planning on breeding

[brownsfan222]

i keep relatively small snakes. I want to breed mice either 1.1 or 1.2 in a 10 gallon. Will they provide enough mice for a steady supply of mice for a 16 inch baby ball that eats hoppers, and a 3 foot bull snake that eats either a few hoppers or an adult mouse

[Ecnahc]

I don't think breeding mice would be your best bet. It would take too long to grow up them 15-20 pinkies into a sizeable meal for a 16" bp or a 3 foot bull. We breed bullsnakes any of my 3' can easily take a jumbo adult mouse ( a retired breeder) so i feed them a small rat. You will be cleaning that 10 gallon daily, if you have a trio of adult breeders and 15 or so hoppers/weanlings jumping around.
You would be better off breeding rats, a rat pink is about the size of a mouse fuzzy(atleast with our large breeders) It would take a while to grow up a mouse pink into a meal for a bp or bullsnake.
My wife and I raise all of our own rodents, we have 1.3 rats per cement mixing tub, built into 3 seperate rack holds 12 tubs. We have 3 colonies of 1.2 mice we only raise mice babies upto small fuzzy size mainly for hatchling kings/corns etc.
Even our hatchling bullsnakes recieve rat pinks.
We our going to get rid of the mice colonies and just buy them. The 3 mice colonies we have stink more than all of our rats combined. I'd also consider something else than a fish tank for mice breeding, we tried that once the mice didn't seem to thrive. I heard something to do with the ventilation. They are doind fine moved into a plastic bin, key is buy one that is perfectly smooth inside (Iris boot boxes work wonderful) and build a small wood frame to sit over the top with some wire mesh. It's also alot easier to clean than a tank.
I try to keep nothing in tanks anymore, cleaning is a pain and I cannot recall all the ones i've cracked! If you have any questions shoot me a email. We have been breeding our own rodents for about 2 years.
We were spending about $4-$500 month buying online now it's probably under $50, and we make a couple hundred selling off extras!

[Bubafat]

I also am not trying to discourage you in breeding rats or mice, but in my personal opinion (which is worth as much as you'll take it as), you don't have enough snakes at this time to warrant it. Breeding rats/mice is an ordeal.

Right now a friend and I breed them. We have a rack that holds 15 small cement mixing bins, housing a 1.4 group in each (males rotate around, so really 0.4). The entire rack setup, including the automatic watering system cost us around $275. We bought about $80 worth of medium female rats at a local herp show to fill it. It took a little longer for them to grow up, but it was much more cost effective.

Another thing you need to remember about breeding rats/mice...THEY SMELL! Don't try to do this in your room unless you want to clean them every 3 days or so. Eventually we're going to build a rat barn/shed for them.

See if you can find a local breeder first...you may be able to get them cheap from him or her. If you are set on breeding mice, and you're not interested in building a rack, I'd recommend you buy something like this.
http://members.aol.com/Reptile4me/

You could also buy a Freedom Breeder Mouse level. It comes complete with a watering system and can house a 1.5 group in each of the 5 trays in a level. Only downside is they are a bit expensive (~$250). The Mouse Emporium also has levels, but they are 6 across per level and only $218/level.

So there's a few options for ya:
1. Find a breeder
2. Build one yourself
3. Buy small laboratory like cages
4. Buy a professional rack level
5. Try to switch your snakes over to frozen/thawed (I think this is your best option at this point)

Matt

P.S. I LOVE bull snakes!

[brownsfan222]

i was going to raise the babies in a holding tub, and cull and freeze some of them and the extras i would just sell them to a petshop, with the money i would just buy the proper size mice, or essentials for my snakes. the mice are not just for me they are for other people too.