Are ASF's going to replace regular rats in the BP community?

[dacalio]

Cool, thanks Connie. Although I was thinking of a putting them in large tubs (cement mixing tubs) but with a bunch in there. Not sure how it will work out.

[Chandler reptiles]

Hey Chandler? how well do your ASFs get along when housed in grow out tubs?

Thanks, David

They fight, hard to get them not to but very rarely do they kill each other. I found it easier just to leave them with the parents and grow them out that way. Granted they don't get as big as they could if I did separate them out but it really doesn't take as long to get them a little bigger then an adult mouse which is ultimately what I shoot for these days. I tried to grow them out to small/med rats but they take to long and then it isn't time and cost effective for the bp's.

[dacalio]

They fight, hard to get them not to but very rarely do they kill each other. I found it easier just to leave them with the parents and grow them out that way. Granted they don't get as big as they could if I did separate them out but it really doesn't take as long to get them a little bigger then an adult mouse which is ultimately what I shoot for these days. I tried to grow them out to small/med rats but they take to long and then it isn't time and cost effective for the bp's.

Good information, thanks man.

[frankykeno]

Funny but I rarely have any fighting in my ASF colonies. The only time I've seen it is when an unfamiliar ASF is put in with a different colony or a bit of dominance scuffling by the females.

[littleindiangirl]

Funny but I rarely have any fighting in my ASF colonies. The only time I've seen it is when an unfamiliar ASF is put in with a different colony or a bit of dominance scuffling by the females.

Yea, me neither Joanna. I've got 3 different sizes of ASF's all hanging out in my grow up tubs, they all get mixed up on cleaning day, and I have never noticed any aggression in any of the tubs besides small hierarchy sorting. (mainly females, boys are so chillax)

I figure how many you have in each tub and how much room they have plays a huge role in population stability.

[frankykeno]

I agree Connie. We try to not overcrowd them, we provide a wheel, a hide box (just recycled cardboard food boxes of all sorts), toilet and papertowel tubes to dash into if there is trouble, things to knaw on - that sort of stuff. Giving them that space and those options to occupy their time or avoid fights seems to work and nothing I use costs me much of anything. Most of it's just recycled stuff from around my home.

[Daemonicus]

I don't think ASFs will replace trad rats, but I know my "kids" love to munch them. and they're really easy to breed and raise....drop a colony in a 20 gal tank w/ aspen and a water bottle...a food bowl...and a hide and you're off.....candles and Barry White helps too

[masta_ballZ]

I breed asf's by the hundreds and i still feed my snakes regular rats along with the soft furs every month my colony produces and average of 300 babies, and what i do is buy small domestic rats and throw them in one week and next i use asf's and keep rotating them. so this way they eat both, my asf rats to me are like a nice little vitamin rich capsule filled with fiber, fat, calcium, and protein, do to the diets of my rats. And as long as you mix it up a little then you should be ok. and as for baby balls when they hatch feed them domestic rat pup and a couple days later a asf rat hopper and if they take both your in the clear.. then try domestic rat again and like i said mix it up... but i have info that many pet stores are becoming interested in the asf for the reason of smell i have 2 pet stores im may be selling to in the near future that asked me about them and i explained that they are odorless and that made them want to buy them and sell them in their stores as a substitute for domestic rats.. so i explained that that would be a bad idea but i would still sell him the rats but we will see..

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I breed asf's by the hundreds and i still feed my snakes regular rats along with the soft furs every month my colony produces and average of 300 babies, and what i do is buy small domestic rats and throw them in one week and next i use asf's and keep rotating them. so this way they eat both, my asf rats to me are like a nice little vitamin rich capsule filled with fiber, fat, calcium, and protein, do to the diets of my rats. And as long as you mix it up a little then you should be ok. and as for baby balls when they hatch feed them domestic rat pup and a couple days later a asf rat hopper and if they take both your in the clear.. then try domestic rat again and like i said mix it up... but i have info that many pet stores are becoming interested in the asf for the reason of smell i have 2 pet stores im may be selling to in the near future that asked me about them and i explained that they are odorless and that made them want to buy them and sell them in their stores as a substitute for domestic rats.. so i explained that that would be a bad idea but i would still sell him the rats but we will see..

So by what you said above, you are producing 300 ASF's a month, and that is only half of your feeders, cause you feed normal rats every other week. That is 600 rodents per month. so how many snakes do you have? 150? That is amazing. How bout you post a pic of your incredible facilites! would love to see them!

[masta_ballZ]

thats no problem, i will soon. It will be on my site, yes i produce lots of asfs and its a good thing my snakes eat like 4-5 every other week, I have 30 snakes, so every other week on averages im feeding out about 150-200 rats, and the rest i usually either trade off for reptile supplies. I also supply 4 of my cousins with about 20 rats each every 2 weeks so i constantly have a rats being born then i trade, sell, and give to my cousins so i dont get over loaded, and if i do and have before i take them and co2 them and freeze them.