This is infinitely better than most lab or breeding setups. The fact that any one of these feeders could be taken out and kept as a well adjusted pet is a sign of good care, good genes, and good health.
In the U.S. any good lab has to go through IACUC, who has strict rules to how lab animals must be treated. For mice/rats they will need to be kept in social groups, have hides/enrichment (including toys, nesting bedding, and treats), and they also must be fed a diet approved by the ULAR. Most labs also have a veterinarian on call who will care for their needs at anytime of day or night. Most labs I've been to have large enclosures and the animals are cared for very well. This wasn't always the case but now they have cracked down on any mistreatments, it has gotten significantly better for the animals. Can't say I have any experience with breeding set ups, but hopefully they care for the animals as much as Emily and Ed.
@@cells-n-stuff same in Europe. Minimum size of enclosures, having the animals in proper conditions, enough food and water. And it is a damned hussle to get approval for experiments, especially those including harming the animal. Which, sadly needs to be done. You can't make a study on pain with no pain involved. But it is very strictly regulated. And it is forbidden to teat cosmetics on animals in the EU. Only medical testing. Which is very strictly regulated unless you work with euthanized animals only (e.g. to harvest cells/tissue). Then the faciluty you buy them off must stick to all the rules.
@@narichan yes of course. This is not compareable. But it has to be noted that the times of animals being held in caged whete they can barely move, starving and hurting, are fortunately over in well regulated countries such as the EU or the US.
@@narichan What? That's what I said. Most labs I've been to have had Large enclosures and the animals have been treated well. I'm not sure where you got the idea that I said labs use these specific enclosures would pass. I just wanted to explain some lab conditions so that any fallacious ideas on how animals are treated are not promoted...
I don't want to hate, but fact is, that mice and rats need more space than in this video. I have 4 mice myself and keep them in a 150 centimeters high and 80 by 80 centimeters square. I see every single day that they need this space and even if you breed or if this animals will be food for others, they always should have an incredible live till they have to die. So even if in this video the set up is better than somewhere else, it's still not okay.
As a pet rat owner, this makes me very happy because even though these rats are meant to be food and you could easily just throw them in teeny tiny bins with just food and water and call it a day you made some effort to make their lives slightly more interesting. I love my pet rats but I understand that all pets need to eat, I’m glad your treating the feeder rats well though ☺️
@@spinnyquack56 actaully I did do months of research, my rolling group lives in a double critter nation with hammocks ropes bridges toys all of the stuff, they have their own cat tree and get 2 hours of play time daily, their lives are full of enrichment and they are very happy so yeah. I don’t think I’m as bad as a rodent breeder
@@spinnyquack56 how would you fix it then? they need to feed their snakes and do it efficiently in one room. They are already doing a lot in terms of enrichment
As someone who has had pet rats for a long time, they will always have a special place in my heart. When I got my first snake last year, I'll admit, when I got my first delivery of frozen feeders and had to thaw one out for my snake, I teared up a bit. (I teared up a lot.. it was maybe a little bit of a cry.) The rat had very similar colours to my favourite pet rat from years past, and was a weaned one. Still small, but very clearly a rat. I remember literally thinking, "Oh this is indeed a rat." It was a bit of a mental hurdle to overcome, but I would never deny my snakes their food or insist they try to eat non-meat options (as some people do with their cats & dogs, but that's another rant.) Emily & Ed, I really appreciate the care and attention you've put into this breeding room. I've seen other videos where breeders just fill their bins up as much as possible and have no enrichment, and it's heart breaking. While this video was hard to watch in its own way, it was also really reassuring to know that, even though you guys know they are for food, you still care that they have hides, that they have chew toys & snacks, and that you're clearly paying enough attention to them to figure out which ones are more friendly, better parents, etc. You are wonderful caretakers & breeders, even of the future food in your care.
I have cats and dogs and a hedgehog thats an omnivore....my pets get spoiled with ground chicken and beef (cooked of course) People who feed their carnivores veggies just are a special kind of animal abusers.
@Kathia Amaro they don't have enough braincells to realize not everything is omnivorous like us. not even going into nutrition, too much plant matter is hard on the digestive systems of carnivores, but they don't see that till the animals start becoming ill or suffer injury, and even then they might not associate it. hell, up until recently when we were able to engineer microbes to produce B12 in a vat, humans had to eat at least some meat or foods fortified with B12 from meat or we would eventually die.
As a rat owner, it makes me so happy to see them being treated humanely, even if they are feeders there’s no excuse for them to be abused, so I appreciate the time and effort you put into making sure they’re happy when they’re in your care
Not going to lie, as someone who has owned rats, this does make me sad. BUT, this is probably the best care I have ever seen for feeders rats/mice, which does make me feel a bit better.
Considering most breeders for feeder rodents tend to keep the rodents in communal bins, I would say this is much better quality of life comparatively. I love rats and rodents, so I completely get the tint of sadness. But also, if it helps, remember that they won't be in there long, unlike pets n_n. Also also if it helps, I think we can all agree that Emily and Ed will treat the rodents with as much care and respect as they do with all their other animals.
I own pet mice and it’s heartbreaking for me to see this. It’s not so much that they’ll be eaten, because the snakes etc. needs to eat, it’s that these rodents do not get to exhibit they’re natural behaviours. They are intelligent animals and deserve to be given a happy life, no matter how long it will be.
@@itsthatonechickagaincallth7843 ugh yeah it’s sad that a lot of people keep their pet rats/mice worse than this. When I was little we had a horrible cage for two rats but the internet is so prevalent now there’s really no excuse to keep doing it. These racks do make me kind of sad but you’ll never see breeders using pet setups because they’ll go out of business. I wish there were a way though. What makes me feel better is knowing that they will keep the cages clean and have the air purifier
I really appreciate people who see even their "feeder" animals as important and deserving of good quality of life. It's one of the things I'm most squeamish about in terms of snake ownership (which is why I only keep frugivore/insecivore lizards at the moment). Hopefully I'll get over my qualms in the future. Thank you for caring about ALL your animals. 💕
I’m glad that you recognize your comfort level when it comes to feeding snakes!! Super important. I’ve heard of a lot of snake owners who own snakes that should be eating a staple of rodents, but don’t because they aren’t comfortable with it. Props to you for putting an animals health before your wanting a snake!
I’m all about giving my animals the best lives they could have. So if I can’t give it to them, I can’t own them. It makes me really sad (and a little mad to be honest) when people just buy pets without research. I do a minimum of 6 months of learning before making the decision that I can care for the new animal. We are their whole world and they deserve the best. I’m always thrilled with how well Ed and Emily care for their animals.
@@ItsMattF completely agree with that (why I'll never get a insect eating reptile or anything cuz I have a fear of bugs lol) and so many people should really follow how you do 6 months of research before hand
I agree, I feel the same about humans eating animals. If you're gonna ask them to sacrifice their lives to become food, at least give them a healthy loving life. Otherwise you're just feeding suffering
I know this is an old video, but I am rematching this one. Another excellent point not mentioned is that by rotating the males through the bins, all the females get a nice break in between litters so they aren't over bred. Awesome care as always from Emily and Ed.
As a pet rat breeder I’m honestly suprised at how well You are caring for them, they all have a decent amount of space and plenty of enrichment, love seeing feeder breeders that actually care about the animals physical and mental health while they are alive. Would love to see more videos on how You breed them all too
Yup. As a former pet and show animal breeder, those racks are top of the line. So long as they have an employee go in every now and then and play with the animals, they'll wind up very tame.
@@kt141211311 they aren’t amazing, espessuly for pets but when compared to what’s ”normal” for feeder breeders they are great, I’ve seen people put 5-8 rats in those bins so 2-3 is great and they are usually bare with nothing but substrate and food but these have hides and enrichment
@@TheBitchspotReport and check the water is working and not filming the bins, I’ve seen and heard alot of horror storys about that style water system but if cheched at least once a day it shouldn’t be an issue
Im 5'3 right now and I'm ten ( I don't mind sharing my age, I know its wrong in certain conditions. No need to say anything about me and i shouldn't share my age)
i might genuinely cry right now, as a rodent breeder it's absolutely tragic how most reptile keepers treat their feeder animals. the entire video i was thinking "okay, i know you guys are good with reptile enrichment, but..." "okay, those are way better sized than most feeder setups, but..." and then you guys really just keep giving and giving and actually put things in there for them. it may not be perfect for a pet, but it's far better than anything i've ever seen from feeder breeders, and i certainly wouldn't be sad to see this. thank you guys.
They are a pest they may happy for the maximum a month they live to get all this. A lobster lives much longer still many restaurants treat them much worse than and rodent breeders there rodents. I have to seek every time that they had a good life and ask looking behind the scenes before I would eat a lobster. So come on. If would feet you to my crocodiles I would give you good food and everything you need to. But I would not build you a mansion.... (Just an example I have NO crocodiles!)
@@C00keis901 Of course not! It's like getting mad that cats need to eat meat. I love mice and rats, and they're wonderful pets, but that doesn't mean that they aren't also a food source for other animals. As long as they're being treated with respect while they're alive, I'm happy.
As a rodent and reptile owner this makes me so happy!! I see most stores shove ALL of them in a small box with no toys although these aren’t pets they have a purpose it’s great setup! Please allow some of your staff to give snuggles! Rats are super affectionate and form strong bonds with humans and other animals!
I'm sorry but while they probably would enjoy some gentle cuddling, you really do NOT want to do so with feeders of any species. The problem isn't their enjoyment, it's how hard it can make it to actually feed them to another pet, which is an issue if you own a predator that only accepts live food and you're raising your own food ^^'. Believe me, I keep insect feeders and I actually like bugs so I've delt with some guilt over feeding them. That's ofc why I specifically keep one colony of not food insects so I have an excuse to pamper some of them, we're not all perfect ^^'
Sure most of them are used to feed snakes but this is one of the most humane set ups I've ever seen, you guys definitely take great care of your rodents and give them the best life possible
This helped my perspective, thank you! I’ve followed them for awhile and always knew they take fabulous care of their animals, but gosh I still found it hard to know these lil guys are mostly food.
@@SandstormL As an owner of rats and mice, these shavings may not be the safest for them, but they are super susceptible to lung issues either way. These rats and mice aren’t going to live long enough to develop those issues either way, I’d say it’s pretty humane
My cousins are the same way with their chickens. My aunt did not like the way meat chickens were treated so she raises her own. She gives them a great living space and respects them. So glad these guys are treated the same! :) It is a little sad that they are gonna die. :'( Gotta feed those snakes tho!
@@keketski5430 yep! You are going to get a better quality higher nutrition feeder from these rodents then you would ever get from other feeder breeders. This is because you are putting in high quality food and nutrition which gets you a higher quality feeder out.
I'm a rat owner, and I knew watching this my feelings might be a little hurt, but Emily and Ed, you are doing a FANTASTIC job! You're doing everything you can to responsibly breed, you clearly know your stuff, and want to give these animals a decent, good quality of life while they are still on this earth. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so responsible and humane.
This! All my rats have been feeder bin babies as there aren't any breeders near me. I came go snake discovery a bit ago and got 2 of my dream rats. They were also genuinely very nice and needed no work with temperament. They are getting along very well with my 3 other girls. Too. Very proud of them for their setup!
@@lilydrawsart5756 Same, I rescued all mine from feeder bins at petstores(poor conditions) now you make me wanna make the trip to Snake Discovery for some new bogglers
I think it was Temple Grandin that said "If we are going to use animals food, they deserve the best life and most comfortable death we can provide them". You guys are doing waaaay better than most would. I live near NERD in NH (sort of). I drive 30 minutes out of my way for feeders there knowing they have a better and healthier life with them instead of local stores which are known to neglect them. I want my snake happy and healthy. That means their food needs to have been well cared for as well. Again, you guys are doing amazing! Id love to visit if i was closer!
I’m glad she mentions that these are way too small for pet rats, they make great pets and NEED space and enrichment, more than snakes so if you want them I’d recommend them if you have the space
The fact that they need space, them being social and the fact that I have a cat is why I’m waiting until I don’t live with my parents to get rats because I really want them but I just wouldn’t be able to properly care for them right now.
People don't realize that keeping rodents for breeding is different from keeping rodents for pets. There's a reason rats and mice build nests for their young.. Because they feel more secure in a smaller space when they have babies. For a pet rat you wanted to breed once, you'd just give them a nesting box inside of their large enclosure.. But for breeding rats... Literally all they're there for is breeding. You design the enclosure based on suiting their ideal breeding conditions.
@@Feezee223 I have a cat too, I just make sure she doesn’t come into my room but when I move out I’d like a small room dedicated to rats because the can be noisy (eg it’s 4:30am currently and they are running around their cage lmao)
@@honeybiscuit1457 it’s just that they’ll live they’re entire lives in these racks until Being sold, I understand having the space they need is not economical and I don’t really have a solution but I just don’t like the idea of adult rats living in bins they can hardly stand up in
I have rats and yes, I love them a lot and there are those existential crisis moments where you think about them as food... But as Emily said, circle of life. I know way too many breeders who don’t even have pet rat set ups this nice. It’s a touchy subject, but I think they tackled it well and with transparency.
Yea I agree Feeding is the hardest part for me and my girls a rescue and she will only eat live but growing up I have a pet nice I really just love some sort of way to at least be able to get food for my snake that lived a good life I’d pay extra not gonna lie
I don’t undestand why you would keep pets that eat other pets if you don’t like killing them. It’s like „oooh pigs are so cute!“ and still eating them. It’s not the circle of live, if it’s not outside in nature. You don’t have to kill them.
@@charlygestern6556 I don’t eat my pets. I don’t eat any meat, actually. But it’s still the circle of life when it’s animals and they don’t have a choice in their dietary restrictions.
As a rat owner, as much as I love them, I'm pretty okay with feeder rats, as long as it's ethical and the rats are happy, and it is clear that they are here. You have everything so humane with proper enrichment for them. It's very clear that even though all these rats will be is food, they are still cared for. Thank you for being so good with them. Side note: comments are best read with popcorn
@@kam-lw4ez The only thing wrong with this setup is the space, and they clearly explain why they can't give them enough space. They do everything they can to help with this issue, like rotating the males around so that there are only two or three rats in there at a time.
