Freakin' Rodents.......

[littleindiangirl]

Do your plastic tubs have any edges they can get a hold of? I've been using the cement mixing tubs which are smooth and had no problem. Maybe it's when keepers use sweater boxes with indentions in the bottom that they chew out. I do keep wood blocks in the tubs and they chew the heck out of them.

As far as low temp being a possible cause of baby death it sounds like that isn't proven. Is it generally agreed that they don't breed well under 70 deg F? My babies could have died from any number of reasons but since they didn't have any marks I was thinking too cool for newborns. I wonder if I hadn't found them when I did if they would have been eaten later. In some cases it might be hard to be sure if the parents killed them or just recycled them after they are dead.

I would think they would need a pretty constant milk supply as newborns so might be susceptible to any stress that interrupts that and with a first time mom there might also be timing issues with the start of milk production. Also, coming from warm areas the parents might not be as good at keeping babies warm as cooler temp rodents.

I have heard that ASF's do terrible under 70, whereas domestic rats do very well.

It's like some have said, and I have experienced as well, ASF's bump up during summer production (may be linked to their population growths during flooding season when food is plentiful and their populations sky rocket in a short amount of time), and domestic rats are the best producers during the cooler months.

Anywho, Randy, I keep my ASF's in 66 qt and 54 qt sterilite tubs.

The breeders all get a wheel, blocks and nesting material. I used to give seeds, but it's a very rare treat now. Their fur tended to get extra oily and yellow, extra smelly pee.

The grow up tubs, this recent group of males I have not given a wheel to, and they do fine. Females still have it.

I really like experimenting different techniques for raising these guys. I think they are great little buggers and unfortunately not very adaptable once they are set in their ways, but they don't at all NEED one way to live.

I do know give them space, things to chew and a complete diet that the babies have access to once they have strength to get out of the nest.

[RandyRemington]

Did your seeds include sunflower? Might have been the oil rather than convection sunflower type. Looks like the bird seed sellers will put whatever is cheapest in the mix (including sorghum bred to taste bad to birds).

The last bag I got had more sunflower than previous so I'll have to keep an eye on that. It's mainly the millet they seem to like and that I was told helps them grow faster. I haven't experimented without it to confirm that but they do get excited and run up when I give them their little scoop of seeds every morning.

So do those Sterilite tubs have indentions and edges in or are they smooth?

[Wild Bill]

Did your seeds include sunflower? Might have been the oil rather than convection sunflower type. Looks like the bird seed sellers will put whatever is cheapest in the mix (including sorghum bred to taste bad to birds).

The last bag I got had more sunflower than previous so I'll have to keep an eye on that. It's mainly the millet they seem to like and that I was told helps them grow faster. I haven't experimented without it to confirm that but they do get excited and run up when I give them their little scoop of seeds every morning.

So do those Sterilite tubs have indentions and edges in or are they smooth?

I noticed that with my seed mixtures also. Last time I purchased seed I bought just millet from the local Seed store.

[littleindiangirl]

Did your seeds include sunflower? Might have been the oil rather than convection sunflower type. Looks like the bird seed sellers will put whatever is cheapest in the mix (including sorghum bred to taste bad to birds).

The last bag I got had more sunflower than previous so I'll have to keep an eye on that. It's mainly the millet they seem to like and that I was told helps them grow faster. I haven't experimented without it to confirm that but they do get excited and run up when I give them their little scoop of seeds every morning.

So do those Sterilite tubs have indentions and edges in or are they smooth?

It seemed like it was heavy on millet, but it did have sunflower seeds as well. I'll have to go look at it again, but yes, it was pretty fatty stuff.

The 66 qt's do have a ridge on the bottom, I have a picture somewhere.... Oh duh! I have my tubs up in a DIY in the ASF forum, stickied. But yes, they really can't get to any ridges. Or really hang out and chew the lid either.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=71026

[Mitch21]

Is it possible for a female ASF to have very small nipples? The female who lost all of her babies last week has almost no nipple. She has almost no bare spot on her underbelly where her nips are.... Or do ASF females typically just have smaller nipples???

She's about ready to pop again, so I'm just trying to fix any issues that caused the lost litter last week...

[littleindiangirl]

Well, I've never looked, but I think you shouldn't worry so much and just let her have another try.

[Mitch21]

Sounds like a plan!

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Is it possible for a female ASF to have very small nipples? The female who lost all of her babies last week has almost no nipple. She has almost no bare spot on her underbelly where her nips are.... Or do ASF females typically just have smaller nipples???

She's about ready to pop again, so I'm just trying to fix any issues that caused the lost litter last week...

uhhhh.... are we talking dimes or soft balls???

lol sorry couldn't resist.

[anatess]

Hi Mitch,
Did your female have new babies yet? Any updates on how this one went?
I got my first prego and I'm getting nervous... My breeder is a pet, so I'm going to freak out if she turns out to be Hannibal Lecter!

[Mitch21]

Yea crazy story actually... The first litter didn't work out so well. There were about 10 babies, all which died within two days. Then, the crazy part is that the same female delivered a 12 baby litter SIX DAYS LATER!! Those babies are 2 weeks and 1 day old today. One died but it seems the colony took good care of them.

The female is pregnant again and so is the other female who originally was too small. So within the next week, I'm expecting about 30+ babies!