Your Reptile and Amphibian Resource and Information Site

Back to King Snakes Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area  

King Snakes Forum

Greatballzofire   L.ROY   Greatballzofire   L.ROY   Belbackclan   SusanC   Silenceafable   L.ROY   Belbackclan   Greatballzofire   Greatballzofire   Greatballzofire   Nowepyro   Greatballzofire   Greatballzofire   L.ROY   Greatballzofire   L.ROY  
 Member  Message

 #1820298


Greatballzofire
View Profile

 Raising Feeder Mice

Link
How to raise feeder mice.

As my snake family grows, it will be more cost effective to produce my own than to have to buy ft off the Internet, what with the shipping and all. Also I will then have live food, and can freeze the extra. For my needs I am getting a buck and two does. I have a big dog crate to keep the mouse tank in so the cats can look but not touch.

My new Arizona Mt. Kings have been started on live pinkies, so I am planning to keep with that as much as possible for awhile.

Link
What they look like at various stages. This was posted in an old thread but I am posting it anew as it has great photos.

Last night Snakezoid got an alligator lizard for dinner. Our equivalent of a Porterhouse steak! Complements of Freaky the cat, our best hunter. She still eats the ft pinkies, too. I have come up with a reliable feeding schedule for her; one day to eat, three days to digest, one day to get hungry, then eat. So every 5 or 6 days she eats, unless she is wanting to shed. She lets me know when she is hungry because she gets very active, like she is on the hunt.
08/05/08  08:51am

 #1820710


L.ROY
View Profile



   Message To: Greatballzofire   In reference to Message Id: 1820298


 Raising Feeder Mice

i’m gonna be trying a rodent that i’m unfamiliar with as a food source for kings. they are Praomys natalensis- aka natal rats- aka soft fur rats.

i checked some out yesterday at a another snake enthusiasist’s place. these rats look to be ideal size for kings and have large litters. and are are way less stinky than common mice or rats.
08/05/08  04:12pm

 #1820786


Greatballzofire
View Profile



   Message To: L.ROY   In reference to Message Id: 1820710


 Raising Feeder Mice

So where can I get some?
How big are the newborn pinkies? Would they be too big for hatchling pyros?
08/05/08  05:22pm

 #1820890


L.ROY
View Profile



   Message To: Greatballzofire   In reference to Message Id: 1820786


 Raising Feeder Mice

they come from africa and they’re fairly new to the U.S.(actually i don’t know how long they’ve been here i only found out about them yesterday)

their newborn pinks might be a little big for kingsnake hatchlings but the rest of their growth sizes look perfect.

them being from africa an interesting thing about them is reluctant baby ballpythons supposedly go bazonkers for them because SFRs are a natural food item for BPs.

theres a guy in florida that sells both Fts and live, just type in soft fur rats you’ll find all the info you want.
08/05/08  06:56pm

 #1828190


Belbackclan
View Profile



   Message To: L.ROY   In reference to Message Id: 1820890


 Raising Feeder Mice

i have heard that soft furred rats are real biters and they bite hard so if you have success with them let us know cause i would be totally open to a rat that is LESS smelly then what i have now.lol



08/12/08  10:56am

 #1828212


SusanC
View Profile



   Message To: Belbackclan   In reference to Message Id: 1828190


 Raising Feeder Mice

African Soft Furs are EVIL... if you can do without them.. I would suggest that you do. We in the Ball Python world use them when we have picky eaters. The rats will bite the snot out of you.. and God forbid if it gets a hold of your snake. They do stay rather small... yet have large litters... and yes they are less smelly... but the risk you’re taking is incredible just to save a few bucks.You must use a glass water bottle... mine ate the water bottle that i bought for them when I was inexperienced with ASF’s. They will chew ANYTHING.. and THROUGH anything.

Are you raising rats or mice? mice stink... what substrate are you using? Equine Fresh works wonders. Also... rats can be easily litter box trained. When you clean your enclosure... reserve some of your rats poop... then put in a small box of plain clay cat litter (no smellies.. plain litter) add the reserved poop. In the beginning, they may have an accident... but trust me.. it’s easier to spot clean a few pieces...