@@smallpaws196 their "Reason" is that it wouldn't make them enough money :/ so you also support industrial farming of pigs and cows kept in tight spaces?
@@avelynewalk9159 Their reason is that they wouldn't be able to fit enough in there. They point that out in the video, as I already mentioned. This is the very very best that they, or anyone under the circumstances, can do.
@@smallpaws196 yes because they want to make more money. You're right their reason is they wouldn't be able to fit enough in. And why are they trying to fit as many in as they are? Because it makes them more money lol
Please do an update! I love seeing the colorful little rats and mice. They are so cute. Your setup is a great way to humanly raise feeders. I love how you breed for more than just good mothers, but also for quality and color. Keep it up Emily and Ed!
@@chuckthebrindlepittie6820 Jesus Christ what is your problem? You are commenting on every single comment in this comment section. I love having reptiles. They are so incredible to watch enjoying life. And no, Emily and Ed are not doing this just for money. Their snakes are actually sold fairly cheaply for the kinds of morphs they produce. Not to mention, they receive HUNDREDS of rescues every single month. I didn’t know caring about what happens to abandoned animals means you have no heart. And complaining about snakes eating food is bizarre. Do you think every single animal that eats meat is horrible and heartless? Are you one of those people who thinks humans taught wild animals how to eat meat? Edit: I worked at a pet store. The mice and rats all were kept in 5-10 gallon tanks. No enrichment. No hides. Broken water bottles. They were horribly bred (every single day I had to remove multiple dead rodents from the tanks, it was horrible). They weren’t held at all, so they were skittish and bit all the time. It was horrific. So to see Emily and Ed putting so much care and thought into taking care of these rodents is incredible. And you should watch till the later half of the video. They explain why they have chosen to do what they do. And they got WAY bigger racks so the young rats can have much more room to play.
@@el5001 What value is there in being a "cute" rodent, when they are all snuffed for same purpose? Please explain why "cute" rodents tastes better, are more nutritious, than an average-looking, or even an "uncute" rodent. Will be interested in your explanation.
@@chuckthebrindlepittie6820 I see you blatantly ignored my comment. I guess it doesn’t fit your narrative about how awful snakes and Ed and Emily are. What a shame. And to give an explanation to your query: in no way shape or form is it about pretty rats/mice being tastier. It is simply about enjoying a hobby. Sure, in the long run the rodents will be culled to feed other animals, but why not enjoy them while you have them? As someone who owns mice, I can personally say it is much more satisfying to have mice who have cool patterns or coat colors. It gets rather boring when they’re all solidly black, grey or white. Ik shocking I can own both pet mice and snakes and still feed my snakes rodents.
It was so easy to forget during this video that these rats are being raised with the purpose to breed food for snakes. I think it displays that while yes you acknowledge these rodents are food, you still treat them with decency.
I think it's just bc they are colorful and sweet...I mean when they are all the same(I mean the albino mice and that) than you don't get attached...it is sad...but it's more humane than what we do to eat chickens...and stuff...at least these guys die by falling a sleep
@@meercaat9936 yeah for sure, any animals produced for human consumption would be in far worse conditions than this and killed in brutal factory methods. i think it just goes to show that Emily and Ed have so much care and compassion even for animals they are being for feeding other animals
As someone who has kept many rats as pets, I can say with-ought a shadow of doubt these rats and mice look incredibly healthy! clear eyes and nose, active, friendly and well socialized, with such healthy coats too! While it is sad they are mostly food, it is wonderful that they are given such a comfy life, with quality food and loving accommodations. I love my rats and mice, but my snake needs to eat too!
I know someone who had a snake (corn, I believe) and yet she refused to feed it because the thawed food was 'gross'. I mean, if you can't handle dead animals, don't get a snake, you know? She didn't have it very long; she ended up getting two bearded dragons and housing them together, but I don't think she had them very long either.
@@snpdrg0n beardies need to eat meat as well to have a healthy diet, so yeah, not a good pet owner there. if she was so grossed out by feeding them meat she should have just gotten a herbivorous lizard like an uromastyx or something, or just a cat
When I saw the coats I was shocked with how shiny they were. None of their noses or ears looked even mildly irritated (which I see a lot in pet stores). It’s more amazing that they’re paying enough attention to recognize which mice/rats are better parents to help with a healthier breeding lineage.
I know this is primarily a reptile channel but I would love to see more about the breeding and updates on litters and the genetics and things like that :) it’s obvious the care and love that’s put into these animals just as much as the reptiles and it’s really refreshing to see :)
Emily, Ed, this really shows that you guy's aren't just reptile lovers or in this for money. the level of care you show to even feeder rats is incredible! so many keepers should act the ways you two do. Such a blessing to herp keepers (and honestly just pet lovers) everywhere!
I love how much effort they put into giving every animal a good life, even the animals that are food. Most facilities wouldn't care about their rodents, but they got all their rodents toys and hides. They all seem happy and healthy, they can even handle them with no stress signs from the animal! I love this
The rats actually seem to be very very skittish, way worse than mine, but as long as they aren’t aggressive nbd. The mice are amazing temperamented, I hope I can find handleable mice when I get back into them.
@@llamawalrushybrid Every rat I saw her pick up were scrabbling to get down, hunched up in fear trying to get away from the camera. I don’t tolerate this in my stock. I have skittish rats that approach me in the cage and then tear me up if I pick them up, I work to breed that out. The mice weren’t like that at all from what I remember, they were held open-palmed and didn’t even attempt to jump down or act fearful. The rats on the other hand ran from her hand and could barely be contained. Which is fine if they’re feeders and they don’t mind the extra work, but I certainly wouldn’t say they don’t show fear.
While yes, the space is too small, you found a happy medium with not over stuffing and giving them basic things they actually need, like toys and chews and love. It's realyl nice to see honestly, i wish more people would do this, i'd feel better about wanting a snake if i knew that the rodents i fed them at least had a bit of respect and love put into them.
More people ARE that way. But we don’t celebrate them. We just call out the ones we think are inhumane. We should start calling the “good ones” out too for their good job. I love rats they’re amazing. But I need to feed my amazing reptiles too. I love my rats cook food for them. Share time with them. When it’s time to go on from this earth I thank them. I also put them to sleep gently , no pain is involved. There are better ways. Just takes respect.
i’m not going to lie and say i love this part of snake keeping, but i also realise that snakes and other reptiles need food. this breeding setup at least seems relatively enriching and i know you give the rodents as good of a life as possible
It is a controversial topic but it does have to be talked about. I've owned rats as pets and how I got started was because my snake rejected a rat. From then on we ended up feeding frozen mice to him. I truly appreciate you covering this topic. I also am extremely impressed and wow'd by how you treat your rodents; regardless if they are food or pet. A lot of pet stores don't even do that for their pet rats!! I wish I lived closer to you guys!!
As an owner of pet rats, it made me very happy to hear your disclaimer on rat cage size and to actually tell people what great pets they make. Not enough people even know that they make such good pets, and I've seen plenty of reptile people treat them just as food and not put any effort into giving the feeders as good a life as possible, so thank you for your kindness towards ALL of your animals.
I agree! Before I got into snakes I wanted rats so bad! The only reason i didnt get them was because of their life span. I'm too soft to have something that only lives a few years and snakes live forever😅 but man are they awesome misunderstood little guys for sure! Those babies were killing me😭😭😭
He’s such a cutie!! If he’s bi and they break up, truly the worst thing I can imagine as they’re so perfect together, then I’m totally gonna fly to America and try my chances.
As of the 23rd of july, my ball python has finally decided to eat after 9 whole months. Dude just wasnt feeling like eating, lost close to no weight at all, and he even shed like 4 times during his off feed time. Proud of him taking that meal and just thought id let you people know. He is a spoiled guy, sitting at roughly 4 ft
Hey could you share some more about you’re story ? my ball python hasn’t eaten since February and I’ve tried everything . My first instinct was to go to the vet and what they told me was he was on a “hunger strike” . I was so mad because he wasn’t sick he was just refusing to eat, and every 2 to 3 weeks I try to offer him food but he just doesn’t want to , he moves fine , he’s active a lot , drinks his water , and hasn’t made any major weight changes , he even shed twice.
I've heard of BPs doing this sometimes. If they're not losing weight, I guess it's just something some of them do sometimes? A kind of pseudo-brumation or something.
@@klairissanchubarb my adult female bp did the same. I got her in November of 2020 and she barely ate for me for the first time 7 weeks ago. She hardly lost weight and she was still drinking and shedding as normal, just not pooping very often. I tried offering live and frozen/thawed rodents but she didn't have any of it. Sometimes bp's go off feed bc of breeding season and the winter months, which I think overlap. But since we're in August now that might not be the case for you. If your humidity and heat levels are the way they should be, it could be something else. Ball pythons can be super picky.
My 22 year old BP went off feed for 4 months this year and same thing. Active, bright-eyed, and minimal weight loss. He ate his first post-fast mouse last week. Now he's sizing me up every time I open the enclosure and doesn't want to take "no food" for an answer when I'm poking his head with the snake hook. This is the second time he has gone off feed for months. His last stint was 15 years ago and lasted 9 months. It seems to me it's pretty normal for them but it's always a relief when they get hungry again.
this video actually got me a new perspective on how tall the racks are, I always assumed Emily was average height, now every snake discovery video with a rack in it will NEVER BE THE SAME
This is incredible. I used to work in a laboratory and the rats were kept in tubs half that size, there were 3 to a cage, and they had no enrichment. No hides, no chews, no treats. Just corncob bedding, food, water and barely enough space to turn around in. It was truly heartbreaking and I'm so happy to see how well cared for your feeder animals are!
@@burntbeansoup Because in the field of molecular biology that is typically where you start before you can work with human tissues, medicine and research.
I've got to share a funny story. We have a one yr old Ball Python who's a bit of a fussy eater. (Shocking, I know) We've taken to showing her this video while we're thawing her rats to give her some inspiration. It works so well; She gets so excited and gobbles the rat down right away. We call this video her 'cooking show.' Thank you so much, SD, for helping us and her.
@@slightlydistressedslug6627 the snake gets exited about the lice rats is what i think thwy are saying, which means they eat their frozen thawed one no problem
As a rodent lover as well as a snake lover, I’m so glad you give your mice and rats (as well as the African soft-furs, that’s a new species I didn't know about!) the best lives you can before they go on to become feeders. It may seem like a small gesture, but they all seem like very happy, healthy animals.
This is the most humane rodent breeding setup I have ever seen. You guys take the time to enrich and love these animals, even if they are only a small piece of the circle of life and food chain❤️ Through this video you treated them with the same love and respect I’ve seen you show to your personal reptiles and other animal friends. Breeders should take notes from how to run a sustainable, responsible and respectful environment for their animals.
I am a rat lover and I absolutely ADORE your setup. People really shouldn't be comparing it to a pet setup, but to other rat-breeding-for-feeding set ups. If they do that it's very easy to see how much you guys care.
@Crystal hare Because if we remove the mid points you’ll only have extremes at both ends, including the bad end. People keep snakes, snakes need to eat, therefore someone needs to provide what snakes eat.
@Crystal hare If you wanted pet-like setups for the rats, they might be able to keep 25 or so in that room. There's no way you could feed an entire zoo like that. People need to be realistic. They gave them enrichment, hides, chew toys, companionship, and keeps everything cleaner than I keep my apartment. They're doing a great job.
@@samf8894 I did not say that. However if you want rat feeders to stop, it doesn’t start at the rats, it starts with the snakes. Whether or not you see what Snake Discovery does as mistreatment is irrelevant, it’s the best marble in that bag.
As someone who loves rodents as well as rodent eating reptiles; I commend you guys for making sure that they have as good quality of life as a breeder rodent can have. These rats and mice are living better than the livestock we eat and unfortunately some pets. Thank you guys for treating them with respect.
It’s nice to see that these guys are sold as pets too. They’re sooo pretty and it’s amazing you’re providing a place for people to possibly get well bred, healthy rats in y’all’s area!!
@@TallthinksOLD sorry for your loss. Ive owned 3 hamsters in the past and i have one currently and each one passing is so hard so I can imagine how your feeling.
@@C.Woodford im also sorry for your losses.. i feel so bad because in his last moments i was asleep.. i can imagine he is watching over me in heaven. With all of my other pets..
@@TallthinksOLD trust me it's so much better on you when they pass when your asleep, because he was probably getting ready to go to sleep aswell so he would have passed peacefully. A few of mine have gone whist I'm awake and with them in not so peaceful ways and it makes it so so so much harder on you.
Never commented on a TH-cam video before, but I think this info is so darn important that it needs to be said. I am an avid customer of Snake discovery: a reptile experience and have been a long time fan of this channel. I am also "Nick" from the opening video with the bearded dragon named "Draco" ( if any of you remember me!) I also had a picky and stubborn hognose who went on a feeding strike two months straight for nothing other than not liking anything I gave him ( even the stuff the breeder recommended ) Emily was my savior. She suggested chicken hearts and it got him to now be the enthusiastic eater he is today who has now moved up to unscented fuzzles ( small fuzzies). I can't thank Emily enough for that. Now, why did I comment on this video? Well, it's because I can attest to the high quality of rodents I buy for my snake. My snake LOVES his rodents and the unique sizes provided in shop helps me and him transition safely from pinkies to fuzzies without regurgitation from overly sized rodents. This shop and Emily and particular have become almost close friends to me and my little menagerie. So, if you are in the area, don't wait to try this awesome and unique shop! It's still amazing, even without the zoo! Plus, they need all of our support in order to open by the end of the summer!
thank you nick! i plan to visit america (im from queensland, australia) and im going to Minneapolis as soon as i can get to the US just to see this amazing zoo!! and in reply to the first commenter, i care :) went and checked out the video you mentioned, so cool youve ben here so long! only a new(ish) fan (maybe 18 months?). take care, and give your fuzzies a kiss from me!
