Rat farming sets former dairy farmer up for retirement | Landline | ABC News

Australian pet ownership soared through Covid lockdowns and it wasn't just dogs and cats. There was also a surge in demand for snakes and lizards. Landline reporter Kerry Staight found someone has to farm the rats to feed those reptiles. Subscribe: ab.co/1svxLVE
Cheryl Martin said she sold 10 different sizes of rats, from one-day-old "pinkies" to "extra large jumbos", which weighed more than 500 grams.
With a gestation of 23 to 26 days, up to 18 pups in a litter and the ability to do it all again straight away, she said it was fast-paced farming.
"Over the years, I've learnt that I can ramp it up and ramp it down pretty quickly, which is way better than beef and sheep, which take a long time," she said.
Ms Martin said she enjoyed the flexible hours but was not so fond of constantly cleaning out rat poo.
She also said the processing, where rats were gassed with food-grade carbon dioxide, was particularly difficult.
"That's the hardest part of the job," Ms Martin said.
"I don't think killing anything is humane or, you know, a good thing. So I try to do that as best I can."
She said that included laying the rats out with their tails and feet tucked in before freezing and packing them.
"Presentation in the shop seems to be a big part of people buying a rat," she said.
"I don't want them to look stressed. I want to respect them."
Read more here: www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-1...
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