However mice can not be litter trained...that’s when you’ll need to rely on equine fresh... I’ve also heard of people putting small amounts of vanilla flavoring in the water.. again this is an opinion thing.. it didn’t make a difference to me..yet some people swear by it.

Anyway... I hope this gave you an insight into the other side of the spectrum... good luck

~smiles~
Susan



08/12/08  11:15am

 #1828305


Silenceafable
View Profile



   Message To: SusanC   In reference to Message Id: 1828212


 Raising Feeder Mice

I have also heard that ASFs are nasty little buggers, but the males I had never bit me. I ended up giving them away b/c I didn’t have a female. They are much less smelly than mice, and I think slightly less so than rats. They do produce like crazy though. The guy I gave mine to had 3 females, and the males were on them immediately.
08/12/08  12:27pm

 #1828428


L.ROY
View Profile



   Message To: SusanC   In reference to Message Id: 1828212


 Raising Feeder Mice

Susan,
what kind of cage did you have for them?
08/12/08  02:22pm

 #1829072


Belbackclan
View Profile



   Message To: L.ROY   In reference to Message Id: 1828428


 Raising Feeder Mice

i would think a 10 gal with a metal lock lid would work,thats what i see them in at petstores,although they have like 10 in 1 tank which i was thinking maybe 1 male and 2 females or something,i seem to get bit all the time by my rats so mybe i will try them and just wear gloves.My rats have decided they dont like me i dont think cause all i do is take their babies,lol.
08/12/08  11:19pm

 #1829842


Greatballzofire
View Profile



   Message To: Belbackclan   In reference to Message Id: 1829072


 Raising Feeder Mice

Link
My mouse cage is 24 x24 in by 16 in tall. That works out to 576 square inches floor space, or 192 inches floor space per mouse.
The 10 gallon tanks I have ( for my small snakes) measure 200 square inches floor space, or 66.66 square inches per mouse.
Obviously, rats need even bigger quarters.
A big airy cage will stink less than a little glass or plastic cage. I only have three mice so space is not a problem for me.
If animals are overcrowded they will be stressed and hostile.
I have read that if when removing pinkies from the mamas, leave one for her to raise. She can’t count so will not be so freaked out when the litter disappears.



08/13/08  04:20pm

 #1829999


Greatballzofire
View Profile



   Message To: Greatballzofire   In reference to Message Id: 1829842


 Raising Feeder Mice

The outdoor temperature in the shade got up to 103 today. I have ice packs for all my reptiles and crickets, to moderate their temperatures into the mid to low 80’s Fahrenheit, which they like. But I was sitting at my laptop on the porch when I happened to notice the mice looking distressed, all stretched out trying to cool off on the sheet metal floor of their cage, the coolest surface but not by much. So I got an icepack, the solid plastic blue kind, and wrapped it in a terry cloth washrag, and put a little cardboard house over it for privacy. They were into that right away, and are now enjoying a nice cool spot, and are all perked up again. These heat waves test my ingenuity and observation skills, that’s for sure.
08/13/08  06:53pm

 #1831928


Greatballzofire
View Profile



   Message To: Greatballzofire   In reference to Message Id: 1829999


 Raising Feeder Mice

This heat wave we have having lately is a real bear. Gak!
Anyway, it is a great test of my odor control system. I wash the metal cage, change the mouse bedding (use aspen because I have bales of that) and before putting the mice in the cage, thoroughly spray the bedding with Pet Force Enzyme stain and odor remover, fluffing it and spraying it several times, to coat all the bedding. I then let it dry a bit, and put the mice and their food back in. The little male mouse somewhat takes umbrage that all his scent marks have vanished, and he runs around remarking his territory, but the cage does not smell. In this over 100 degree Fahrenheit heat, that is the true acid test of the enzyme control agent.
Link
A place to get it. That is just one of the many types of enzyme odor control products on the market. I have a bunch of Pet Force because of the cats and occasional skunks making bad stinks, and from when I had dogs, which to my nose smell a lot worse than mice! Any of these enzyme products will work. I get Colony and Odor Enzyme from a janitorial supply company in town as well, which are not as expensive as Pet force, and easier to find.
Of course the bedding should still be changed every 4 or 5 days, for the health of the mice.
08/15/08  03:14pm