@@kam-lw4ez I definitely cared. Quit being such an edgy little pre-teen. Someday you'll look back at this comment and be embarrassed by how cringe you are. And hey Nick, I'm so happy for you! You are so lucky to have such a great wealth of knowledge and resources nearby, not to mention great friends who share such an exciting interest!
I think it's really cool that they're being bred to be good moms. I also love the soft furrs and just how their mini "society" functions. I really want a snake but the matter of feeding is the only thing keeping me away, but it's really nice to see these rodents getting the best possible quality of life before being used for food. From what I know from watching this channel is that they mainly feed their reptiles frozen thawed. The majority of these animals will be killed humanely and painlessly with CO2 (please correct me if I'm wrong), never experiencing the fear and pain of being killed and swallowed by a snake
They will be killed with CO2 most likely - sadly it’s not painless, that gas activates the bodies panic response/urge to breathe. It’s basically the same feeling as drowning or being suffocated, it’s not a nice way to die at all. Wish there were more humane options.
@@wolfrevenant1489 There are! Nitrogen does not trigger the suffocation response. It's only CO2 that does this, so there are other gasses that can be used for euthanasia. You can also use nitrogen mixed with a normal level of CO2 to make the nitrogen last longer.
This shows how much you guys care. Giving even the feeders you breed enrichment and care and watching out for their needs. Also I could watch those rats and mice and soft furs playing and running around forever
Deleted I tried to talk about mice, everyone explained how the rats are treated well. I watched a male mouse, pregnant female mouse, and another female mouse put together. That's crazy, but whatever, you win.
@@ellenandjames1404 they say explicitly that the males are rotated periodically for breeding purposes; they're not permanently housed with the females, so most of the time each habitat has only two females.
@@ellenandjames1404 no one else agreed with you, so you liked your own comment. Watch the video, they literally say they don't keep the males in there any longer than it takes for procreation.
I think it's good to learn where food comes from. People will complain that you raise rodents for food when they are very likely eating meat from cows/chicken/pigs that may have not had a comfy life
And getting feeders from somewhere else is still doing the same thing. I think it makes people uncomfortable when they have to see the process up close
@@lemonshark4961 they are the exact people who should see the process then. Eating and feeding meat is good, but be aware of where it is from and how it got from the world to your plate/your animals stomach. Offer the food you eat and feed the respect it deserves by knowing how it came to be there.
@@SquishyRogue yes! I think a lot more people would advocate for animal wellness if they saw the process and theyd have to face the reality of death. It's very uncomfortable but we'd be better off as a society if we stopped hiding death from ourselves. Everything has to die eventually so that others might live
These are the vegans I can get behind! Unless you guys arn't vegan then that's okay too. Cause it really hurts me that animals live such horrible lives.......so sad....
One of the best parts about Emily and Ed is they always do things very ethically and will do right for any animal in their care. They educate themselves and don’t cut corners when animal care is concerned. No matter how one feels about breeding rats as food, they still do things the best way for the animal
It's no different than how we raise livestock for our own food, which a lot of us also don't want to think about the behind the scenes part. What's important is not making them suffer until it's time for that, and it's clear ya'll care more about these rodents than a lot of companies do about their chickens and cows and such.
That's one thing I like about buying beef from a local farmer we know. We've visited his farm (even gave him a feral cat we were fostering because she didn't seem likely to ever adjust to the pet life), and we've seen that his cattle, while wary of strangers like us, seem to genuinely like and trust him. When we buy beef from him, we know we're getting meat from an animal that had a good life.
And that’s where advocating with our wallets can really make a difference, the more that people buy free range or cage free chicken eggs for example shows companies that there is a growing demand for food sources coming from better conditions and if the companies that do use the more cruel methods don’t change their ways then it’s going to hurt their business badly, refusing to buy eggs in general won’t send a message to corporations that you want humane conditions for their livestock because they won’t be able to see that(because if they aren’t able to see their cage free competitors are gaining more and more customers then them then they won’t get the message that they should change their practices). Holding signs can only get us so far in getting the humane treatment these livestock animals deserve, and although nobody likes talking about how we basically support breeding animals just to be food for some of us we should at least be comfortable talking about ways to make sure that these animals have a good quality of life before it’s time for them to be sent to our stores. I think it’s great that Ed & Emily are taking the time to explain everything about how intelligent the rodents are and how the proper care of them for being companions is vastly different then what they are doing, along with them touching up on the whole getting rodents from test labs and the uncertainty of if they were apart of the control group or not. It gives the reptile community a place where they can actively show with their wallets better treatment for their pets food source.
@@kfallon862 How about you don't eat it because you don't want to, and I eat it when I (rarely) do want to? Like normal people who have different tastes and view points.
@@kfallon862 Well top question is, reguardless of what people eat, if they change up their diet suddenly, it can have effects on their body. People switching from eating meat to Vegan/Vegetarian and the opposite way, it can cause dietary issues. that's why it's eat what you want/are used to. If you change what you want to eat, to be honest, people should talk talk to their doctor first.
I honestly have to say, Snake Discovery has the BEST, hands-down, care for their feeder rats&mice I have EVER seen! I am so surprised but glad that you even give them hides, toys, and chew objects. It's so nice to see that you guys treat them humanely and with respect like actual pets!
That is a very sad indictment of the appalling conditions feeder animals usually have to endure. Emily & Ed accept that the conditions they're providing still aren't adequate for rats, but are doing it anyway.
They do not teat them the best the cages are too small and the mice do not have big enough wheels and not enough bedding also you should never put a rat in a bin
@@responsiblepetowner0166 see the whole video god dammit. She cant give more space or the snakes wont have enough food. She wishes she could give them as much space as they need but she cant.
As a pet rat owner for a lot of years, I did an internal happy dance when I saw you were using Teklad-not that it is the only quality lab block, but it definitely made me feel good about the research you have done about proper rodent keeping and diet. I also seriously approve of improving rat genetic lines even if they are feeders. (Some of my best pets were intended feeders from responsible breeders) So, while I don’t love the concept of rats as feeders as mine were all precious members of my family, I also understand that on so many levels they are ideal as feeders for snakes and other reptiles, and I’m glad yours will have a good life! (Some of those colors tho-you should seriously consider dual purpose breeding.. especially if your temperament lines are decent!)
I know right? but since all the rats are so good, if they start doing that it might be hard not to do it with all of them, and then they got no feeders 😂
Well, they said pretty late in the video that with the way they breed them, the rats could also get taken home and kept as pets, so I'm sure they do have the dual thing in mind too
Given how nasty some of the comments were on your video about invasive goldfish/Koi, I'm pleasantly surprised that so many of the comments on this are so positive. I'm glad to see that most people understand that reptiles gotta eat too, and you are trying your best to make sure your feeder animals have as good a life as a feeder can get.
Rat owner here. I just wanted to say thank you for treating your feeders so well, rats are very intelligent and it’s really refreshing to see a good breeding set up for them. I don’t have any problems with using rats and mice as feeders. Snakes need to eat too. But it’s just really great to see how well taken care of they are. I’m not saying this setup is ideal for pet rats, but it’s really great compared to most feeder set ups.
This is the reason why I won't ever have any reptile other than an herbivore, but it's so nice to see how well you treat the animals in spite of their eventual purpose as food. I also adore those African soft furs; they look like rats with all the cutest qualities exaggerated.
What about reptiles that eat insects? Beardies, ringneck snakes, etc.? They can be a more pleasant alternative if you don't like feeding something rodents. Something to consider. 🙂
@@seanrallis6714 Well, as a whole, my family has two reptiles. My sister has a leopard gecko, and we have a box turtle as well. They're just not my personal pets that I am solely responsible for feeding, and I'm moving out soon since I graduated college. But I just don't like feeding living things even when they're crickets or something. I'll feed fish blood worms or brine shrimp, but that's about it. I get guilty with anything else. 😅
Emily was talking about having bad enclosures for the rats and mice, but these are pretty amazing for just feeder/breeding rodents. Ive seen some horrid conditions for "fodder" because they are just that, so people dont care about their living space :(
A happy rat is a healthy rat and a healthy rat makes good food. That's beyond the basic respect for life... So, it just makes sense to give them a place to grow and breed and live their best life.
I've seen worse conditions for actual pets! I adore Emily's kindness for her rats, it's so refreshing to see. This video also has good information to know for rat care!
As someone who lives at a farm, and have often taken in old or abused animals, even some that have to be food, it makes me really happy to see how well you guys treat your rats and mouse. They're adorable, and I fully agree, that even though they eventuelly might end up as feeders, they should have a good life. We do the same here for everyone of our animals, as well as the ones that become food
@@nofinn1044 currently it isn't possible to feed the 8 billion people on earth with vegan sources. Even just being vegetarian isn't possible for most of humanity right now. In the future, things could change, but right now, we depend on meat
@@hystericalstares7507 Veganism actually has the ability to solve world hunger. We don't have enough land or resources to feed the population with current meat diets and thats becoming more evident every day. I suggest doing some research on the land/resource requirements for plant based foods vs meat products per KG.
I know this is old, but I’m very happy to see these guys being cared for properly. I have a snake, and also recently added feeder mice to the family as pets. They were not socialized and will bite me (not remotely aggressive, just over enthusiastic), but that’s not their fault and I want to give them the best life possible. ☺️
I don't know if the laws changed over the years, but it use to be considered a fire hazard to have open tiles in drop down ceilings. The fire dept. would issue fines for missing whole (or pieces of broken) tiles. If your fire dept still views this as a fire hazard,there are a few alternatives: 1. Flat 5 gal. container (like oil waste oil tubs - there is an opaque one for other liquids); and 2. Active water feed using flex tubing like those used for ice makers.
This video brought back so many memories of being the animal caretaker for the psychology department at my university. I got the 'Best Weaner' award from the department head for having 100% accuracy when weaning the baby mice over the course of the two years I worked there. I disliked some of the experiments neuroscience students used the rodents for but it felt good to be the person making sure their living space and diet were top notch 👍
If you have any tips for rodent breeder care I'd really appreciate it! I'm about to start my first job at a lab animal facility at a university and will have to learn how to wean baby mice.
As someone who used to own rats I have to say im impressed with your breeding set-up. Even with them being feeders, they honestly look like pet quality rats. Like they look very friendly!
@@samf8894 for a feeder breeding set up. Yeah it's pretty damn amazing. The fact they get enrichment alone is impressive for feeder breeder. Plus the fact they are all quite friendly. It is impressive so see. Its not perfect, duh. But this isn't a pet set up. It is a food production.
The fact that all of these are clearly social, happy and arent showing signs of fear or aggression really shows how well you treat them and how good this setup is, owning animals that eat meat always comes with the needed evil of something dying to keep the animal fed and alive, this is probably THE best way to do it!
Yea its upsetting. But it's not like this wouldn't happen in the wild. In the wild they would have to survive the elements and scavenge for food. Here they can eat, play, sleep worry free until it's time. Still shitty but if you had to pick a poison, I would rather have shelter and food and companions. It's a cushy circle of life instead of the harsh one.
As someone who used to breed Fancy rats for pets, this set up is wonderful for animals that are breeders. I love that you love them too. I also love that there is one someone loves and has become a lifelong working pet.
Think of it like this guys, would you rather their setup in smaller bins where the rodents are happy and healthy or would you rather they consistently buy from other rodent breeders who might keep their breeder rats in worse conditions just to keep up with food demands their snakes need to survive?
That’s an amazing idea! I hope that your comment gains more attraction so that this idea can be viewed by Snake Discovery. For anyone wondering yes I do understand that these animals will be eaten by snakes and other reptiles, but just because they are feeders doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve the same care as companion rodents.
@@thatkewldino7398 Tbh it's a better setup than the vast majority of breeders out there. If anyone's discontent with it, they can pioneer a system where the rats are in pet quality setups but are still profitable themselves, instead of uselessly complaining about it.
@@thatkewldino7398 You're right, but you can't really keep them all in great conditions when you have this much carnivore animals to feed. I mean, ofc the bins could be at least twice maybe three times this size and probably breed the same amount of rodents in that room, but it's still better than what most labs/feeder breeders do. The conditions are improving. It's a lot of rodents to have, so the conditions won't realistically be much better than this, and if you have less rodents, the snakes/other carnivore animals will be hungry. It's a necessary evil if you want to breed/rescue lots of carnivore animals that happen to eat rodents/small animals
@@spinnyquack56 As i agree they're not pets they are going to be food in a short amount of time, they also have much better set ups then some ive seen where they just throw them in an overcrowded tub and make them constantly breed.
@@spinnyquack56 only thing they could change is the size of the enclosures their rats are in but even that is not really possible if they are going to produce the amount of rodents that they need to. standards are different for pets and feeders for a reason
Glad to see this, actually. Had a mental image in my head of just giant bins stuffed with feral rodents but this is far more humane than I expected for feeder rodents.
the reptile store that I worked in had exactly that except the mice were all sweeties, it was very hard to contribute to let alone watch... but yes no toys or enrichment whatsoever and just way too many in there. the mice were just so tame and friendly, they did not deserve to spend the little time they had left like this, I'm glad I stopped working there. Sadly it is how a lot of shops handle feeders. :((
I actually started crying when u showed that there was gonna be enrichment thank you so so so much for being so great to them, as a mouse and rat owner with them being pets! Thank you so so much
This was a hard ep to watch, since we have rats for pets, but she’s treating them well, they look healthy and well feed, and “life need things to live.” So to speak
The thing I love the most about snake discovery is the fact you can tell they care for all of thare animals, even the feeders, its amazing to see a zoo that really loves the animals thare♡
Regardless of personal feelings towards the animals, this is such an important part of snake breading and care and I'm so happy that you are educating people on this topic when many others would be too uncomfortable.
I’m a rat fancier and let me say this is an extremely good setup for feeder rats. Not only is it clean, but you give them a lot of enrichment too. It makes me really happy that you care about their lives, however long they may be. You guys are amazing rat breeders and I hope someone adopts pet ones from you :)
@@samf8894 Compared to what some others do, these setups are great. Like Emily said in the video, they don't have a choice but to keep them in this space, or else they won't have enough to feed their reptiles and to sell. And the commentor just said it was a good setup for 'feeder rats', not pet rats, so don't worry, his pets are probably fine.
