalfa does have a bit of a smell when I first enter the room they are in, but it is WAY better than the smell of the mice. I actually went a week before I changed the alfalfa pellets. It still didn't smell nearly as bad as before (when they were on aspen). I don't think I could go two weeks, but it has stretched cleanings out to weekly instead of every 2-3 days. I think I am going to purchase the chlorophyll to go in the water as well. I want to see if it helps to fight the odor from the inside and out.
P.S. - The only thing I don't like about the alfalfa pellets is that it is pretty dusty.