Productive Breeding Life

[panthercz]

so who else can smell them besides me? I think I'm the only one...

They have an odor but, by no means do I find it over powering or bad. Their odor is virtually nothing compared to a rat or mouse.
I use aspen bedding, and feed nothing but Harlan Teklad 2018 and a seed mix.

[frankykeno]

Connie, perhaps you're just sensitive specifically to ASF odor because generally most people don't find them at all "smelly" compared to regular rats or mice. When writing a caresheet one must go on general concepts since it cannot be written to every single person's specifics or situation. It's just a general guideline and a starting point (or should be).

As far as your own reaction to ASF's, I know for instance I'm freaky about the smell of skunk. I'm so sensitive to it I can smell it before anyone else I've ever met. Get too much of a smell of it and I'm literally throwing up like mad. I had a dog once that got nailed by a skunk twice in one summer. I can tell you it was hell for me. I've no idea why I over-react to even a whiff of skunk musk but perhaps that's similar to your experience with ASF's.

[littleindiangirl]

Right... I suppose that could be the case. Chris swore he didn't smell anything, I was seriously about ready to puke! LOLz

It's not so much that I think they have high concentration levels of the odor (if that makes sense), but what little odor they do give off smells like something died in there. I dun like it.

I know my rats give off HIGH levels of odor, but I don't find it as nauseating as the wee bit the ASF's give off.

I'm weird!! I've come to terms!!!!

[frankykeno]

LOL I know how it is. Even driving down the road and we pass a dead skunk, I'm still whining, streaming tears from my eyes and gagging 20 minutes later. It drives my husband nuts but I just cannot tolerate skunk smell even for a second of exposure time. I figure it's some sort of odd allergy maybe.

[panthercz]

Right... I suppose that could be the case. Chris swore he didn't smell anything, I was seriously about ready to puke! LOLz

You must sensitive to it. If someone else is sniffing the same thing you are they don't it's bad or can't even smell it, then you might be hypersensitive to ASF's.

My father can't smell most roses, they have no odor according to him.

[Royal Tartan]

I can only really pass on the experience from the breeder I got my starter colonies from , 2.3 ( one male albino )

It does seems to slow after the nine month period ....twelve at most . After this litter sizes dramatically drop off.

Advice I was given was four litters then retire the female. Surplus males also retired at four - five months ( at decent weight ). So I will raise for four months then cull , I will hold back from each different bloodline to replace the '' older '' breeders.

I intend too work with three quads ( 3.9) as my breeding stock . Hopefully that will produce ninety young per month on average . This gives me the option of different sized prey , i.e . smaller ones for nanates , larger for subs and adults. Having just got my first three litters last month ( litter size's of 11 , 8 and 7 ) , I will , in the next week , wean the litters to raising tubs . From this I will hold back 3.9 of the twenty six born. This gives me my breeding group. Every month will be repeated ( i.e hold back 3.9 ) This way ,four months from now I will be replacing the original breeders.

I call it the conveyor belt breeding system

[TekWarren]

I can smell my rats at the end of the week and if its been a particularly hot week the smell may come sooner or be slightly stronger by cleaning day. To us (wife and myself) It still does not compare to a rack full of rats or mice. I wish I could ventilate the room better as I know that would help. I keep a window cracked most days but its a gamble if its going to cause more heat/humidty or if its cooler the heater works more. I have a lot of ideas for our next rodent room but it won't be in this house.

Like others when I started with just a few rats I really did not smell anything at all. Once we where fully changed over and had more numbers is when as I mentioned above by the end of the week you notice something. It seemed like with the regular rats in just a couple days it smelled horrible. Even now with just 1.1 regular rats I would rather put my nose over a tub full of asf rats on day 3 after cleaning than that one rat tub!

[shadi11]

I think my soft furs stink horribly.. After maybe 2 days they are starting to get to me.. But I also have come to the realization that they also make me stuffy and most likely I am allergic. As long as I keep them extra clean I dont have an issue though. The mice and regular rats and gerbils dont bug me.. Just the soft furs.