Loving rodents as much as reptiles and an ex-mouse-owner, it’s wonderful to see how wonderfully you treat your feeders and how kind you are to them. All animals deserve the best life no matter how or why their life is going to end or be for, and y’all understand that and give all life respect
Snake discovery: *breeds rodents solely for consumption* Also snake discovery: "Look at all da little babiiiieeees I love you guys. hope you're comfortable. do you guys need another Ipad?"
As a reptile keeper and a person who looooooves rats, I appreciate the care you provide for your rodents. Too many times have I seen sub-par care for these amazing guys. Sure so many will be feeders however, they deserve to live a happy life.
Hi, do you keep snakes and pet rats ? Do you keep ur rats and reptiles in the same room? I wanted to know since I love rats and snakes so much and wanted to learn how u keep them (if you have both pets). I dont have pets yet but I'm planning on keeping snakes and poossibly rats (as pets) in the future.
@@dan_ta_lion Hello x You can definitely keep snakes and rodents in the same house (I have 10 pet gerbils and a ball python) but I definitely Don't recommend keeping them in the same room, the smell of the rodents will keep the snake in a hunting state which will make them associated you with food making handling difficult. And if you do keep them in the same house make sure you wash your hands between handling to reduce the sent on your hands x
@@dan_ta_lion and please do plenty of research on any animal before buying them, don't just trust pet store advice many just want your money and cling onto outdated information to justify selling tiny cages (this is mostly in rodent care) and always feel free to ask advice in forums and check out rodent you tubers 😁 Erin's animals is my personal favourite. Hope you have a nice evening/day x
@@dan_ta_lion Hi! I don't currently. I currently keep snakes but don't keep rats. I don't recommend them being in the same room for the same reasons @flame29936 stated ;) but both are awesome pets.
There's a store near me that also stocks their feeders in happy, healthy conditions. They also make wonderful pets (a friend has three) and they're very friendly. They let people wash their hands and interact with them as a form of enrichment and socialization. Actually they're so well cared for I was surprised when the owner said it was their feeder stock. Since my partner won't let me adopt a 'rodent' it's a great way to give a sweet rat some awesome cuddles and play. Thanks for showing it can be done right ❤
I really love that you guys are trying to give them a good life before they are used to feed the other animals, this is the best feeder setup I've ever seen! And it's better for the predatory animals as well, to be feeding on healthy, well kept animals rather than other feeders that are poorly cared. Also I love that you are experimenting with colours of the rats and mice while breeding them, they're so cute🥺❤️
Kudos on the effort you put into caring for these rodents. I’ve had pet rats and rat breeding projects for many years, and love how you’re able to strike a balance here. You have some beautiful ones growing and and they look healthy and well adjusted and not flighty and petrified of people… which frankly, makes it easier on everyone as a feeder animal too.
It says something that you're comfortable with handling them with your bare hands, they clearly aren't too stressed and are very comfortable (even happy) around humans, good job!
I love that they go to all those lengths to rodent-proof the skirting, then just *open up a whole roof tile* with a perfect rat climbing frame straight up to it!
Normally I get sad seeing breeding setups because I know what they needs and know it doesn’t equal up to what they need. This setup is so good knowing you have so many and it’s just for breeding. Thank you for taking care of your feeder rodents 💕
You’re really doing the best that you can with the demand and the need for rodents in the reptile world. You’re making sure the parents are good and that the rodents are happy with enrichment and the best possible home that you can give them. You’re not overstuffing bins but still allowing them to be in a community. Thank you for being as ethical as possible because it is a necessary evil
As some one who has raised mice and rats using the same types of racks with the watering system. If they don't have one put a small drain in the tubs. If those pins get stuck in the open position the tub will slowly fill overnight and drown the rats. And there is nothing more gross then a tub filled with dead bloated rats.
As a pet rat owner this may be one of the most horrifying things I've ever pictured yikes my dude. Thanks for the heads up though I'm going to keep that well in mind when buying cages >.
Feeder rodents are necessary. The fact you guys work to make sure they're loved, happy, and cared for despite their fates is extremely commendable. I think a majority of people on earth either love what they care for too deeply to be able to kill it, or stay careless and apathetic about the care of their feeder/food animals to make it easier on themselves
@@yezenia9830 I think you glossed over the part where they said it's NECESSARY. If you didn't have people growing food for you, you'd never be able to get your own seeds to start your own crop. You rely on other humans to feed you just as much as these snakes do. Hypocrite
@@RO-gc6sb There is a difference between snakes and humans. It isn't even necessary to keep snakes as pets, but it's necessary to keep humans alive. It is not necessary to keep rats in detestable conditions like she does either. She could have invested more money in them, like she did for her crocodile. She could promote reptile keeping less. I'm not complaining about snakes in nature killing other animals, but nothing about how Emily keeps reptiles or rats is natural
@@yezenia9830 Nothing about how anyone keeps any pet is "natural", ya dink? You think dogs grow up not knowing how to hunt and falling asleep in a bed each night? You think cats can laze around and get up to 20lbs without being eaten by a predator? You're delusional if you think keeping any pet is natural. Again. Go back to the forest if you have a problem with how people raise their animals.
@@RO-gc6sb No but at least those pets get something out of it. They have emotional bonds with their families and are content as pets. Most reptiles doesn't have that and are just confined all life because they're cool to look at. Living in a rack could probably not even be concidered being a pet anyways. More like a collection
As someone who has had, and loved having, pet rats, I was expecting to at least feel a little uncomfortable with this. But honestly, this is a brilliant and responsible way to do feeder breeding. I know if we were in the US and nearby, we'd want to buy our feeders from you, because that's the most ethical feeder breeding setup I've ever seen. My wife and I got our first snake earlier this year, partially because we felt we finally knew enough from your videos to be able to be responsible owners - and we worried we'd struggle with feeding rodents, simply because our first pets as a couple were rats. But our ball python has to eat too, and we know our rodent supplier euthanises the rodents responsibly, which is the best we can do for now. Honestly, I'd be interested to see the full life cycle of your feeders, complete with an explanation of the euthanising process. I think that, just like with our own food, it's important to know where it comes from, how the animals live, and how they die. That's the only way to make responsible choices around using animals for food, whether for us or for our pets. Thank you so much for showing us the care and time you put into your feeder rodents.
I am also very interested to know the full life cycle of the rodents at Snake Discovery. I know it may take a while to get around to, and it might not be very popular, but these things are extremely important.
I'm with you. I'd love to see a lifecycle of a feeder video. It's important that people understand that there are kind ways of euthanising the rodents that won't harm the animal that will eat them.
I would also like a video like this! I do believe they had a video on euthanization back in the day, and I thiiiink there was a mention that they use CO2? But one specifically about the mice cycle would be cool.
Oh man, as a rat lover who has had two dozen rats, and currently has them in a bioactive setup, I am so glad to see your feeder set up. So many places don't care for the health or well being of the rats they breed as food so it's a nice change of pace. If you ever decide that you'd be okay with someone handling your rats to see there temperament and personality to possibly adopt them, I would love to adopt some of the beautiful rat babies you have!
@@samf8894 yes it's not okay if they planned on keeping the rats alive for a long time however they are feeders. Snakes have to eat. I know it sucks but compared to other feeders who cram hundreds in a tiny box this is amazing. They have toys and food and clean water whilst they are alive
Be very careful with those watering lines/nozzles. If there are no drain-holes in the cages/bins, a faulty water nozzle (or one that gets bedding trapped in it) can completely fill a cage with water overnight and drown anything in it. A lot of places that used to use them went back to bottles because of this.
That’s an interesting thought- for a possible solution, could you maybe drill a couple of small holes in the front of each bin, near the bottom (a bit like they do to the snake bins for air flow, but less and smaller holes) to let the water drain out of the bin to prevent them drowning if the nozzle was to malfunction? Do you think that would work?
@@birdwithabrokenwing It would work only if there is secure mesh so the rodents don't enlarge the hole and there is some sort of gutter, otherwise you just wind up flooding and drowning those below. Also, those mesh drains could easily be clogged by damp bedding or damp droppings.
I really love snakes, and in the future when I have the space, I want to have a large collection. My plan was always to breed my own feeders, and this seems like it works super well
I'm from Missouri and I am giving serious consideration to the idea of driving up to Snake Discovery just to buy some pet rats, they are beautiful and many of them seem to be comfortable with handling!
This is infinitely better than most lab or breeding setups. The fact that any one of these feeders could be taken out and kept as a well adjusted pet is a sign of good care, good genes, and good health.
In the U.S. any good lab has to go through IACUC, who has strict rules to how lab animals must be treated. For mice/rats they will need to be kept in social groups, have hides/enrichment (including toys, nesting bedding, and treats), and they also must be fed a diet approved by the ULAR. Most labs also have a veterinarian on call who will care for their needs at anytime of day or night. Most labs I've been to have large enclosures and the animals are cared for very well. This wasn't always the case but now they have cracked down on any mistreatments, it has gotten significantly better for the animals. Can't say I have any experience with breeding set ups, but hopefully they care for the animals as much as Emily and Ed.
@@cells-n-stuff same in Europe. Minimum size of enclosures, having the animals in proper conditions, enough food and water. And it is a damned hussle to get approval for experiments, especially those including harming the animal. Which, sadly needs to be done. You can't make a study on pain with no pain involved. But it is very strictly regulated. And it is forbidden to teat cosmetics on animals in the EU. Only medical testing. Which is very strictly regulated unless you work with euthanized animals only (e.g. to harvest cells/tissue). Then the faciluty you buy them off must stick to all the rules.
@@narichan yes of course. This is not compareable. But it has to be noted that the times of animals being held in caged whete they can barely move, starving and hurting, are fortunately over in well regulated countries such as the EU or the US.
@@narichan What? That's what I said. Most labs I've been to have had Large enclosures and the animals have been treated well. I'm not sure where you got the idea that I said labs use these specific enclosures would pass. I just wanted to explain some lab conditions so that any fallacious ideas on how animals are treated are not promoted...
I don't want to hate, but fact is, that mice and rats need more space than in this video. I have 4 mice myself and keep them in a 150 centimeters high and 80 by 80 centimeters square. I see every single day that they need this space and even if you breed or if this animals will be food for others, they always should have an incredible live till they have to die. So even if in this video the set up is better than somewhere else, it's still not okay.
As a pet rat owner, this makes me very happy because even though these rats are meant to be food and you could easily just throw them in teeny tiny bins with just food and water and call it a day you made some effort to make their lives slightly more interesting. I love my pet rats but I understand that all pets need to eat, I’m glad your treating the feeder rats well though ☺️
Yes!
same
@@spinnyquack56 actaully I did do months of research, my rolling group lives in a double critter nation with hammocks ropes bridges toys all of the stuff, they have their own cat tree and get 2 hours of play time daily, their lives are full of enrichment and they are very happy so yeah. I don’t think I’m as bad as a rodent breeder
@@spinnyquack56 how would you fix it then? they need to feed their snakes and do it efficiently in one room. They are already doing a lot in terms of enrichment
@@poopfart7618 did you read his original comment lol? He said he's happy with how they treat them
As someone who has had pet rats for a long time, they will always have a special place in my heart. When I got my first snake last year, I'll admit, when I got my first delivery of frozen feeders and had to thaw one out for my snake, I teared up a bit. (I teared up a lot.. it was maybe a little bit of a cry.) The rat had very similar colours to my favourite pet rat from years past, and was a weaned one. Still small, but very clearly a rat. I remember literally thinking, "Oh this is indeed a rat." It was a bit of a mental hurdle to overcome, but I would never deny my snakes their food or insist they try to eat non-meat options (as some people do with their cats & dogs, but that's another rant.) Emily & Ed, I really appreciate the care and attention you've put into this breeding room. I've seen other videos where breeders just fill their bins up as much as possible and have no enrichment, and it's heart breaking. While this video was hard to watch in its own way, it was also really reassuring to know that, even though you guys know they are for food, you still care that they have hides, that they have chew toys & snacks, and that you're clearly paying enough attention to them to figure out which ones are more friendly, better parents, etc. You are wonderful caretakers & breeders, even of the future food in your care.
the people that try to vegan-feed dogs and cats are a special kind of stupid
You wouldn't have to you can feed them all kind of 🍖 meat
Oh I have no such inhibitions towards insects but I'd get a lizard in that case.
I have cats and dogs and a hedgehog thats an omnivore....my pets get spoiled with ground chicken and beef (cooked of course)
People who feed their carnivores veggies just are a special kind of animal abusers.
@Kathia Amaro they don't have enough braincells to realize not everything is omnivorous like us. not even going into nutrition, too much plant matter is hard on the digestive systems of carnivores, but they don't see that till the animals start becoming ill or suffer injury, and even then they might not associate it.
hell, up until recently when we were able to engineer microbes to produce B12 in a vat, humans had to eat at least some meat or foods fortified with B12 from meat or we would eventually die.
As a rat owner, it makes me so happy to see them being treated humanely, even if they are feeders there’s no excuse for them to be abused, so I appreciate the time and effort you put into making sure they’re happy when they’re in your care
Yes we need to sign Petition to Ban Cruel GLUE TRAPS, the. Poison Bait, for catch release and birth control bait.
Not going to lie, as someone who has owned rats, this does make me sad. BUT, this is probably the best care I have ever seen for feeders rats/mice, which does make me feel a bit better.
Considering most breeders for feeder rodents tend to keep the rodents in communal bins, I would say this is much better quality of life comparatively. I love rats and rodents, so I completely get the tint of sadness. But also, if it helps, remember that they won't be in there long, unlike pets n_n. Also also if it helps, I think we can all agree that Emily and Ed will treat the rodents with as much care and respect as they do with all their other animals.
