# rats for snake food?



## fattyratty (Sep 24, 2011)

hi all

i have recently started breeding my two lovely female rats, they are very healthy and good breeders.

i obviously prefer to sell as pets, but know there is a market for rodents as snake food.

just looking for a bit of advice, do snakes generally prefer rats or mice?

and do they prefer them live, or pre-euthanized, 

i suppose the size of the rat for food would depend on the size of the snake its being fed to, but generally do they prefer babies or weaned slightly bigger ones.

any info would be very helpful, i keep my rats in excellent, clean conditions, i just dont want to be left with "extras"

thanks


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## Rubio (Aug 24, 2011)

*Where are you based*

Hi mate I'd like some if ya got some ready (pets of course) where a bouts are your or do you deliver thanks rob


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## fattyratty (Sep 24, 2011)

*thanks*

last litter has gone, based in bristol though, so going to give her a rest then go for some more, they are lovely and healthly mothers and father and albino, although some dont like albino rats, i love em


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## Rubio (Aug 24, 2011)

*Ok thanks*

Be careful they breed like rats ya know :2thumb:


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## fattyratty (Sep 24, 2011)

*lol*

yeah, tell me about it - lol

any advice on the food thing would be cool though friends,

i might step up a gear as im not doing to badly selling for pets, i live in an area with loads of families with young kids

looking to go into the food thing, to see if its worth my while, i heard the pet shop sold frozen ones are reared in battery type conditions, and not usually particularly healthy


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## fattyratty (Sep 24, 2011)

*rspca*

spoke to mother about this - lol

she thinks u need a licence to breed rats forsnake/reptile food.

is this true

(i dont think so)


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## azza23 (May 4, 2011)

no you dont need a licence, but if your selling for snake food your prob gunna have to euthenize yourself and freeze or sell them live cheap, youll get more money selling as pets unless you do it on a large scale, like 300 females constanly breeding. People dont feed live food to there snakes its illeagal.


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## fattyratty (Sep 24, 2011)

*thanks*

thanks for the advice

i mainly starting up a breeding programme for pets as they are cute little animals, but there are also a lot of snake owners in my city, so was going to step it up a bit and gain a few regular customers for food

dont want to be left with loads of rats, so hedging my bets a little with my breeding programme,

i think my mother just said about the rspca because she didnt like the ideal of culling - lol, but i have no problem with doing it in a humane way

i would set up a DIY co2 chamber as not that keen on whacking them on the wall etc

mother is coming over later, bet she calls me a nazi - lol


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

azza23 said:


> no you dont need a licence, but if your selling for snake food your prob gunna have to euthenize yourself and freeze or sell them live cheap, youll get more money selling as pets unless you do it on a large scale, like 300 females constanly breeding. People dont feed live food to there snakes its illeagal.



Live feeding is NOT illegal, there are guidelines you must go by though.


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## azza23 (May 4, 2011)

corny girl said:


> Live feeding is NOT illegal, there are guidelines you must go by though.


 ok i should of said hardly anyone feeds live to there snakes live as a rat can injure or kill a snake, 99% of captive bred snakes do fine on frozon thawed, and the only time its not illeagal is if a snakes life depends on it, and illeagal was the wrong word i should of said frowned upon, :2thumb:


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Are you in the UK? as laws are different in other countries.

If your snakes are currently eating defrost the you should euthanise the rodents and either feed fresh or defrosted. If you feed live then need to hand them on they may refuse defrost in the future.
Depending on how many snakes you have depends on how many females you would need to breed to cover your requirements.


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