I Didn't Wanna Do It...(long story)

[Dionythicus]

Have my own small colony of mice, that is. With my husband's allergy to the rats we had before, and prior reactions to going into my mouse pusher's warehouse, we thought it would be impossible. He went with me today to my mouse pusher's warehouse, I call it Billy's Barn. Billy only does WA and part of OR, but tell him Kathy Nicks sent you if you contact him. www.slipperycreekranch.com

Billy told me that rat prices will probably go sky high soon, due to the largest rat supplier in the country selling out and the new owners are charging an arm and a leg. They pretty much have a corner on the market and their prices are going up and up. They supply most of the big names in the rodent business with rats. Fortunately, BIlly is going to get into rats fairly soon. Billy's other woe was that he already has pre-orders for 8000 pinks for the Hillsboro, OR show and he only produces 10000 a month! Last year's breeding season orders didn't get that high until summer! He calls me his Nightmare Client, because I call up every few months for a small order and he knows I breed snakes, too, and will need plenty o'pinks this summer. He's pulling out what hair he has over the high orders so soon in the season.

So I mentioned to my husband that we could do ourselves a favor buy getting a small colony of mice and start freezing pinks now in prep for our hatchlings, but due to his allergies, it was up to him if he wanted mice in the house. Of course, he loves the silly creatures (rats, too), and he's playing with them in Billy's Barn. He had his inhalor at the ready, but didn't need it. We were in there with thousands of mice for almost 45 minutes and nothing happened! I think he had psyched himself out on previous trips. So, guess what? I got to go on an itty-bitty shopping spree and pick out a few cute faces to make pinks for us. I got a dark-eyed buff and white female (Fleur), a red-eyed buff and white male (Fritz), a black and tan hopper female, I think, (Fuzz) that are all in one of the plastic breeding racks that BIlly sold to me for $5. There are also two white females (Golfball and Ping Pong) in another rack. Can you guess the two white ones are about to pop? I'll probably see what colours they have and keep back a male, or just get another one from Billy.

I'll post pics later as they are all settled in for the night.