I own pet mice and it’s heartbreaking for me to see this. It’s not so much that they’ll be eaten, because the snakes etc. needs to eat, it’s that these rodents do not get to exhibit they’re natural behaviours. They are intelligent animals and deserve to be given a happy life, no matter how long it will be.
the dumbo rats and special hair morphs(like the hairless) broke my heart the most
Honestly, this is better than the care I've seen from most rat owners, not even breeders.
@@itsthatonechickagaincallth7843 ugh yeah it’s sad that a lot of people keep their pet rats/mice worse than this. When I was little we had a horrible cage for two rats but the internet is so prevalent now there’s really no excuse to keep doing it. These racks do make me kind of sad but you’ll never see breeders using pet setups because they’ll go out of business. I wish there were a way though. What makes me feel better is knowing that they will keep the cages clean and have the air purifier
I really appreciate people who see even their "feeder" animals as important and deserving of good quality of life. It's one of the things I'm most squeamish about in terms of snake ownership (which is why I only keep frugivore/insecivore lizards at the moment). Hopefully I'll get over my qualms in the future. Thank you for caring about ALL your animals. 💕
I’m glad that you recognize your comfort level when it comes to feeding snakes!! Super important. I’ve heard of a lot of snake owners who own snakes that should be eating a staple of rodents, but don’t because they aren’t comfortable with it. Props to you for putting an animals health before your wanting a snake!
I’m all about giving my animals the best lives they could have. So if I can’t give it to them, I can’t own them. It makes me really sad (and a little mad to be honest) when people just buy pets without research. I do a minimum of 6 months of learning before making the decision that I can care for the new animal. We are their whole world and they deserve the best. I’m always thrilled with how well Ed and Emily care for their animals.
@@ItsMattF completely agree with that (why I'll never get a insect eating reptile or anything cuz I have a fear of bugs lol) and so many people should really follow how you do 6 months of research before hand
i always make sure they have a comfy home but i can’t get to attached because then i will just keep the mouse 😭
I agree, I feel the same about humans eating animals. If you're gonna ask them to sacrifice their lives to become food, at least give them a healthy loving life. Otherwise you're just feeding suffering
Even the animals destined to be feed are treated with affection and dignity and I really appreciate that you go through that effort.
yea :D
they dont even have water dishes to clean themselves or proper food and should never be kept in tubs so no and not to mention the wood shavings
@@tiskky7385 their entire life is to be fed to reptiles. Their welfare doesn't matter.
@@milkfather1781 who thinks like this? This isn’t how nature works.
I have to agree 👍
I know this is an old video, but I am rematching this one. Another excellent point not mentioned is that by rotating the males through the bins, all the females get a nice break in between litters so they aren't over bred. Awesome care as always from Emily and Ed.
19:30 smh
@@Birds4lifeAnya huh ?
@@Birds4lifeAnya Be more vague
As a pet rat breeder I’m honestly suprised at how well You are caring for them, they all have a decent amount of space and plenty of enrichment, love seeing feeder breeders that actually care about the animals physical and mental health while they are alive. Would love to see more videos on how You breed them all too
Same, my experience with feeders has been sad,(Mostly bought some from the bins to give them better life) but these lil guys all have a good setup
Yup. As a former pet and show animal breeder, those racks are top of the line. So long as they have an employee go in every now and then and play with the animals, they'll wind up very tame.
I’m happy to learn that those bins provide a decent amount of space, I was worried
@@kt141211311 they aren’t amazing, espessuly for pets but when compared to what’s ”normal” for feeder breeders they are great, I’ve seen people put 5-8 rats in those bins so 2-3 is great and they are usually bare with nothing but substrate and food but these have hides and enrichment
@@TheBitchspotReport and check the water is working and not filming the bins, I’ve seen and heard alot of horror storys about that style water system but if cheched at least once a day it shouldn’t be an issue
My mind was BLOWN when Emily said that she is 5'11". You can never tell with cameras!
true I didn’t know she was that short
Some times I thought she was very tall
Im 5'3 right now and I'm ten ( I don't mind sharing my age, I know its wrong in certain conditions. No need to say anything about me and i shouldn't share my age)
Dang, she's tall!
@@wolftango6084 She is.
i might genuinely cry right now, as a rodent breeder it's absolutely tragic how most reptile keepers treat their feeder animals. the entire video i was thinking "okay, i know you guys are good with reptile enrichment, but..." "okay, those are way better sized than most feeder setups, but..."
and then you guys really just keep giving and giving and actually put things in there for them. it may not be perfect for a pet, but it's far better than anything i've ever seen from feeder breeders, and i certainly wouldn't be sad to see this. thank you guys.
They are a pest they may happy for the maximum a month they live to get all this. A lobster lives much longer still many restaurants treat them much worse than and rodent breeders there rodents. I have to seek every time that they had a good life and ask looking behind the scenes before I would eat a lobster. So come on. If would feet you to my crocodiles I would give you good food and everything you need to. But I would not build you a mansion....
(Just an example I have NO crocodiles!)
Ty for not being a hater because they feed rodents to snakes you are a kind person
@@C00keis901 Of course not! It's like getting mad that cats need to eat meat. I love mice and rats, and they're wonderful pets, but that doesn't mean that they aren't also a food source for other animals. As long as they're being treated with respect while they're alive, I'm happy.
From someone who used to breed mice for AFRMA shows, I second aaaalll this. This video makes me want rodents again. 🥰
@@amorachinchilla Thank you, there’s this dude on yt calling cats and other animals “BEASTS” for eating prey.
As a rodent and reptile owner this makes me so happy!! I see most stores shove ALL of them in a small box with no toys although these aren’t pets they have a purpose it’s great setup! Please allow some of your staff to give snuggles! Rats are super affectionate and form strong bonds with humans and other animals!
ah yes ending rodents makes you happy.
I don't know if you want to bond with soon-to-be-eaten rats. (Rats r cute tho :) . )
I'm sorry but while they probably would enjoy some gentle cuddling, you really do NOT want to do so with feeders of any species. The problem isn't their enjoyment, it's how hard it can make it to actually feed them to another pet, which is an issue if you own a predator that only accepts live food and you're raising your own food ^^'. Believe me, I keep insect feeders and I actually like bugs so I've delt with some guilt over feeding them. That's ofc why I specifically keep one colony of not food insects so I have an excuse to pamper some of them, we're not all perfect ^^'
@@JustHamsters how else are they supposed to feed their snakes lmao
@poopfart Frozen rodents are better for the safety of the reptile.
Sure most of them are used to feed snakes but this is one of the most humane set ups I've ever seen, you guys definitely take great care of your rodents and give them the best life possible
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This helped my perspective, thank you!
I’ve followed them for awhile and always knew they take fabulous care of their animals, but gosh I still found it hard to know these lil guys are mostly food.
If this is humane....I'm scared to see any other way because THIS is TERRIBLE! The rats are miserable.
How is this humane when those set ups can easyily give respitory infections? Oof.
@@SandstormL As an owner of rats and mice, these shavings may not be the safest for them, but they are super susceptible to lung issues either way. These rats and mice aren’t going to live long enough to develop those issues either way, I’d say it’s pretty humane
My cousins are the same way with their chickens. My aunt did not like the way meat chickens were treated so she raises her own. She gives them a great living space and respects them. So glad these guys are treated the same! :) It is a little sad that they are gonna die. :'( Gotta feed those snakes tho!
They would be dying and getting eaten in the wild anyway, so give them the happiest, most uninterrupted life you can beforehand
@@CoRLex-jh5vx Exactly! :)
I believe the better the life of the prey the better it feeds the predator
@@keketski5430 yep! You are going to get a better quality higher nutrition feeder from these rodents then you would ever get from other feeder breeders. This is because you are putting in high quality food and nutrition which gets you a higher quality feeder out.
@@C.Woodford ohhh so it does do something
I'm a rat owner, and I knew watching this my feelings might be a little hurt, but Emily and Ed, you are doing a FANTASTIC job! You're doing everything you can to responsibly breed, you clearly know your stuff, and want to give these animals a decent, good quality of life while they are still on this earth. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so responsible and humane.
This! All my rats have been feeder bin babies as there aren't any breeders near me. I came go snake discovery a bit ago and got 2 of my dream rats. They were also genuinely very nice and needed no work with temperament.
They are getting along very well with my 3 other girls. Too.
Very proud of them for their setup!
@@lilydrawsart5756 Same, I rescued all mine from feeder bins at petstores(poor conditions) now you make me wanna make the trip to Snake Discovery for some new bogglers
What is that rat on Emily's right doing on 20:00
@@ninovardidze7951 if you're referring to the white and black one it looks like its cleaning itself
As a mouse owner, I agree 100%!!
I think it was Temple Grandin that said "If we are going to use animals food, they deserve the best life and most comfortable death we can provide them". You guys are doing waaaay better than most would. I live near NERD in NH (sort of). I drive 30 minutes out of my way for feeders there knowing they have a better and healthier life with them instead of local stores which are known to neglect them. I want my snake happy and healthy. That means their food needs to have been well cared for as well. Again, you guys are doing amazing! Id love to visit if i was closer!
I’m glad she mentions that these are way too small for pet rats, they make great pets and NEED space and enrichment, more than snakes so if you want them I’d recommend them if you have the space
The fact that they need space, them being social and the fact that I have a cat is why I’m waiting until I don’t live with my parents to get rats because I really want them but I just wouldn’t be able to properly care for them right now.
People don't realize that keeping rodents for breeding is different from keeping rodents for pets. There's a reason rats and mice build nests for their young.. Because they feel more secure in a smaller space when they have babies. For a pet rat you wanted to breed once, you'd just give them a nesting box inside of their large enclosure.. But for breeding rats... Literally all they're there for is breeding. You design the enclosure based on suiting their ideal breeding conditions.
@@Feezee223 I have a cat too, I just make sure she doesn’t come into my room but when I move out I’d like a small room dedicated to rats because the can be noisy (eg it’s 4:30am currently and they are running around their cage lmao)
I have to say I was worried and shocked when I saw those raks. But I do understand their situation and I am happy they do their best.
@@honeybiscuit1457 it’s just that they’ll live they’re entire lives in these racks until
Being sold, I understand having the space they need is not economical and I don’t really have a solution but I just don’t like the idea of adult rats living in bins they can hardly stand up in
I have rats and yes, I love them a lot and there are those existential crisis moments where you think about them as food... But as Emily said, circle of life. I know way too many breeders who don’t even have pet rat set ups this nice. It’s a touchy subject, but I think they tackled it well and with transparency.
Yea I agree Feeding is the hardest part for me and my girls a rescue and she will only eat live but growing up I have a pet nice I really just love some sort of way to at least be able to get food for my snake that lived a good life I’d pay extra not gonna lie
I don’t undestand why you would keep pets that eat other pets if you don’t like killing them. It’s like „oooh pigs are so cute!“ and still eating them.
It’s not the circle of live, if it’s not outside in nature. You don’t have to kill them.
@@charlygestern6556 I don’t eat my pets. I don’t eat any meat, actually. But it’s still the circle of life when it’s animals and they don’t have a choice in their dietary restrictions.
As a rat owner, as much as I love them, I'm pretty okay with feeder rats, as long as it's ethical and the rats are happy, and it is clear that they are here. You have everything so humane with proper enrichment for them. It's very clear that even though all these rats will be is food, they are still cared for. Thank you for being so good with them.
Side note: comments are best read with popcorn
If you think this is okay I don't want to see the poor conditions you're keeping your own rats in
@@kam-lw4ez The only thing wrong with this setup is the space, and they clearly explain why they can't give them enough space. They do everything they can to help with this issue, like rotating the males around so that there are only two or three rats in there at a time.
@@smallpaws196 their "Reason" is that it wouldn't make them enough money :/ so you also support industrial farming of pigs and cows kept in tight spaces?
@@avelynewalk9159 Their reason is that they wouldn't be able to fit enough in there. They point that out in the video, as I already mentioned. This is the very very best that they, or anyone under the circumstances, can do.
@@smallpaws196 yes because they want to make more money. You're right their reason is they wouldn't be able to fit enough in. And why are they trying to fit as many in as they are? Because it makes them more money lol
Please do an update! I love seeing the colorful little rats and mice. They are so cute. Your setup is a great way to humanly raise feeders. I love how you breed for more than just good mothers, but also for quality and color. Keep it up Emily and Ed!
Quality and color looks adorable frozen and thawed.
@@chuckthebrindlepittie6820 Jesus Christ what is your problem? You are commenting on every single comment in this comment section.
I love having reptiles. They are so incredible to watch enjoying life.
And no, Emily and Ed are not doing this just for money. Their snakes are actually sold fairly cheaply for the kinds of morphs they produce. Not to mention, they receive HUNDREDS of rescues every single month. I didn’t know caring about what happens to abandoned animals means you have no heart.
And complaining about snakes eating food is bizarre. Do you think every single animal that eats meat is horrible and heartless?
Are you one of those people who thinks humans taught wild animals how to eat meat?
Edit: I worked at a pet store. The mice and rats all were kept in 5-10 gallon tanks. No enrichment. No hides. Broken water bottles. They were horribly bred (every single day I had to remove multiple dead rodents from the tanks, it was horrible). They weren’t held at all, so they were skittish and bit all the time. It was horrific.
So to see Emily and Ed putting so much care and thought into taking care of these rodents is incredible.
And you should watch till the later half of the video. They explain why they have chosen to do what they do. And they got WAY bigger racks so the young rats can have much more room to play.
@chuckthebrindlepittie6820 the snakes gotta eat something
@@el5001 What value is there in being a "cute" rodent, when they are all snuffed for same purpose? Please explain why "cute" rodents tastes better, are more nutritious, than an average-looking, or even an "uncute" rodent. Will be interested in your explanation.
@@chuckthebrindlepittie6820 I see you blatantly ignored my comment. I guess it doesn’t fit your narrative about how awful snakes and Ed and Emily are. What a shame.
And to give an explanation to your query: in no way shape or form is it about pretty rats/mice being tastier. It is simply about enjoying a hobby. Sure, in the long run the rodents will be culled to feed other animals, but why not enjoy them while you have them? As someone who owns mice, I can personally say it is much more satisfying to have mice who have cool patterns or coat colors. It gets rather boring when they’re all solidly black, grey or white. Ik shocking I can own both pet mice and snakes and still feed my snakes rodents.
