Big Cheese Rodent Factory

[Zx7trev]

I know many of you love this company, but I just wanted to post my recent experience with them. I was running low on feeders a couple of weeks ago, and on the advice of another forum member, I tried them out. They are only 60 miles from me, so they seemed like it might be nice to be able to drive out once every two weeks to pick up some feeders. I placed my order of various sizes of rats, and they called me back a day later to let me know that they could not totally fill a few of the items. Most important to me was, rat pups. They said they they could fill most of the order if I gave them another week, and we scheduled pickup for today. Well I just called them, and they still can't fill my order. Now I am out of the correct size feeders, and need to find another source ASAP. If I had ordered from Rodent pro two weeks ago, asI normally woudl have, I would be getting my feeders by now. I also asked them if I could purchase a few trios of live young rats, so that I can raise a few of my own feeders, so I don't find myself in this situation again. They told me "we don't supply the competition". They did offer to sell me a bunch of large mice, but, I have a very large collection of carpet pythons, which are VERY hard to switch from mice to rats, so its sort of important not to feed them mice when they are already taking rats. Anyway, Do they suck? Probably not, but, they sure lef tme in a tough spot. Too bad for them. I spend about $400 a month in feeders.

Shawn

 

[mdbalderas]

Unless Big Cheese has moved in the last week.....

They are located in Fort Worth which is no where near south florida where your profile says you are. Are we talking about http://www.bigcheeserodentfactory.com/ ? We have used Big Cheese for about 8 yrs now and it is harder and harder to get rats later in the season due to the fact that they take longer to mature then mice. That being said I know people who have the same complaint about Rodent Pro as well as many other rodent providers this time of year. It is unfortunately the way things go with rats this time of year.

 

[Zx7trev]

Sorry, I had not realized that I forgot to change my profile when I moved. Its been a while since I posted here. Like I said, they just left me in a tough spot. When I gave them the extra time to fill the order, I was giving them the benefit of the doubt. Rodent Pro has always told me what they could ship and when...and they always followed through for me. Big cheese, I think, wasn't that interested in garnering a new customers, but rather servicing existing customers. Thats just a business decision probably, nothing personal. But they sure left me in a tough spot.

Shawn

 

[Justin Mitcham]

Big Cheese Rules

Big Cheese is the best in the buisness, I have been using them for years. Every Week ( like today which I will be there at 2pm for another order) I pick up whatever I need, they breed and freeze there own rodent's and don't outsource like the others. They use the best quality lab chow and feeds and there feeders are the fattest , healthiest I have recieved on a consistant basis. Sorry for your experience , not everyone is perfect, I use to buy from Rodent pro and I constantly got stinky ,dirty, poorly package mice. I heard from others in the Evansville ,Indiana area where there located that they buy from small time breeders etc... I don't know if it is true but the orders I recieved from them were horrible compared to Big Cheese. And the fact that the rodents arrived all crammed in a ziplock bag made me wonder if it was true.Big Cheese vaccum packs them on trays , this is much better for space,appearance and quality no freezer burn. I am not going to risk my collection's health over conveinance.
Since I have changed to Big Cheese I have noticed a dramatic and distinct improvement on the health of my animals and a dramatic increase in egg production. When I dramatic I mean like 30-40% increase in production the 1st year and every year since due in part to double clutches and larger clutches.I have been breeding reptiles professionally for 10 years and have used almost every big name company out there. There is no comparison. Big Cheese's facility is extremly clean, heck they won't even let the Rodent guys back there tucks up to the docks for fear of contamination.In fact I had some clean empty rubber maid bins once and mistakenly brought some in ( picking up a very small order) and they promptly told me take them back outside. Some people would of been insulted, me I saw the logic of there reasoning and was impressed.
It sad for you and your animals that you decided to burn your bridge with them, they are the best in my book PERIOD. The fact there company is growing at an exponetial rate is proof enough of there success. But on the otherhand with a company growing so much they probably don't have time for complainers. There product is in demand for a reason!!!
There have been a few times in which I needed pinky rats myself and couldn't get them, in the hottest part of the year rats and mice don't produce as well, this is a common. I made due and usually keep a small stash of them in my freezer just in case.
Big Cheese has a customer for life...I wouldn't buy from anyone else even if there prices were 1/3 of there's. Just not worth it, I want to produce healthy , vibrant hatchling from healthy vibrant adults.Saving a few pennies is not my concern nor is conveinance. QUALITY is what am after..In this buisness there's one saying that rings true more than any other..and that is " You get what you paid for..."

 

[MRC31]

In my experience Big Cheese is one of the best online rodent companys from my experience. I have ordered from a few others and find there product to be cleaner, healthier looking, and I have never recieved my rodent orders so fast!

I wont order from anyone else at this point. I use to order from rodent pro and they are out of stock often. Check them out right now they are out of
hopper mice, weanlings,lg adults, xl mice, rat pups,weaned, small, med, large and xl rats.