 #1835172


Nowepyro
View Profile



   Message To: Greatballzofire   In reference to Message Id: 1831928


 Raising Feeder Mice

I have been thinking and I have decided about a week ago to start with breeding, feeder mice(Have had the mice for about a week). With my snakes eating and all. I have 1.2 mice. One male, two female. Which I think is a good set. Two males would fight. So until I start getting babies from these mice, I think I will stick to what I have. I have the mice in a critter cage. Like the ones you have big spiders in. It is 10in. by 6 1/2 in. Okay for mice I think. Until I get pups and they grow a little bit, big enough for my kningsnake, I will by the correct size. Any suggestions or corrections to, what I am doing with the breeder mice? Anything that will make them more, willing, Etc. Much appreciated.
08/18/08  04:02pm

 #1835310


Greatballzofire
View Profile



   Message To: Nowepyro   In reference to Message Id: 1835172


 Raising Feeder Mice

Link
First off, give them a bigger habitat. Mice, even though they are tiny, do best with a big floor space. The above link is very helpful in figuring proper cage size. They like those little hamster wheels to run on, and they need hidey boxes. My mouse cage is 24 inches by 24 inches by 16 inches tall. I made it myself, as I could not find a big enough cage on the market I could afford.
If they have lots of room and are not crowded, they should produce pinkies for you. Feed them a little fresh vegetables, like a small piece of raw carrot. I tie a cuttle fish bone onto the side of the cage for them to gnaw on and get calcium. Also they have a piece of hardwood to gnaw on.
08/18/08  05:46pm

 #1835389


Greatballzofire
View Profile



   Message To: Greatballzofire   In reference to Message Id: 1835310


 Raising Feeder Mice


My mouse cage sitting on a table in the shade on the front porch. My mice take after me, camera shy! I opened the door so you can see in better. When the camera is nowhere around they come out and do all sorts of cute things, more at night than in the middle of the day, though.
The only piece of equipment I can’t find is a sort of feed hopper that attaches to the wall, so they cant foul their food. I think I will try using a cockatiel feeder, something that they can reach into but not squat in.
08/18/08  06:32pm

 #1837380


L.ROY
View Profile



   Message To: Greatballzofire   In reference to Message Id: 1835389


 Raising Feeder Mice

the cage sizes i use:
1.2-3 cage


1.5-6 cage this size is much better for small time production



08/20/08  04:56pm

 #1837565


Greatballzofire
View Profile



   Message To: L.ROY   In reference to Message Id: 1837380


 Raising Feeder Mice


Better nest boxes; easier to clean. Puff is in the middle nest. Blaze worked hard all morning making a door of sorts out of a shredded paper towel in the far left nest. Hershey is coming out of the far right nest.


Blaze makes an appearance. He has a skunky white blaze, hence his very apt name! Still, though, my enzyme control is working out pretty well. I line the cage with newspaper then put about an inch of aspen shavings. This is the most economical thing I can think of, as I like to wash the cage and put fresh bedding every four days anyway.

These little critters are doing double duty as pets as well as producers of pinkies, so I want them to be fun to watch.

I really like the efficiency of L.Roy’s rodent set up. For producing a lot of feeders in a most easy to maintain way that is the way to go.



08/20/08  07:42pm

 #1837636


L.ROY
View Profile



   Message To: Greatballzofire   In reference to Message Id: 1837565


 Raising Feeder Mice

ya! too much work , i like my snakes so what’s a snake keeper to do? like i said b/4 every 3-4 days i have to change out bottoms and wash the dirty ones. oh-well the things we do for love,lol!
08/20/08  09:00pm


Back to King Snakes Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area