It was so easy to forget during this video that these rats are being raised with the purpose to breed food for snakes. I think it displays that while yes you acknowledge these rodents are food, you still treat them with decency.
Yeah, I keep forgetting that too which made me start to feel bad for them since they’re so cute. I’m happy that she’s taking good care of them though.
There is the same issue with feeder fish. Just because they are bred for food, it doesn't mean that they wouldn't deserve a healthy, decent life.
Yeah it is sad to know what is going to happen, but they keep there close ones because they can't just take alife from the favourite 😕
I think it's just bc they are colorful and sweet...I mean when they are all the same(I mean the albino mice and that) than you don't get attached...it is sad...but it's more humane than what we do to eat chickens...and stuff...at least these guys die by falling a sleep
@@meercaat9936 yeah for sure, any animals produced for human consumption would be in far worse conditions than this and killed in brutal factory methods. i think it just goes to show that Emily and Ed have so much care and compassion even for animals they are being for feeding other animals
As someone who has kept many rats as pets, I can say with-ought a shadow of doubt these rats and mice look incredibly healthy! clear eyes and nose, active, friendly and well socialized, with such healthy coats too! While it is sad they are mostly food, it is wonderful that they are given such a comfy life, with quality food and loving accommodations. I love my rats and mice, but my snake needs to eat too!
I know someone who had a snake (corn, I believe) and yet she refused to feed it because the thawed food was 'gross'. I mean, if you can't handle dead animals, don't get a snake, you know? She didn't have it very long; she ended up getting two bearded dragons and housing them together, but I don't think she had them very long either.
@@snpdrg0n beardies need to eat meat as well to have a healthy diet, so yeah, not a good pet owner there. if she was so grossed out by feeding them meat she should have just gotten a herbivorous lizard like an uromastyx or something, or just a cat
When I saw the coats I was shocked with how shiny they were. None of their noses or ears looked even mildly irritated (which I see a lot in pet stores). It’s more amazing that they’re paying enough attention to recognize which mice/rats are better parents to help with a healthier breeding lineage.
I know this is primarily a reptile channel but I would love to see more about the breeding and updates on litters and the genetics and things like that :) it’s obvious the care and love that’s put into these animals just as much as the reptiles and it’s really refreshing to see :)
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Emily, Ed, this really shows that you guy's aren't just reptile lovers or in this for money. the level of care you show to even feeder rats is incredible! so many keepers should act the ways you two do. Such a blessing to herp keepers (and honestly just pet lovers) everywhere!
I love how much effort they put into giving every animal a good life, even the animals that are food. Most facilities wouldn't care about their rodents, but they got all their rodents toys and hides. They all seem happy and healthy, they can even handle them with no stress signs from the animal! I love this
Love your profile pic .I love twenty one pilots
The rats actually seem to be very very skittish, way worse than mine, but as long as they aren’t aggressive nbd. The mice are amazing temperamented, I hope I can find handleable mice when I get back into them.
Oh my god- we have the same name, and we both like 21 pilots. I also love snake discovery omg-
@@mollyqr. That's so funny!!
@@llamawalrushybrid Every rat I saw her pick up were scrabbling to get down, hunched up in fear trying to get away from the camera. I don’t tolerate this in my stock. I have skittish rats that approach me in the cage and then tear me up if I pick them up, I work to breed that out. The mice weren’t like that at all from what I remember, they were held open-palmed and didn’t even attempt to jump down or act fearful. The rats on the other hand ran from her hand and could barely be contained. Which is fine if they’re feeders and they don’t mind the extra work, but I certainly wouldn’t say they don’t show fear.
While yes, the space is too small, you found a happy medium with not over stuffing and giving them basic things they actually need, like toys and chews and love. It's realyl nice to see honestly, i wish more people would do this, i'd feel better about wanting a snake if i knew that the rodents i fed them at least had a bit of respect and love put into them.
You could always get a egg eating snake, you just need a steady supply of small enough eggs
@@Chm388 yes but then they would need allllot of eggs plus egg yolks have high cholesterol
More people ARE that way. But we don’t celebrate them. We just call out the ones we think are inhumane. We should start calling the “good ones” out too for their good job. I love rats they’re amazing. But I need to feed my amazing reptiles too. I love my rats cook food for them. Share time with them. When it’s time to go on from this earth I thank them. I also put them to sleep gently , no pain is involved. There are better ways. Just takes respect.
@@Chm388 uh……. Egg eating snakes are not the only creatures on this earth. There is a circle of life.
@@georgetteve5019 I know I was just saying if they were uncomfortable with feeding mice or rats they could get a snake that has a different diet
i’m not going to lie and say i love this part of snake keeping, but i also realise that snakes and other reptiles need food. this breeding setup at least seems relatively enriching and i know you give the rodents as good of a life as possible
Don’t be confused, yes this is necessary, but the best life as possible for a rodent is to continue living.
@@WHALEx3 yes i fully agree, but for feeder rodents this is one of the better set ups i’ve seen
@@WHALEx3 they said in a past video they keep some rodents and find owners for them!
as someone who keeps rodents and loves snakes as well, i am too glad they at least give enrichment to the rodents.
I’m glad they’re doing this instead of supporting a business that could neglect them, although this is the reason I don’t own snakes :(
It is a controversial topic but it does have to be talked about. I've owned rats as pets and how I got started was because my snake rejected a rat. From then on we ended up feeding frozen mice to him.
I truly appreciate you covering this topic. I also am extremely impressed and wow'd by how you treat your rodents; regardless if they are food or pet. A lot of pet stores don't even do that for their pet rats!! I wish I lived closer to you guys!!
As an owner of pet rats, it made me very happy to hear your disclaimer on rat cage size and to actually tell people what great pets they make. Not enough people even know that they make such good pets, and I've seen plenty of reptile people treat them just as food and not put any effort into giving the feeders as good a life as possible, so thank you for your kindness towards ALL of your animals.
I agree! Before I got into snakes I wanted rats so bad! The only reason i didnt get them was because of their life span. I'm too soft to have something that only lives a few years and snakes live forever😅 but man are they awesome misunderstood little guys for sure! Those babies were killing me😭😭😭
I remember when Ed never wanted to be heard or seen on camera. I’m so glad he’s come out of his shell so much.
Same, he’s such a sweetheart
He's fun!
I was thinking the same thing. I like when we hear Ed educate us or explain things. I like Ed showing his brain power!
I was thinking the exact same thing!! Great minds think alike 😄😄
He’s such a cutie!! If he’s bi and they break up, truly the worst thing I can imagine as they’re so perfect together, then I’m totally gonna fly to America and try my chances.
As of the 23rd of july, my ball python has finally decided to eat after 9 whole months. Dude just wasnt feeling like eating, lost close to no weight at all, and he even shed like 4 times during his off feed time. Proud of him taking that meal and just thought id let you people know. He is a spoiled guy, sitting at roughly 4 ft
Hey could you share some more about you’re story ? my ball python hasn’t eaten since February and I’ve tried everything . My first instinct was to go to the vet and what they told me was he was on a “hunger strike” . I was so mad because he wasn’t sick he was just refusing to eat, and every 2 to 3 weeks I try to offer him food but he just doesn’t want to , he moves fine , he’s active a lot , drinks his water , and hasn’t made any major weight changes , he even shed twice.
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I've heard of BPs doing this sometimes. If they're not losing weight, I guess it's just something some of them do sometimes? A kind of pseudo-brumation or something.
@@klairissanchubarb my adult female bp did the same. I got her in November of 2020 and she barely ate for me for the first time 7 weeks ago. She hardly lost weight and she was still drinking and shedding as normal, just not pooping very often. I tried offering live and frozen/thawed rodents but she didn't have any of it. Sometimes bp's go off feed bc of breeding season and the winter months, which I think overlap. But since we're in August now that might not be the case for you. If your humidity and heat levels are the way they should be, it could be something else. Ball pythons can be super picky.
My 22 year old BP went off feed for 4 months this year and same thing. Active, bright-eyed, and minimal weight loss. He ate his first post-fast mouse last week. Now he's sizing me up every time I open the enclosure and doesn't want to take "no food" for an answer when I'm poking his head with the snake hook.
This is the second time he has gone off feed for months. His last stint was 15 years ago and lasted 9 months. It seems to me it's pretty normal for them but it's always a relief when they get hungry again.
this video actually got me a new perspective on how tall the racks are, I always assumed Emily was average height, now every snake discovery video with a rack in it will NEVER BE THE SAME
Right!? 5’11 is so tall
This is incredible. I used to work in a laboratory and the rats were kept in tubs half that size, there were 3 to a cage, and they had no enrichment. No hides, no chews, no treats. Just corncob bedding, food, water and barely enough space to turn around in. It was truly heartbreaking and I'm so happy to see how well cared for your feeder animals are!
That is so sad to hear, poor animals.
Labs who use animals should not exist.
Why did you work there?
@@burntbeansoup Because in the field of molecular biology that is typically where you start before you can work with human tissues, medicine and research.
They're gonna be used for testing anyway
Your rodents are being kept as snake food, and still you treat them better than a LOT of pet owners treat theirs.
I've got to share a funny story. We have a one yr old Ball Python who's a bit of a fussy eater. (Shocking, I know) We've taken to showing her this video while we're thawing her rats to give her some inspiration. It works so well; She gets so excited and gobbles the rat down right away. We call this video her 'cooking show.' Thank you so much, SD, for helping us and her.
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@@slightlydistressedslug6627 the snake gets exited about the lice rats is what i think thwy are saying, which means they eat their frozen thawed one no problem
Animals are such freaking weirdos, and I for one wouldn't have it any other way. :)
That is FREAKING ADORABLE
That's hilarious and sooo adorable!
As a rodent lover as well as a snake lover, I’m so glad you give your mice and rats (as well as the African soft-furs, that’s a new species I didn't know about!) the best lives you can before they go on to become feeders. It may seem like a small gesture, but they all seem like very happy, healthy animals.
This is the most humane rodent breeding setup I have ever seen. You guys take the time to enrich and love these animals, even if they are only a small piece of the circle of life and food chain❤️ Through this video you treated them with the same love and respect I’ve seen you show to your personal reptiles and other animal friends.
Breeders should take notes from how to run a sustainable, responsible and respectful environment for their animals.
I am a rat lover and I absolutely ADORE your setup. People really shouldn't be comparing it to a pet setup, but to other rat-breeding-for-feeding set ups. If they do that it's very easy to see how much you guys care.
@Crystal hare Because these aren't "pets". Most of them are going to be feeders. Compared to other breeders this setup is luxurious.
@Crystal hare
Because if we remove the mid points you’ll only have extremes at both ends, including the bad end. People keep snakes, snakes need to eat, therefore someone needs to provide what snakes eat.
@Crystal hare If you wanted pet-like setups for the rats, they might be able to keep 25 or so in that room. There's no way you could feed an entire zoo like that. People need to be realistic.
They gave them enrichment, hides, chew toys, companionship, and keeps everything cleaner than I keep my apartment. They're doing a great job.
@@samf8894
I did not say that. However if you want rat feeders to stop, it doesn’t start at the rats, it starts with the snakes.
Whether or not you see what Snake Discovery does as mistreatment is irrelevant, it’s the best marble in that bag.
As someone who loves rodents as well as rodent eating reptiles; I commend you guys for making sure that they have as good quality of life as a breeder rodent can have. These rats and mice are living better than the livestock we eat and unfortunately some pets. Thank you guys for treating them with respect.
As a rodent and snake lover, I love how you're humane with the rodents, and explain why they are necessary for snakes.
It’s nice to see that these guys are sold as pets too.
They’re sooo pretty and it’s amazing you’re providing a place for people to possibly get well bred, healthy rats in y’all’s area!!
Im a little sad to see this video.. because my hamster died overnight recently... it's still a good video tho.
@@TallthinksOLD sorry for your loss. Ive owned 3 hamsters in the past and i have one currently and each one passing is so hard so I can imagine how your feeling.
@@C.Woodford im also sorry for your losses.. i feel so bad because in his last moments i was asleep.. i can imagine he is watching over me in heaven. With all of my other pets..
@@TallthinksOLD trust me it's so much better on you when they pass when your asleep, because he was probably getting ready to go to sleep aswell so he would have passed peacefully. A few of mine have gone whist I'm awake and with them in not so peaceful ways and it makes it so so so much harder on you.
@@C.Woodford thats true..
You can tell that Emily was very sad when she was discussing the fact that they're smart but they make a good diet for snakes
i know i think it's so sad
Never commented on a TH-cam video before, but I think this info is so darn important that it needs to be said.
I am an avid customer of Snake discovery: a reptile experience and have been a long time fan of this channel. I am also "Nick" from the opening video with the bearded dragon named "Draco" ( if any of you remember me!) I also had a picky and stubborn hognose who went on a feeding strike two months straight for nothing other than not liking anything I gave him ( even the stuff the breeder recommended ) Emily was my savior. She suggested chicken hearts and it got him to now be the enthusiastic eater he is today who has now moved up to unscented fuzzles ( small fuzzies). I can't thank Emily enough for that.
Now, why did I comment on this video? Well, it's because I can attest to the high quality of rodents I buy for my snake. My snake LOVES his rodents and the unique sizes provided in shop helps me and him transition safely from pinkies to fuzzies without regurgitation from overly sized rodents. This shop and Emily and particular have become almost close friends to me and my little menagerie. So, if you are in the area, don't wait to try this awesome and unique shop! It's still amazing, even without the zoo!
Plus, they need all of our support in order to open by the end of the summer!
Nobody cares
@@kam-lw4ez you cared enough to reply to a two month old comment with no other replies
@@Kaikirith dam girl
thank you nick! i plan to visit america (im from queensland, australia) and im going to Minneapolis as soon as i can get to the US just to see this amazing zoo!! and in reply to the first commenter, i care :) went and checked out the video you mentioned, so cool youve ben here so long! only a new(ish) fan (maybe 18 months?). take care, and give your fuzzies a kiss from me!
