FAQs

Click any Topic to View the Answer


Preparation and Feeding Instructions:
Do not handle reptile before offering feeder.
Always feed reptiles separately.
Place rodent bag in warm water until thawed. Do not microwave.
When completely thawed, grasp the  feeder with tongs and present to reptile.
Feeding response may be encouraged by wiggling rodent.
Release feeder when reptile strikes and acquires.
Avoid the risk of bites: Always wash hands after handling feeder rodents.
Never prepare or store frozen feeders where human food is prepared, stored, or consumed.
*Frequency of feeding depends on the species. Please check with your vet or pet professional for advice.

Layne Labs guarantees frozen delivery on all products and exact sizing specifications. If your product arrived thawed, or you were shipped the wrong size, please contact us, within 1 day of receiving order. We are here to help.
Please note:
We do not accept returns or exchanges due to bio-security concerns. When product becomes spoiled in transit, we issue full refunds. We do not re-ship orders.

Please visit our product pages where you can compare pricing for the quantities we offer.  All pricing is clearly stated, including the price per individual animal and the total quantity price.  There are no tricky formulas or ‘percentage of the box’ tactics designed to force customers to purchase more than they actually need.rity concerns. When product becomes spoiled in transit, we issue full refunds. We do not re-ship orders.

Yes, we service zoos, aquariums, nature preserves and other organizations throughout the United States, and welcome the opportunity to bid your contract.

You may contact us 24 hours a day or call 805.474.1354 and a customer service representative will be available to assist you Monday through Friday 8am – 5pm PDT.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal on our website.

Only frozen mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chicks and quail are available on our website.

We feed scientifically-formulated, species specific diets designed to enhance the health and quality of all the animals in our colony. We’re fanatical about animal nutrition, sanitation, and providing a healthy living environment.

We euthanize our animals quickly and humanely with carbon dioxide (CO2), as recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association panel on euthanasia, then tuck their legs and tails neatly underneath their body and freeze them immediately. When completely frozen, they are counted into re-closable freezer bags and stored properly to prevent freezer burn.
CO2 ensures a humane, quick and painless death for the animals and leaves no harmful residual chemicals that may harm the animal ingesting the prey item.

Depending on how they are stored, most frozen feeder animals can last up to a year. It is a good idea to minimize any exposure to air by ensuring they are in air tight freezer bags. While we recommend not storing feeder animals without fur for more than 4 or 6 months and feeder animals with fur for 9 to 12 months, if properly sealed containers are used and air exposure is kept to a minimum, they can be kept for much longer.

We euthanize our animals quickly and humanely in a carbon dioxide chamber, tuck their legs and tails neatly underneath their body and freeze them immediately. When completely frozen, they are counted into re-closable freezer bags and stored properly to prevent freezer burn.  Bag counts vary by species and size of the animal.

Please visit the Size Chart section on our product pages where we precisely describe the size of our feeder animals in inches and grams.

NO.  Layne Labs is not a bio-medical research facility.  We do not engage in testing for the pharmaceutical industry. Nor do we purchase ‘lab surplus’  and resell them as our own (a common practice among rodent ‘breeders’).  We breed animals in our facility, specifically for zoos, wildlife rehabbers, falconers, reptile breeders and hobbyists, to be used for food.

NO.  Layne Labs is not a bio-medical research facility.  We do not engage in testing for the pharmaceutical industry.  Nor do we purchase ‘lab surplus’ and resell them as our own (a common practice among rodent ‘breeders’).  We breed animals in our facility, specifically for zoos, wildlife rehabbers, falconers and reptile breeders, to be used for food.

Yes. All of our mice and rats are raised in our new 45,000 sq. ft. facility in Arroyo Grande, California. We’re fanatical about sanitation, animal nutrition, and providing a healthy living environment.
Our facility is fully automated to control temperature, humidity, light cycles, and water availability.  That means that every animal, in every cage, in every room, in every building has a constant flow of fresh air, clean drinking water, fresh food, clean dry bedding, natural night and day light cycles, and peace and quiet. Every colony in our lab is cleaned and inspected every day.

Yes, all feeder animals come with fur/feathers and are completely whole.

NO.
We are aware that a breeding facility located in Georgia was recently forced to recall their product due to a salmonella bacterial outbreak. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall notice “Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products….Human illnesses that may be related to the frozen reptile feed have been reported in 17 states. The recalled product should not be fed to animals…” As a result, that company must now irradiate their mice and rats in an effort to address the Salmonella issue associated with their products.

Layne Labs, has tested NEGATIVE for salmonella 100% of the time for the last 17 years. Layne Labs is a USDA-licensed facility. Our animals are cleaned every day.
‘Cleaned’ is defined as: All animals are removed from their cage and placed in a clean cage, with clean shavings. At the end of each day, the empty cages are dumped, the shavings composted, and the cages are sent through an extremely high temperature 30′ washer, where they are disinfected. Every day. Just one of the many steps we take to help protect the health and well being of our colony, employees, and customers.
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to call our office 805.474.1354