Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Now you would think that the major mice/rat breeders would have nbetter business sense to plan for the late summer hatch of reptiles that would need extra small pinkie mice. Do they? Of course not. They are too stupid to have a clue probably because they do not actually keep reptiles. Now I know some jerkoff on here is going to say "why didn't I plan for it too". Well - you can only keep pinkie mice in the freezer for so long and not that long before they start to get freezer burn which neonates do not readily take to. All of the major breeders are "out" until the end of October. Really? How stupid is that. Snap out of it and get a clue Rodent Pro and Mice direct !!!

The suppliers are likely operating at close to maximum output throughout the spring and summer. They may not have the space to expand to accommodate the additional breeders that would be necessary.
I've never had a problem with freezer burn, even after several months, as long as the mice are kept in the vacuum sealed packaging.

The shortage is widespread and is due to the widely publicized disease outbreak at one of Rodent Pro's suppliers, which greatly reduced their stock. Their regular customers have had to turn elsewhere, and because RP is so big, it has caused other suppliers (like Mice Direct) to also run out of stock. Compounding this is that in some states (like Kansas), health authorities took action against rodent suppliers that received live mice from RP, so there has been a domino effect. Not sure how long it will take the industry to get back to full production.

Cheers,

BH

SierraHerps.com

I just received an order of mice from Layne Labs in CA. Even their "1 day old pinkies" are a little big, but at least they have them. They arrived in very good condition. They advertise on the main page of KS.com.
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Kent

Sorry for my ranting, but also Rodent Pro never bothered to tell anyone about the infected mice they were selling us. I too bought thousands of mice in March - the black ones they had for cheap cause really I think for the most part snakes cant tell color - LOL. After feeding these mice to my snakes and having a good number of Crotalus die for no apparent reason - I tossed them as soon as I found out. I had 1000 extra small pinkies in prep for the hatching season. Although I never had a problem with my colubrids, I lost 12 Crots for no reason that were well established and thriving. One was a scaless atrox I paid $800 for. The vet did the necropsy and determined it was a "virus" of undetermined origin. I treated all of my other Crots with Baytryl and they seem fine. No further losses. If I could prove their mice caused these Crots to die - I'd be in court cause my loss was substantial. I may file anyway because they had an obligation to tell all of their customers and told no one. Now you know being a single guy I keep my mice in the same freezer with dinner, so there was a health risk to me as well I was never told about. Not until there was a huge post on the net about this did RP bother to mention it to anyone and then only on their website. I also lost the remaining order of 4000 mice less those fed before I found out cause I tossed them all.

Yeah, you are not the only one pissed, believe me!!! I too had lost several snakes earlier in the year with no reason. Makes me wonder. I am lucky in that I have an additional source close to home. It could be that I never buy from RP again. Still have not made my mind up on that one. If everyone stops doing business with them we will lose another provider, however, what they did cannot be excused in my book and I feel they only provided information after the fact. Not cool.

Joe

Most of the info I have read said the infection in those mice wasn't a threat to snakes. The threat was actually to humans. Is there new info?
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Brian Suter

www.serpenteer.com

Well, I do always buy in January to get me through to the next winter, even planning for new hatchlings. But I've bought from The Mouse Factory forever, so I've been stumped on where to move on too. I didn't even know they had closed down until talking with Buzz last month. This mess with the other suppliers has just made it even worse. I guess I'll just wait it out for a couple of more months.

RUSS

I too have lost a few animals for no reason. I personally will not order from them ( Rodent Pro ) EVER again. But anyway ,I ordered from Layne Labs and I am happy with their rodents.

I will have to look that supplier up too!!------ Yep, hard to go back to a supplier (RP) after what they did by not telling people. Sucks too because I have used them for years.

Joe