[Dangermouse]

Hi all, post number 2 and my first question 

I know rodents are probably not the smallholders best friend but I am a very keen rodent breeder. these are breed for pets as well as a food source for my rather large snake collection.

At the moment I breed on a small scale to feed my own snakes but I am now thinking about doing it on a larger scale, the question is-

Do I need any special planning permission in order to do so?

Defra tells me that I dont, the planning office tells me that I need permission for absolutely everything?

Any advice would be helpful 

[MiriMaran]

Try www.nfrs.org

[CameronS]

if it's rats pleeese don't let them loose,   

[Dangermouse]

Ill check out the website,

Dont worry they are kept in escape proof cages, believe it or not they are quite cool little animals 

[MiriMaran]

A friend of mine has free ranging rats!

[Dangermouse]

A friend of mine has free ranging rats!

Im affraid mine are not free range micees....Im sure the snakes dont mind 

[little blue]

What sorts of snakes do you have?  (Im interested... from a distance! though am v proud to say only last week I had a rat snake round my neck!!)

[Dangermouse]

What sorts of snakes do you have?  (Im interested... from a distance! though am v proud to say only last week I had a rat snake round my neck!!)

I have Cornsnakes mainly, a few Royal Pythons, a couple Boa's some kingsnakes around 200 in all

and 2 tortoises

And yes I did get a little obsessed 

[little blue]

wow!

[ballingall]

Wow, 200. thats amazing.

I quite like snakes, I have to say. And lizards/gecko's/iguana's.


Beth

[Dangermouse]

The trouble with snakes is they are very addictive, my food bill got so high I started breeding my own mice

[ballingall]

Yep I can imagine that would be better! Do you feed the mice live to the snakes?


Beth

[Dangermouse]

Yep I can imagine that would be better! Do you feed the mice live to the snakes?


Beth

I only feed frozen defrosted mice to my snakes, mice and rats can do a lot of damage to a snake when they are fighting for their lives. I think its a little cruel to feed live myself.

The American snake keepers tend to feed live but in the UK we go for the frozen defrosted option

[ballingall]

So then how do you kill the mice? I know pet shops sell froxen mice, but wasn't sure if you breeding them yourselves, if you would still feed them once they were dead. I do feel this is getting a bit morbid though!

Beth

[Dangermouse]

So then how do you kill the mice? I know pet shops sell froxen mice, but wasn't sure if you breeding them yourselves, if you would still feed them once they were dead. I do feel this is getting a bit morbid though!

Beth

Hi Beth,

Its not really Morbid its all a part of farming any animal as a food source. The main concern is that the animal must not suffer.

There are two trains of thought on how to cull mice

1. Cervical discolation is one option, where the neck is discolated just behind the head, this method should only be used if you know what you are doing

2. CO2 gas is the second method, the rodents are given a short burst of CO2 up to about 20%.
    This will put them to sleep first. You then give them a full dose 100%. leave them in the chamber for 10 mins to ensure they have passed and job done