flooded market?

[justinO]

seems like everyone and their mother is rasing rats these days..... I know I am! I find it really hard to sell feeders now because the market has dropped so low on them and everyone sells them for so cheap!

*stares at mykee and his 100 large for $100 type trouble starting*
just kidding!!!

I sell off my pretty hooded ones, but that's about 5 a week, and considering I do about 100-150 a month, it doesn't really dent the pile!

I always have so much surplus, and don't know what to do with them all..... anyone know of a good way to sell your extra feeders? how do you do it, or do you just have enough for your own collection?

And don't say pet stores, those cheap bastards always try to manipulate you into giving them away for free.... which is stupid for them to even try!

So yeah, what made you raise your own?

Jessy

[VooDooMafia]

Can never have enough rats. Look in the paper and pick up a cheap freezer and just keep freezing them.

I find one one breeder is out there is always another to call.

Really though if you are loking to sell off you extras and willing to deliver I will take any extras you might have (live rats that is).

Also having extra rats just gives you more reason to get some nice new animals

[Linds]

Originally posted by justinO
...anyone know of a good way to sell your extra feeders? how do you do it, or do you just have enough for your own collection?

Other than advertising, I can't think of anything to help you get rid of them for $$. I breed just enough for myself, and even take in others. My friend enjoys breeding rats of all sorts, and trying to acheive certain colours and coats and whatnot, but has no use for all those rats, so he gives them to me, and sometimes I give him one if he sees something he likes Sometimes through word of mouth I might sell a few a month or give some to a friend, but not often right now as I just don't have enough. My advice is if you cannot find a way to do away with the surplus is to jsut cut down on the amount of rats you are breeding so you have enough to accomodate your own colony.

So yeah, what made you raise your own?

I'm dirt poor I would prefer not to have to keep hundreds of rats, but really that is the only option for me right now.

[mykee]

Justin, they were weanlings just to clear that up...LOL. I'm in the same predicament as you though Justin, I have a few colonies going, and I always have rats left over when all is said and done come 'concrete day'. However, as Linds mentioned cutting down your colonies to just produce enough rats for yourself, the problem with that is I would rather have 100 rats that I don't know what to do with, then have one snake go hungry because I couldn't produce enough. Rats are finicky. Having too many is always better than not having enough in my opinion.
Why are you selling your rats? If you're looking to make money breeding/selling rats, or you just have excess after feeding, and you're looking to get rid of overflow, lower your prices, hell, you've already produced them, raised them and fed them, why not get $1 each for them rather than $1.50?: they'll move a lot quicker, and you won't have a freezer full of rats that have reached their expiry date because you couldn't sell them.

[Lisa]

We sell some of our rats too, but we don't really advertise at all, just WOM. mainly to make the colony pay for it's self and our snakes eat for free. As long as we break even we're happy. We have a certain amout of overhead that costs us pretty much the same whether we have 15 rats or 500 rats.

[mykee]

Good point Lisa; if you break it down, it really is VERY cheap to feed, house and water our rats.

[wiseman001]

Hey, I have been Breeding RATS for a while ( 3 yrs ) I have a good amount of supply to keep me goin.. most are young.. then i have the parents... which I don't use for feeders..

MY problem is that i have a columbian Red Tail Boa.. he's close to 5 feet... eats Large rats.. and I have non for him...umm.. I have 2 almost adult BP.. and the one is on med rats... which i give him the largest rats in the tank ( WHICH are smalls) or babies... and my larger BP is a pain in the *** when it comes to feeding...i have to feed him hamsters prekill.. ( O ya im just started to breed them too ) ..

cas thats all he ever wants to eat so i feed him 2 of them.. at a time WOW its expensive to buy.

I also have a red rat snake... he's about 3 1/2 feet long and has good girth.. he's on rat pups ( 3 ) which i have a good supply of them too..

I guess workin in the Reptile industry ( NO store name ) I get my selection of feeders.. and FREE drop OFF'S when ppl don't want there reptiles anymore..


I have 1- 3 1/2 ft BP, 1- 4 1/2 ft BP, Columbian R/T boa, 1 Red rat snake, 6 RUSSIAN BLUE RATS ( PETS ) and tons of other rats that are feeders just have to wait for the dam things to grow

Take care.... wiseman !

[Edwin]

Jessy, I know some people with a single snake who just go to the pet store and pick up a rat every week, as they find it gross to keep frozen feeders in their home, or to keep a colony. Perhaps you could advertise in the classifieds and see if there is anyone around your area who would like to pick up a rat or two from you on a regular basis.

You could even have those buy 8, get 1 free cards too, lol.

[Batdad]

Another good place to place an ad is in all the local buy & sell type papers. Ads are free and lots of people look through them.

Just a good way to keep your cost down.

Bruce

[capsicum]

I started out breeding rats as pets to sell at a local pet store. Eventually I invested in hairless rats, and sell those as pets, while breeding haired rats for feeders. I also have mice, but they seem to slow down, time for some new females (went from 35 female adult mice to 3).
Once I got my first snake, I was just buying frozen pinks. But that quickly added up (about $4-$6 a week). I started freezing my own pinks, hoppers, and etc. Now I allow them to grow up and then kill them & food saver them for later.
I also sell feeders to people who have bought snakes from me, so I am always in need of pinks and fuzzies.
My only problem is keeping them fed (nutri block, waiting on that), and keeping them housed (they have too many cages all over right now).

TK

[latazyo]

I'd buy them, is it possible to ship frozen rats to US?

[Lisa]

Shipping to the US can be cost prohibitive with customs etc.

[latazyo]

friggin a, you guys have all of the best stuff up there...hehe...I can't even get discount rodents from you all

[annieb_mice]

There's a really good U.S. rodent breeder called Mice on Ice. I think their website is www.miceonice.com
Take care
Annie B. <:3 )~~