It's just that time of year you can't be upset with them when they are out, rodent orders are probably high, maybe the rodents aren't as prolific right now. I breed all my own rats and order my mice from big cheese.

So far I have no complaints.

 

[Zx7trev]

Thats why I wanted to try them. I have heard the quality is excellent, but, for me, the service was not there. Its not that they didn't have what I needed, its that they told me to wait a week so they could get it, and then they would have it, so I waited...and on the day I needed to pick them up, they still didn't have it. Now I am out of a couple of sizes of feeders, with a minimum wait taime of two weeks if I order from anyone else.

I am glad you guys had great experiences, but as I said, it seems like, if you are a new customer, you don't get the same service if there is a shortage. Justin, you said you were just there today pickng up your order...did you get Rats pups and small rats? I placed my order for those sizes two weeks ago. If you picked them up today, then great. When I called this morning to see if I could pick up just 2 bags, they said they didn't have it, after they asked me to give them extra time, which I was Ok with doing. I didn't burn my bridges with them...I am the customer...they burned their bridges with me.

Look, I am not saying they stink. I didn't put a big thumbs down on this post, nor am I screaming that they suck. They are probably great. I may try them again in the spring. I just had a crappy experience, and thought it would be wise to post it here for anyone else who is a potential new customer. Right now, while there is a shortage of certain sizes of feeders, it may not be a great time, if you are new, to try them out.

Shawn

 

[king brown]

I had a similar experience with them I tried to order a few months ago and were told they just got a big order from petco (one of there contract accounts) and couldn’t sell me any at that time. Well O.K. I just thought if they had a contact with them they would know beforehand how many they would need and plan appropriately. So giving them a second chance at my business. I tried to order from the just last week and was told they would see what they had and would get back to me later that day. After no one contacted me I placed my order with American rodent supply www.americanrodent.com they were very professional and shipped my order the same day!!! Two days later I received a call from Big cheese telling me they didn’t have anything except large mice but would hold on to my order and maybe after Nov 15th they could help me out. I told them I needed my order now and that I already order from someone else. All I could say is maybe they are great but I don’t know never having been able to place an order with them. this has been very frustrating and not worth my time what with so many other company out their well that’s just my experience with them.

 

[gmherps]

I am glad you guys had great experiences, but as I said, it seems like, if you are a new customer, you don't get the same service if there is a shortage.
Shawn

Past customers or new customers get the same service. I have used Chad for feeders for 3 years, and I had to wait 4 weeks for some of mine. I waited and then just went up to pick them up.

 

[Greg Riso]

This is what I got with Rodentpro

The last order I got from Rodentpro was half defrosted and the boxes were soggy from condensation. One of them was literally falling apart (see pics) with rats literally hanging out of an open hole that formed at one corner. The previous order from them had badly freezer burned rat pinks which gave many of my baby animals diarrhea. I've always had good service from Big Cheese and prefer their quality over anyone else's. I agree you got stiffed if they said they'd have them within a certain time frame but maybe you still could have had them shipped to you as soon as they had them. I doubt if it would have taken much longer to get them and at least you did save on shipping for the other items you picked up. Figure you're going to have to pay shipping from the other guys so what are you really saving? I would have tried to negotiate a reduced shipping rate for the items promised they couldn't come up with.

 

[Lucille]

Reading this thread, I was thinking how it must be, running a rodent factory. They must have insurance, in case the electricity goes out with a zillion dollars worth of rats in their freezers; and their livelihood depends on calculating just the exact amount of snake victuals required by aggregate orders all over the United States.

I'm sure it is not always easy to calculate exactly what all those snakes might want to eat in any given month.

I myself got caught short once because I waited until the last minute to order and it was right at Daytona time and they were temporarily out of the rat size I needed, but they did take care of my order without too much of a delay.
This leads me to the conclusion that I ought to from now on order well before the freezer which is at my house dedicated to rodents, gets totally bare.

In any case, I've been ordering from them for a while now and I think they do a great job. Their packing is terrific, and the little trays and shrink wrap make stacking, defrosting and using the frozen rodents easy and clean.

 

[Lucille]

Ooops I just noticed that nowhere in my post did I say who the 'they' was I was talking about, it is The Big Cheese Rodent Factory that I was saying did a good job.

 

[Suncoast Herpetological]

I have ordered from all of the majors over the last several years and have had good results with most. However, for the last month, Rodentpro, Cajun Mice, and Big Cheese have all been backordered on various sizes.

I placed my last two orders through the Mouse Factory and have been very impressed with their quality and customer service. I placed the first order last week Monday evening and the the rodents were in hand Wednesday afternoon.

I consider them to be an excellent find and will continue to use them.

 

[diamondback1]

I received quite a few shipment from Big Cheese,Rodentpro, Cajun Mice, and The Mouse Factory over the years with no major complaints about any of them. I had a problem once with an order from Rodentpro that Kevin was quick to rectify and would not hesitate to recommend them.