@@kam-lw4ez I definitely cared. Quit being such an edgy little pre-teen. Someday you'll look back at this comment and be embarrassed by how cringe you are.
And hey Nick, I'm so happy for you! You are so lucky to have such a great wealth of knowledge and resources nearby, not to mention great friends who share such an exciting interest!
I think it's really cool that they're being bred to be good moms. I also love the soft furrs and just how their mini "society" functions. I really want a snake but the matter of feeding is the only thing keeping me away, but it's really nice to see these rodents getting the best possible quality of life before being used for food. From what I know from watching this channel is that they mainly feed their reptiles frozen thawed. The majority of these animals will be killed humanely and painlessly with CO2 (please correct me if I'm wrong), never experiencing the fear and pain of being killed and swallowed by a snake
You can also use repta links if you don’t want to feed rats or mice
🥰
They will be killed with CO2 most likely - sadly it’s not painless, that gas activates the bodies panic response/urge to breathe. It’s basically the same feeling as drowning or being suffocated, it’s not a nice way to die at all. Wish there were more humane options.
@@wolfrevenant1489 There are! Nitrogen does not trigger the suffocation response. It's only CO2 that does this, so there are other gasses that can be used for euthanasia. You can also use nitrogen mixed with a normal level of CO2 to make the nitrogen last longer.
This shows how much you guys care. Giving even the feeders you breed enrichment and care and watching out for their needs. Also I could watch those rats and mice and soft furs playing and running around forever
Deleted
I tried to talk about mice, everyone explained how the rats are treated well. I watched a male mouse, pregnant female mouse, and another female mouse put together. That's crazy, but whatever, you win.
@@ellenandjames1404 they say explicitly that the males are rotated periodically for breeding purposes; they're not permanently housed with the females, so most of the time each habitat has only two females.
@@ellenandjames1404 no one else agreed with you, so you liked your own comment. Watch the video, they literally say they don't keep the males in there any longer than it takes for procreation.
@@GarmrKiDar They said that about the rats.
@@urgae9125 For rats, yes. Oh, I liked my own comment instantly, because why not?
I think it's good to learn where food comes from. People will complain that you raise rodents for food when they are very likely eating meat from cows/chicken/pigs that may have not had a comfy life
Yeah, I realized this when I put rats in my freezer. It's not so weird when I realize that there are other meats in there too.
And getting feeders from somewhere else is still doing the same thing. I think it makes people uncomfortable when they have to see the process up close
@@lemonshark4961 they are the exact people who should see the process then. Eating and feeding meat is good, but be aware of where it is from and how it got from the world to your plate/your animals stomach. Offer the food you eat and feed the respect it deserves by knowing how it came to be there.
@@SquishyRogue yes! I think a lot more people would advocate for animal wellness if they saw the process and theyd have to face the reality of death. It's very uncomfortable but we'd be better off as a society if we stopped hiding death from ourselves. Everything has to die eventually so that others might live
These are the vegans I can get behind! Unless you guys arn't vegan then that's okay too. Cause it really hurts me that animals live such horrible lives.......so sad....
Ya know those days without an incident boards? You should have one of those but for ‘how many days since last escape’ 😂
YES
Yes please! 😍
YESS
YESS
OMG PLEASE
One of the best parts about Emily and Ed is they always do things very ethically and will do right for any animal in their care. They educate themselves and don’t cut corners when animal care is concerned. No matter how one feels about breeding rats as food, they still do things the best way for the animal
It's no different than how we raise livestock for our own food, which a lot of us also don't want to think about the behind the scenes part. What's important is not making them suffer until it's time for that, and it's clear ya'll care more about these rodents than a lot of companies do about their chickens and cows and such.
some people don't eat meat though
That's one thing I like about buying beef from a local farmer we know. We've visited his farm (even gave him a feral cat we were fostering because she didn't seem likely to ever adjust to the pet life), and we've seen that his cattle, while wary of strangers like us, seem to genuinely like and trust him. When we buy beef from him, we know we're getting meat from an animal that had a good life.
And that’s where advocating with our wallets can really make a difference, the more that people buy free range or cage free chicken eggs for example shows companies that there is a growing demand for food sources coming from better conditions and if the companies that do use the more cruel methods don’t change their ways then it’s going to hurt their business badly, refusing to buy eggs in general won’t send a message to corporations that you want humane conditions for their livestock because they won’t be able to see that(because if they aren’t able to see their cage free competitors are gaining more and more customers then them then they won’t get the message that they should change their practices). Holding signs can only get us so far in getting the humane treatment these livestock animals deserve, and although nobody likes talking about how we basically support breeding animals just to be food for some of us we should at least be comfortable talking about ways to make sure that these animals have a good quality of life before it’s time for them to be sent to our stores.
I think it’s great that Ed & Emily are taking the time to explain everything about how intelligent the rodents are and how the proper care of them for being companions is vastly different then what they are doing, along with them touching up on the whole getting rodents from test labs and the uncertainty of if they were apart of the control group or not. It gives the reptile community a place where they can actively show with their wallets better treatment for their pets food source.
@@kfallon862 How about you don't eat it because you don't want to, and I eat it when I (rarely) do want to? Like normal people who have different tastes and view points.
@@kfallon862 Well top question is, reguardless of what people eat, if they change up their diet suddenly, it can have effects on their body. People switching from eating meat to Vegan/Vegetarian and the opposite way, it can cause dietary issues. that's why it's eat what you want/are used to. If you change what you want to eat, to be honest, people should talk talk to their doctor first.
I honestly have to say, Snake Discovery has the BEST, hands-down, care for their feeder rats&mice I have EVER seen! I am so surprised but glad that you even give them hides, toys, and chew objects. It's so nice to see that you guys treat them humanely and with respect like actual pets!
ikrrr
That is a very sad indictment of the appalling conditions feeder animals usually have to endure. Emily & Ed accept that the conditions they're providing still aren't adequate for rats, but are doing it anyway.
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Im so glad you breed them responsibly and care for the rodents before you feed them to snakes! I seen so many feeder breeders mistreat the rodents
They do not teat them the best the cages are too small and the mice do not have big enough wheels and not enough bedding also you should never put a rat in a bin
I wouldn’t call them being kept in tiny bins which is absolute no no because of ammonia build up caring for them
@@cl5840 fr. Literally the only video I’ve ever disliked on their channel
@@cl5840 I wish only people like you got rats and mice
@@responsiblepetowner0166 see the whole video god dammit.
She cant give more space or the snakes wont have enough food.
She wishes she could give them as much space as they need but she cant.
I own both rodents and snakes, and I appreciate the work you put into the housing for the rodents, even if they're meant to be food.
I loved seeing that african softfur mom laying atop the biggest pile of babies and seeing how the mice were so happy with their confetti paper
😄
I have 5 rats
@@tree630 amazing
@@tree630 cute
As a pet rat owner for a lot of years, I did an internal happy dance when I saw you were using Teklad-not that it is the only quality lab block, but it definitely made me feel good about the research you have done about proper rodent keeping and diet. I also seriously approve of improving rat genetic lines even if they are feeders. (Some of my best pets were intended feeders from responsible breeders)
So, while I don’t love the concept of rats as feeders as mine were all precious members of my family, I also understand that on so many levels they are ideal as feeders for snakes and other reptiles, and I’m glad yours will have a good life!
(Some of those colors tho-you should seriously consider dual purpose breeding.. especially if your temperament lines are decent!)
I know right? but since all the rats are so good, if they start doing that it might be hard not to do it with all of them, and then they got no feeders 😂
Well, they said pretty late in the video that with the way they breed them, the rats could also get taken home and kept as pets, so I'm sure they do have the dual thing in mind too
Given how nasty some of the comments were on your video about invasive goldfish/Koi, I'm pleasantly surprised that so many of the comments on this are so positive. I'm glad to see that most people understand that reptiles gotta eat too, and you are trying your best to make sure your feeder animals have as good a life as a feeder can get.
Sadly, the comments are positive because so many people are ignorant of these animals' needs :/
Rat owner here. I just wanted to say thank you for treating your feeders so well, rats are very intelligent and it’s really refreshing to see a good breeding set up for them. I don’t have any problems with using rats and mice as feeders. Snakes need to eat too. But it’s just really great to see how well taken care of they are. I’m not saying this setup is ideal for pet rats, but it’s really great compared to most feeder set ups.
This is the reason why I won't ever have any reptile other than an herbivore, but it's so nice to see how well you treat the animals in spite of their eventual purpose as food. I also adore those African soft furs; they look like rats with all the cutest qualities exaggerated.
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What about reptiles that eat insects? Beardies, ringneck snakes, etc.? They can be a more pleasant alternative if you don't like feeding something rodents. Something to consider. 🙂
there are garter snakes
Yeah the garder snake comment they can eat fish and crickets and others
@@seanrallis6714 Well, as a whole, my family has two reptiles. My sister has a leopard gecko, and we have a box turtle as well. They're just not my personal pets that I am solely responsible for feeding, and I'm moving out soon since I graduated college. But I just don't like feeding living things even when they're crickets or something. I'll feed fish blood worms or brine shrimp, but that's about it. I get guilty with anything else. 😅
Emily was talking about having bad enclosures for the rats and mice, but these are pretty amazing for just feeder/breeding rodents. Ive seen some horrid conditions for "fodder" because they are just that, so people dont care about their living space :(
A happy rat is a healthy rat and a healthy rat makes good food. That's beyond the basic respect for life... So, it just makes sense to give them a place to grow and breed and live their best life.
I've seen worse conditions for actual pets! I adore Emily's kindness for her rats, it's so refreshing to see.
This video also has good information to know for rat care!
th-cam.com/video/KQy0UegWJ6o/w-d-xo.html
As someone who lives at a farm, and have often taken in old or abused animals, even some that have to be food, it makes me really happy to see how well you guys treat your rats and mouse. They're adorable, and I fully agree, that even though they eventuelly might end up as feeders, they should have a good life. We do the same here for everyone of our animals, as well as the ones that become food
Animals never have to be food
@@nofinn1044 In nature, they literally have to be food for many species to survive... That is life on earth.
@@kellywuthrich24 I meant for humans
@@nofinn1044 currently it isn't possible to feed the 8 billion people on earth with vegan sources. Even just being vegetarian isn't possible for most of humanity right now. In the future, things could change, but right now, we depend on meat
@@hystericalstares7507 Veganism actually has the ability to solve world hunger. We don't have enough land or resources to feed the population with current meat diets and thats becoming more evident every day. I suggest doing some research on the land/resource requirements for plant based foods vs meat products per KG.
I know this is old, but I’m very happy to see these guys being cared for properly. I have a snake, and also recently added feeder mice to the family as pets. They were not socialized and will bite me (not remotely aggressive, just over enthusiastic), but that’s not their fault and I want to give them the best life possible. ☺️
I don't know if the laws changed over the years, but it use to be considered a fire hazard to have open tiles in drop down ceilings. The fire dept. would issue fines for missing whole (or pieces of broken) tiles. If your fire dept still views this as a fire hazard,there are a few alternatives: 1. Flat 5 gal. container (like oil waste oil tubs - there is an opaque one for other liquids); and 2. Active water feed using flex tubing like those used for ice makers.
bump
Bump because I just want the best for Emily and Ed.
Not to mention, an escapee can climb through the opening.
bump
Bump!
This video brought back so many memories of being the animal caretaker for the psychology department at my university.
I got the 'Best Weaner' award from the department head for having 100% accuracy when weaning the baby mice over the course of the two years I worked there. I disliked some of the experiments neuroscience students used the rodents for but it felt good to be the person making sure their living space and diet were top notch 👍
That award probably sounded quite bad out of context.
@@LotusHearted "heh...hey girl...you know...I won best weaner at university"
"...I'm calling the police"
🙂
If you have any tips for rodent breeder care I'd really appreciate it! I'm about to start my first job at a lab animal facility at a university and will have to learn how to wean baby mice.
As someone who used to own rats I have to say im impressed with your breeding set-up.
Even with them being feeders, they honestly look like pet quality rats. Like they look very friendly!
How is it possible pet rat keepers believe this?!? It's nowhere near enough space or enrichment. Even Emily accepts that in the video!
@@samf8894 for a feeder breeding set up. Yeah it's pretty damn amazing.
The fact they get enrichment alone is impressive for feeder breeder. Plus the fact they are all quite friendly. It is impressive so see.
Its not perfect, duh. But this isn't a pet set up. It is a food production.
The fact that all of these are clearly social, happy and arent showing signs of fear or aggression really shows how well you treat them and how good this setup is, owning animals that eat meat always comes with the needed evil of something dying to keep the animal fed and alive, this is probably THE best way to do it!
"Hey you peed on me" is now taking the cake for the best rodent name I've ever heard.
Agreed
How about "Stop biting me!"
Or… Stop tickling my armpit… wait no go back to tickling my armpit, stop biting my t1t!
Yea its upsetting. But it's not like this wouldn't happen in the wild. In the wild they would have to survive the elements and scavenge for food. Here they can eat, play, sleep worry free until it's time. Still shitty but if you had to pick a poison, I would rather have shelter and food and companions. It's a cushy circle of life instead of the harsh one.
mandy is just padding her resume at this point. she can do all the jobs.
I think at this point we have to change the term Jack of all Trades to Mandy of all Trades. XD
@@phangirlable or simply Mandy=Jack of all trades ie, you're a regular Mandy aren't you?
As someone who used to breed Fancy rats for pets, this set up is wonderful for animals that are breeders. I love that you love them too. I also love that there is one someone loves and has become a lifelong working pet.
Think of it like this guys, would you rather their setup in smaller bins where the rodents are happy and healthy or would you rather they consistently buy from other rodent breeders who might keep their breeder rats in worse conditions just to keep up with food demands their snakes need to survive?
*Thank you* for commenting this, it's *important* that people realize these facts!
there not happy tho- rats NEED climbing space, i understand that this is one of the better care for breeders but tbh it’s not great. 😕
That’s an amazing idea! I hope that your comment gains more attraction so that this idea can be viewed by Snake Discovery. For anyone wondering yes I do understand that these animals will be eaten by snakes and other reptiles, but just because they are feeders doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve the same care as companion rodents.
