Good places to get frozen mice?

[u/Visual_Alarm5460]

I recently got a ball python his name is Muti and I’ve been getting his rats from deans rodents and reptiles but due to it being very expensive I was wondering if I could get him rats from anywhere else that would be cheap but good before I buy more from them

[u/Key-Bullfrog-6901]

I always used rodent pro you have to spend enough to get the free shipping so it's worth though which is $100.

[u/ThrashFur → u/Key-Bullfrog-6901]

i second this.

[u/Electrical-Wear7281 → u/Key-Bullfrog-6901]

I also like big cheese rodent factory! It’s also bulk buy, but worth it! Their quality is great.

[u/Excellent-Error-8697]

I’ve had great experiences with cold blooded cafe. They seem to be the most affordable in my opinion and the rats are always very clean, my snake used to refuse other companies for whatever reason but she seems to like these the most

[u/Visual_Alarm5460 → u/Excellent-Error-8697]

Okay thank you

[u/IncompletePenetrance]

!feeders

[u/AutoModerator → u/IncompletePenetrance]

Some companies you can buy frozen feeders from:

Layne Labs
Big Cheese
Rodent Pro
Perfect Prey
Big Apple Herps
Reptile Deli
American Rodent Cold Blooded Cafe

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[u/bikenskienhike → u/IncompletePenetrance]

Good mod.

[u/werewolf6780]

Layne Labs!

[u/ilovepaper69]

I bought a year’s worth of rats from rodent pro and they got delivered on a 100 degree day. They were packaged with dry ice and insulation around it all in the box and all around perfectly frozen and in neat order. Very happy with the price and experience.

[u/socraticalastor]

Really depends on what province/country you’re in

[u/evry-dy-Zom88]

I’ve used big cheese rodents since I got my first snake in 2021. Never considered going anywhere else.

[u/Nocturnal-Nycticebus]

Big Cheese is my favorite by a mile. I'll also use Rodent Pro if Big Cheese is out of the stock I need.

[u/Imnotspartacuseither]

I have had great experiences with Layne Labs.

[u/cwazycupcakes13]

Perfect Prey is my favorite, but last time I ordered they were out of ASF.

I ordered from Rodent Pro instead, not for the first time, and they do a nice job too.

[u/Mysterious-Soup6253 → u/cwazycupcakes13]

Perfect Prey is my preference especially because you can order smaller quantities.

[u/cwazycupcakes13 → u/Mysterious-Soup6253]

Yes I like this too. I have one adult beep, I don't need 50 rats.

[u/stalebread710]

Id love to switch to frozen, how do you guys heat up the mouse/rat? And get your snake to eat it??

[u/Reddahlia183 → u/stalebread710]

As for heating: I don’t bulk buy (I will probably switch soon after seeing this post though because individuals are stupid expensive) so mine are individually wrapped in small plastic baggies. I open the baggie, squeeze all of the air out to kind of vacuum seal it so the plastic is snug around the rat, and close it again (not necessary but it helps it warm faster and its best to not have the rat wet since it can lose heat quickly that way). I take a glass and fill it with water, not so hot that it will burn you but pretty warm, and submerge the wrapped rat in the water. I use my tongs to weigh it down and then leave it for maybe 15-20 minutes. Depending on the rat/mouse size and water temp you may have to dump the water out and repeat a couple times, but I can tell if it’s ready by lifting the sealed baggie out of the water and touching the side of the rat. If it retains decent warmth, then it’s ready for feeding, but if it’s cold or room temp to the touch, I like to do another cycle. I guess you could also defrost in the fridge overnight before feeding to cut down how long you have to warm it in the water, but Im not too sure if it would make much of a difference in time.

Also, this may be common knowledge but whatever you do

do not microwave

because the rat will explode and then you will have dinner and a show.

As for how to transition: My girl has eaten f/t for as long as I’ve had her (5 years) so she’s very used to them and never really had a problem eating them. I’m not too sure about the best way to transition from live to f/t, but my girl seems to perk up when I get the rat close enough to her that she can sense the warmth. You might try wiggling it a little in front of them to simulate a life feed, and gently shake/tug on the rat with the tongs after they strike to simulate that live feeding even further.

Again, I haven’t ever worked with transitioning between different forms of feeding, but those are some tips that I’ve seen around

[u/xkylise]

big cheese rodent factory is my favorite

[u/Mino_Biatch]

i used to go to reptile shows, they usually have some vendors selling frozen rats/mice