I have had problems during the late summer/ early fall in the past being able to obtain the size rats and mice needed. My solution was to purchase a large chest freezer and stock up early.

 

[Xelda]

If you compare the quality of the feeders, all the signs of fresh meat (firmness, color, etc.) are ONLY found in Big Cheese's mice. I'm not sure if that has to do with the fact that they prepare all the feeders "made to order" or if the mice were simply fed better diets. It could be a combination of both, but the difference is very apparent. A representative from Mouse Factory told me their company packs the mice up to a month in advance, and a Rodent Pro rep told me theirs get packed about a week in advance. They keep a stock of frozen feeders available, which is why they can ship orders out so quickly. Big Cheese packs the mice shortly after you place the order. You get fresh-killed mice, which is the reason why I decided to try them out in the first place. Yeah, yeah. I know with vaccuum sealers and frozen storage, it might not seem like a big deal. But I tell ya, I could literally open a bag of Big Cheese mice I've kept in my freezer for several months, and it will seem fresher than a bag of Mouse Factory's mice that was just delivered.

I write this from the perspective of someone who was reluctant to leave Rodent Pro and Mouse Factory but decided to give Big Cheese a shot. I can't deny that out of those three, Big Cheese has the best quality. I inspect every mouse I thaw, and Big Cheese's mice are noticeably firmer. I could take a thawed pinky from Mouse Factory, roll it between my fingers, and it would get smashed or shaped like silly putty. However, a pinky from Big Cheese would simply revert back into its original position like rubber. You can feel a difference as well as see it. It's the same thing with the larger mice. Big Cheese's feel more firm, whereas Mouse Factory's just turn into a soggy mass I don't even want to handle.

In terms of service, I think Mouse Factory comes on top. The Rodent Pro guys have always been really cool at the local reptile shows, too. But my top priority is the quality of the feeders, which is why I'll stick with Big Cheese.

 

[Lynn]

We have been using Big Cheese for years and will stay with them..They have awesome service great people and their product speaks for itself..Clean fat firm ..Dead or alive. Frozen thaws out the cleanest I have seem..They size is consistant. If they can't fill your order..Well that speaks volumes..They have a heck of alot of people buying from them...I bet they are getting ready to expand again....Chad, We will be your customers for life..My dragons and Sprockets snake's smile every Monday..Thanks for keeping our reptiles happy and healthy...Keep up the GREAT work...

 

[WebSlave]

Recently I had some problems getting the pinky mice in the exact size I needed for my newly hatched corns. Chad at Big Cheese quite literally bent over backwards to get me what I needed and went way beyond what I ever would have expected from him. Two thumbs up, Chad, and thanks for your help.

 

[Cat_72]

Yep, I have had some issues with other companies where my "small pinkies" were of quite varied sizes. His sizing seems to be very consistant, on ALL of his rodents from what I've seen.

 

[dzoo]

This thread should not have been started - so they were out of rat pups once? What are they supposed to do squeeze the pregnant rats to get the pups out sooner? (doesn't work, I've tried it - just makes a mess......) and lets not forget the 10 zillion imported and domestic born ball pythons that came on the scene during the past couple months - all eating what right now? Rat Pups! Your lack of planning out your feeder ordering is not their fault, its all a matter of supply and demand my friend..........................

 

[Zx7trev]

Jon,

I had every right to start this thread. I didn't bash them, or put a big thumbs down on the post. I even said they are probably great. What I did say, if you had clearly read what I posted (which you didn't) was that they asked me to wait a while to give them time to fill my order, ( I placed the order when I still had feeders) and then they still could not fill it after I gave them the extra time. THATS what left me with no feeders. Had I just placed my regular order with another company a couple of weeks in advance, I would have gotten feeders by now, or very soon at least. It would have been much better for them just to tell me that they could not help me until the spring, and I would have stuck with my regular routine. Like I said in my last post, I think if you are a new customer for them, you should probably stay away until pre breeding season rush is over. Its seems like they are busy keeping current customers happy. And thats OK.

Shawn

 

[Dennis Hultman]

Jon,
What I did say, if you had clearly read what I posted (which you didn't) was that they asked me to wait a while to give them time to fill my order, ( I placed the order when I still had feeders) and then they still could not fill it after I gave them the extra time. THATS what left me with no feeders.
Shawn

Hi Shawn, I did thread your post and would like clarification on one point.

In your first post you clearly state that they said they "could fill most of your order within a week."

You then mention, the rat pups were the most important issues you had. Did you let them know that? Did they promise all the rat pups within a week? Did they have any of your order within a week?

You say, in your above post, that you gave them extra time and they still could not fill your order. According to your post attached below they did not promise to completely fill your order within a week.
Could you clarify?

I placed my order of various sizes of rats, and they called me back a day later to let me know that they could not totally fill a few of the items. Most important to me was, rat pups. They said they they could fill most of the order if I gave them another week, and we scheduled pickup for today. Well I just called them, and they still can't fill my order.