@@thatkewldino7398 Tbh it's a better setup than the vast majority of breeders out there. If anyone's discontent with it, they can pioneer a system where the rats are in pet quality setups but are still profitable themselves, instead of uselessly complaining about it.
@@thatkewldino7398 You're right, but you can't really keep them all in great conditions when you have this much carnivore animals to feed.
I mean, ofc the bins could be at least twice maybe three times this size and probably breed the same amount of rodents in that room, but it's still better than what most labs/feeder breeders do. The conditions are improving.
It's a lot of rodents to have, so the conditions won't realistically be much better than this, and if you have less rodents, the snakes/other carnivore animals will be hungry.
It's a necessary evil if you want to breed/rescue lots of carnivore animals that happen to eat rodents/small animals
Snake Discovery never disappoints. They are showing the world the way it's supposed to be done. Not just with the reptiles, but also the feeders.
yeah I love their channel!
It’s so wonderfully lovely 🥰
Nope, the way the rats are housed are in absolute horrible conditions
@@spinnyquack56 As i agree they're not pets they are going to be food in a short amount of time, they also have much better set ups then some ive seen where they just throw them in an overcrowded tub and make them constantly breed.
@@spinnyquack56 only thing they could change is the size of the enclosures their rats are in but even that is not really possible if they are going to produce the amount of rodents that they need to.
standards are different for pets and feeders for a reason
Glad to see this, actually. Had a mental image in my head of just giant bins stuffed with feral rodents but this is far more humane than I expected for feeder rodents.
the reptile store that I worked in had exactly that except the mice were all sweeties, it was very hard to contribute to let alone watch... but yes no toys or enrichment whatsoever and just way too many in there. the mice were just so tame and friendly, they did not deserve to spend the little time they had left like this, I'm glad I stopped working there. Sadly it is how a lot of shops handle feeders. :((
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I'm a rodent/reptile owner and this is AMAZING this is the best rodent breeding set up I've ever seen 🥺 and you're so sweet to them too!!
I actually started crying when u showed that there was gonna be enrichment thank you so so so much for being so great to them, as a mouse and rat owner with them being pets! Thank you so so much
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This was a hard ep to watch, since we have rats for pets, but she’s treating them well, they look healthy and well feed, and “life need things to live.” So to speak
Help! it's again...
I agree and honestly my biggest thing is the fact that she has so many rare colors and breeds that I can never find 😭
Bidet, fellow critter!!! Glad to see one here of all places!
Such is the nature of life. Honestly I'm just glad they get to live a comfortable life before being made food.
Ive got two in a 4 story 3 ft wide cage
Does Mandy live in the facility?
Do you guys have her locked up in there? 😂
she gets no food except for dairy queen runs next door, she sleeps in the padded crawling area beneath rex's enclosure XD
Mandy has her own enclosure in the zoo i bet
@@ladyunknown101 100%
@@cicelypatterson3927 😂😂😂
@@ladyunknown101 the zoo IS her enclosure
The thing I love the most about snake discovery is the fact you can tell they care for all of thare animals, even the feeders, its amazing to see a zoo that really loves the animals thare♡
Regardless of personal feelings towards the animals, this is such an important part of snake breading and care and I'm so happy that you are educating people on this topic when many others would be too uncomfortable.
I’m just putting this on every video til it gets noticed, but Emily, Ed, and Rex should be Loki variants for Halloween. Awesome little family costumes
this needs to be boosted bc this is the best idea
That would be amazing
Oh my gosh that would be perfect!
LOKI REX
I had this exact thought when I saw that episode.
I’m a rat fancier and let me say this is an extremely good setup for feeder rats. Not only is it clean, but you give them a lot of enrichment too. It makes me really happy that you care about their lives, however long they may be. You guys are amazing rat breeders and I hope someone adopts pet ones from you :)
I worry about the conditions for your pets! It's really not an adequate set up for any rat.
@@samf8894 Compared to what some others do, these setups are great. Like Emily said in the video, they don't have a choice but to keep them in this space, or else they won't have enough to feed their reptiles and to sell. And the commentor just said it was a good setup for 'feeder rats', not pet rats, so don't worry, his pets are probably fine.
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Loving rodents as much as reptiles and an ex-mouse-owner, it’s wonderful to see how wonderfully you treat your feeders and how kind you are to them. All animals deserve the best life no matter how or why their life is going to end or be for, and y’all understand that and give all life respect
Snake discovery: *breeds rodents solely for consumption*
Also snake discovery: "Look at all da little babiiiieeees I love you guys. hope you're comfortable. do you guys need another Ipad?"
She said she was working to breed cool colors so I wonder if they plan to sell as pets too?
@@ReganFree93 Yeah they'll have a "secret bin" under the counter for selling rats to people. I'm not sure if it's as pets but yes
Lol
Its the promised neverland all over again
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As a reptile keeper and a person who looooooves rats, I appreciate the care you provide for your rodents. Too many times have I seen sub-par care for these amazing guys. Sure so many will be feeders however, they deserve to live a happy life.
Hi, do you keep snakes and pet rats ? Do you keep ur rats and reptiles in the same room? I wanted to know since I love rats and snakes so much and wanted to learn how u keep them (if you have both pets). I dont have pets yet but I'm planning on keeping snakes and poossibly rats (as pets) in the future.
@@dan_ta_lion Hello x
You can definitely keep snakes and rodents in the same house (I have 10 pet gerbils and a ball python) but I definitely Don't recommend keeping them in the same room, the smell of the rodents will keep the snake in a hunting state which will make them associated you with food making handling difficult. And if you do keep them in the same house make sure you wash your hands between handling to reduce the sent on your hands x
@@dan_ta_lion and please do plenty of research on any animal before buying them, don't just trust pet store advice many just want your money and cling onto outdated information to justify selling tiny cages (this is mostly in rodent care) and always feel free to ask advice in forums and check out rodent you tubers 😁 Erin's animals is my personal favourite. Hope you have a nice evening/day x
@@dan_ta_lion Hi! I don't currently. I currently keep snakes but don't keep rats. I don't recommend them being in the same room for the same reasons @flame29936 stated ;) but both are awesome pets.
finally a channel where they treat rodents like living breathing thinking beings.
There's a store near me that also stocks their feeders in happy, healthy conditions. They also make wonderful pets (a friend has three) and they're very friendly. They let people wash their hands and interact with them as a form of enrichment and socialization. Actually they're so well cared for I was surprised when the owner said it was their feeder stock. Since my partner won't let me adopt a 'rodent' it's a great way to give a sweet rat some awesome cuddles and play.
Thanks for showing it can be done right ❤
Everyone needs a Mandy in their life. Just a great friend whos always down to help you.
Sorry to be that one person but Mandy is her sister.
@@justaperson8381 then why does she always say our friend Mandy?
@@GrampiesCorner Idk but I'm pretty sure Mandy is her sister tho
@@justaperson8381 a sibling is not always a friend, so the comment still stands
A sister who helps that much is *definitely* a friend.
I really love that you guys are trying to give them a good life before they are used to feed the other animals, this is the best feeder setup I've ever seen! And it's better for the predatory animals as well, to be feeding on healthy, well kept animals rather than other feeders that are poorly cared. Also I love that you are experimenting with colours of the rats and mice while breeding them, they're so cute🥺❤️
How dare you not showing us the bin labeled "small rat". I wanted to see the cuteness 🥺🥺🥺
Kudos on the effort you put into caring for these rodents. I’ve had pet rats and rat breeding projects for many years, and love how you’re able to strike a balance here. You have some beautiful ones growing and and they look healthy and well adjusted and not flighty and petrified of people… which frankly, makes it easier on everyone as a feeder animal too.
It says something that you're comfortable with handling them with your bare hands, they clearly aren't too stressed and are very comfortable (even happy) around humans, good job!
I love that they go to all those lengths to rodent-proof the skirting, then just *open up a whole roof tile* with a perfect rat climbing frame straight up to it!
Sister, is that you? lol
Normally I get sad seeing breeding setups because I know what they needs and know it doesn’t equal up to what they need. This setup is so good knowing you have so many and it’s just for breeding. Thank you for taking care of your feeder rodents 💕
You’re really doing the best that you can with the demand and the need for rodents in the reptile world. You’re making sure the parents are good and that the rodents are happy with enrichment and the best possible home that you can give them. You’re not overstuffing bins but still allowing them to be in a community. Thank you for being as ethical as possible because it is a necessary evil
As some one who has raised mice and rats using the same types of racks with the watering system. If they don't have one put a small drain in the tubs. If those pins get stuck in the open position the tub will slowly fill overnight and drown the rats. And there is nothing more gross then a tub filled with dead bloated rats.
th-cam.com/video/KQy0UegWJ6o/w-d-xo.html
As a pet rat owner this may be one of the most horrifying things I've ever pictured yikes my dude. Thanks for the heads up though I'm going to keep that well in mind when buying cages >.
Feeder rodents are necessary. The fact you guys work to make sure they're loved, happy, and cared for despite their fates is extremely commendable. I think a majority of people on earth either love what they care for too deeply to be able to kill it, or stay careless and apathetic about the care of their feeder/food animals to make it easier on themselves
They aren't happy. She is giving them less than the bare minimum
@@yezenia9830 I think you glossed over the part where they said it's NECESSARY. If you didn't have people growing food for you, you'd never be able to get your own seeds to start your own crop. You rely on other humans to feed you just as much as these snakes do. Hypocrite
@@RO-gc6sb There is a difference between snakes and humans. It isn't even necessary to keep snakes as pets, but it's necessary to keep humans alive. It is not necessary to keep rats in detestable conditions like she does either. She could have invested more money in them, like she did for her crocodile. She could promote reptile keeping less. I'm not complaining about snakes in nature killing other animals, but nothing about how Emily keeps reptiles or rats is natural
@@yezenia9830 Nothing about how anyone keeps any pet is "natural", ya dink? You think dogs grow up not knowing how to hunt and falling asleep in a bed each night? You think cats can laze around and get up to 20lbs without being eaten by a predator?
You're delusional if you think keeping any pet is natural. Again. Go back to the forest if you have a problem with how people raise their animals.
@@RO-gc6sb No but at least those pets get something out of it. They have emotional bonds with their families and are content as pets. Most reptiles doesn't have that and are just confined all life because they're cool to look at. Living in a rack could probably not even be concidered being a pet anyways. More like a collection
As someone who has had, and loved having, pet rats, I was expecting to at least feel a little uncomfortable with this. But honestly, this is a brilliant and responsible way to do feeder breeding. I know if we were in the US and nearby, we'd want to buy our feeders from you, because that's the most ethical feeder breeding setup I've ever seen.
My wife and I got our first snake earlier this year, partially because we felt we finally knew enough from your videos to be able to be responsible owners - and we worried we'd struggle with feeding rodents, simply because our first pets as a couple were rats. But our ball python has to eat too, and we know our rodent supplier euthanises the rodents responsibly, which is the best we can do for now.
Honestly, I'd be interested to see the full life cycle of your feeders, complete with an explanation of the euthanising process. I think that, just like with our own food, it's important to know where it comes from, how the animals live, and how they die. That's the only way to make responsible choices around using animals for food, whether for us or for our pets. Thank you so much for showing us the care and time you put into your feeder rodents.
I am also very interested to know the full life cycle of the rodents at Snake Discovery. I know it may take a while to get around to, and it might not be very popular, but these things are extremely important.
I would also watch a video regarding the feeders full life cycle.
I'm with you. I'd love to see a lifecycle of a feeder video. It's important that people understand that there are kind ways of euthanising the rodents that won't harm the animal that will eat them.
I would also like a video like this! I do believe they had a video on euthanization back in the day, and I thiiiink there was a mention that they use CO2? But one specifically about the mice cycle would be cool.
I think a video like this would be really cool to see and learn from!!
please do another rodent breeding vid, thank you emily and ed
Oh man, as a rat lover who has had two dozen rats, and currently has them in a bioactive setup, I am so glad to see your feeder set up. So many places don't care for the health or well being of the rats they breed as food so it's a nice change of pace. If you ever decide that you'd be okay with someone handling your rats to see there temperament and personality to possibly adopt them, I would love to adopt some of the beautiful rat babies you have!
She says she keeps a bin behind the counter for people to buy if they want in a reply to a comment under this video! X
Have you ever thought about posting about rats on your channel? I would subscribe
@@samf8894 yes it's not okay if they planned on keeping the rats alive for a long time however they are feeders. Snakes have to eat. I know it sucks but compared to other feeders who cram hundreds in a tiny box this is amazing. They have toys and food and clean water whilst they are alive
@@blossom-leighloach1729 I was going to respond but you stole my words
@@hayleybarnes7153 LMAO I'm sorry 😂
Be very careful with those watering lines/nozzles. If there are no drain-holes in the cages/bins, a faulty water nozzle (or one that gets bedding trapped in it) can completely fill a cage with water overnight and drown anything in it. A lot of places that used to use them went back to bottles because of this.
That’s an interesting thought- for a possible solution, could you maybe drill a couple of small holes in the front of each bin, near the bottom (a bit like they do to the snake bins for air flow, but less and smaller holes) to let the water drain out of the bin to prevent them drowning if the nozzle was to malfunction? Do you think that would work?
@@birdwithabrokenwing It would work only if there is secure mesh so the rodents don't enlarge the hole and there is some sort of gutter, otherwise you just wind up flooding and drowning those below. Also, those mesh drains could easily be clogged by damp bedding or damp droppings.
Maybe an emergency drain hole/holes in the bins just in case?
With how calm they all were being handled, you can tell they are taken very good care of. Your setup looks so good!
I really love snakes, and in the future when I have the space, I want to have a large collection. My plan was always to breed my own feeders, and this seems like it works super well
I'm from Missouri and I am giving serious consideration to the idea of driving up to Snake Discovery just to buy some pet rats, they are beautiful and many of them seem to be comfortable with handling!