Where should I order rats?

[StarFall]

Hi there,
I'm wondering where I should order frozen rats. For a little while i was thinking of breeding my own, but seeing as I'll only have 1 snake for a while and likely wouldn't succeed in selling extras that idea isn't very realistic anymore. The only petstores near me are petsmart and a store where everything is very overpriced, so my only option is ordering online. To those of you who order online, what site(s) do you order your feeders from?
Thanks in advance.

[Scubadiver59]

Right now I get my feeders from Layne Labs, and I'm very happy with the quality of feeders; however, I'm going to be checking with a local rat breeder to see what his stock looks like, and see if I can save a few $$ in shipping costs, even if the new feeders might be a little more. This local breeder was recommended by my cage builder, who has a lot of boas to feed.

[EL Ziggy]

I use Perfect Prey for my frozen feeders. They're less expensive than Layne Labs but the quality is just as good.

[Scubadiver59]

Ooh...a royal Zinger by The Zig! ;-P

I use Perfect Prey for my frozen feeders. They're less expensive than Layne Labs but the quality is just as good, b0

[eminart]

If you only have one snake, you're probably going to be better off just paying the higher prices of local pet stores.

[EL Ziggy]

Ooh...a royal Zinger by The Zig! ;-P

LOL @ Scuba- No zing, just the facts. You gotta get the most bang for your buck :).


If you only have one snake, you're probably going to be better off just paying the higher prices of local pet stores.

@ Eminart- I'm going to disagree with you on this one. Even when I had just one snake, many moons ago, I still found it more economical to buy in bulk. I was paying $13 for a (6) pack of mice fuzzys or hoppers. If I feed my critter once a week for (6) months that would be a total of (24) feeders at a cost of $52. I can buy (25) fuzzys and (25) hoppers from Perfect Prey with shipping included for $62.50. That's twice as many feeders for roughly $10 more. Even if I added another box of pet store feeders to make up the difference I'd pay $65 for (30) pet store feeders vs. $62.50 for (50) online feeders.

[eminart]

@ Eminart- I'm going to disagree with you on this one. Even when I had just one snake, many moons ago, I still found it more economical to buy in bulk. I was paying $13 for a (6) pack of mice fuzzys or hoppers. If I feed my critter once a week for (6) months that would be a total of (24) feeders at a cost of $52. I can buy (25) fuzzys and (25) hoppers from Perfect Prey with shipping included for $62.50. That's twice as many feeders for roughly $10 more. Even if I added another box of pet store feeders to make up the difference I'd pay $65 for (30) pet store feeders vs. $62.50 for (50) online feeders.


I realize I'm fortunate to have a good, local reptile store. I don't know about the chain prices, but I can buy small rats at my local store for about 15 cents more than the BULK price of Perfect Prey. If you add the $30+ for shipping, it's a lot more expensive. I'd have to buy a huge number to come out ahead.

If you only have the box stores nearby, you're probably right. I haven't looked at their prices in over a decade.

[EL Ziggy]

I realize I'm fortunate to have a good, local reptile store. I don't know about the chain prices, but I can buy small rats at my local store for about 15 cents more than the BULK price of Perfect Prey. If you add the $30+ for shipping, it's a lot more expensive. I'd have to buy a huge number to come out ahead.

If you only have the box stores nearby, you're probably right. I haven't looked at their prices in over a decade.

You're right Em, nothing beats a trusted local supplier. You can also get good deals when some of the expos come to town. Unfortunately I haven't found any good rodent/chick/rabbit breeders in my area and the pet stores near me are very expensive. I don't really do expos either because I kinda have impulse control issues and would end up with more snakes than I already have. I'm also a little paranoid that I'll come back with mites :eek:. I like the convenience of ordering online too. It may cost me a few extra bucks but I don't have to leave the house and the quality is consistent.

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t674/EL-Ziggy/Mobile%20Uploads/20160720_194942-1_zps10t2s7cd.jpg (http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/EL-Ziggy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20160720_194942-1_zps10t2s7cd.jpg.html)

[StarFall]

I think I might have found a decent local breeder.. is 2$ per small rat a good price?

[EL Ziggy]

$2 for a small rat isn't bad at all. They're $1.75 each at Perfect Prey and since there's no shipping costs involved you'd definitely come out ahead buying locally.

[StarFall]

Ok, looks like my problem is solved then. Thanks for the help everyone (: