Breeding your own food items..

[Aminah Undone]

I think quite a few of us here have an extensive collection ..or ,at least, a little larger collection than "average" maybe .....so how do you provide for your slitherin' kids? Do you purchase mass quantities of f/t prey online ...do you buy locally ...or have you ventured into the breeding and producing of your own?

For a short time, I only had single digit snakes here ..so I just bought all the f/t prey I needed each week, locally. That didn't last long ..and I quickly acquired double digit snakes and other critters that eat f/t ..so I needed a more reasonably priced source of food for the kids.

I tried mice for awhile cuz I had quite a few eating the various sizes of mice prey ...but they aren't reliable producers ..or I was doing something wrong ..or ..?  Well, that ..and as nature goes, the kids grow and they can handle larger prey, so I moved onto rats and I have no problem with their production... except!

-I'm still working out the rotation of how many females, delivering when..

-A humane technique for euthanizing them prior to freezing them (they aren't as easy to perform cervical dislocation ...as mice.. yikes!    )

-Whether or not I can justify a rack for them ..instead of multiple cages



So.. if any of you produce your own, I'd like to hear about your set up and schedule for breeding and so on.

[JETZEN]

i raise some mice...........they stink.....i have to wash cage bottoms twice a week.
aside from the work it takes to maintain a healthy mouse colony.....it's fairly easy once ya learn the gestation and weaning periods and the proper diet.
this is the type of lab caging i prefer....i almost went to a rack and tub system but that would be more mice and more work.



i also purchase frozens from local breeders

[Aminah Undone]

I really like the Lab boxes for them.. but do they make them large enough to accommodate rats, too?

Do you euthanize your own mice? If so, do you cervically dislocate ..or CO₂ them? I ask cuz rats are a whole 'nother ball game for me ..not as easy to snap a little neck and be done ..quick, easy ..virtually no trauma. I have definitely got to find a better way for the rats. I won't go into details, but I have horrified and traumatized more than just myself with botched attempts.   

Have you ever used a contraption like this...



..or have you used dry ice and a bucket? I'm thinking of trying one or both ..the dry ice again ...the CO₂ thingy for the first time......


Anyone.. ?  These are not just questions for JETZEN, of course.. 

[JETZEN]

I really like the Lab boxes for them.. but do they make them large enough to accommodate rats, too?

Do you euthanize your own mice? If so, do you cervically dislocate ..or CO₂ them? I ask cuz rats are a whole 'nother ball game for me ..not as easy to snap a little neck and be done ..quick, easy ..virtually no trauma. I have definitely got to find a better way for the rats. I won't go into details, but I have horrified and traumatized more than just myself with botched attempts.   

Have you ever used a contraption like this...



..or have you used dry ice and a bucket? I'm thinking of trying one or both ..the dry ice again ...the CO₂ thingy for the first time......


Anyone.. ?  These are not just questions for JETZEN, of course.. 

yes....a larger lab cage is availible for rats.......but the only ones i've seen were barely big enuff to accomadate maybe 2 adults and a small litter........and because of the SS wire lid they are not cheap.
i don't gas what i raise......i either feed live or whack them on the table edge. i grab them by the tail and smack them on the edge of the table ........i have done it to both rats and mice 98% of the time it kills them instantly.
i have known several high volume frozen dealers.......and have seen 50 rats gassed at once.......Co2  is painless and they just go to sleep.......except pinks for some reason pinks are resistant to Co2 and most rodent breeders i know just freeze them live.

i've only met 1 dealer that tried dry ice.......he said it works but gas in a bottle is more convienant.

sorry to hog all the questions   

[zimdeballpython]

Cat litter helps almost eleminate the smell trust me! I have 17 mice at the moment in my house and you don't even notice the smell for about half a week. I breed mice but considering I only have three snakes my rodents often get sold as pets or whatever as well at least untill I gain a few more lol

[JETZEN]

i've never tried cat litter .......because i don't believe newborn mouse pinks would fair well on that stuff. do you provide nesting material for them?

[zimdeballpython]

i've never tried cat litter .......because i don't believe newborn mouse pinks would fair well on that stuff. do you provide nesting material for them?

I have some regular fluff bedding that I got at walmart that I used to throw in when they get close to popping but so far the cat littler has not been a problem and I use paper towls on the bottom of the tank that they tear up into a little nest anyway. the stuff isn't toxic and none have had any trouble so far so I think its safe.

[Aminah Undone]

Thank you for all the great info, JETZEN!! I really appreciate it ..I just didn't want you to feel like you had to answer all my tireless questions      I'll pick your brain for as long as you'll let me...   

[zimdeballpython]

Thank you for all the great info, JETZEN!! I really appreciate it ..I just didn't want you to feel like you had to answer all my tireless questions      I'll pick your brain for as long as you'll let me...   

lol good luck with that

[JETZEN]

i've never tried cat litter .......because i don't believe newborn mouse pinks would fair well on that stuff. do you provide nesting material for them?

I have some regular fluff bedding that I got at walmart that I used to throw in when they get close to popping but so far the cat littler has not been a problem and I use paper towls on the bottom of the tank that they tear up into a little nest anyway. the stuff isn't toxic and none have had any trouble so far so I think its safe.

there is a fairly new substrate on the mkt that i've beed itching to try.......wood pellets......looks like large rabbit pellets but made out of sawdust instead of alfafa......supposedly it's good for everthing from large livestock to everthing else. cheaper than shavings too.