Which is worst?

[amon]

I've been to some commercial breeders' place and saw the following 2 situations, just wondering which is worse for the roddents?

1. Use cage instead of tubs with no floor and bedding, so the urine and poo go directly to the pan under the cage. So the rats walk on wire!!!!

2. Use tub and bedding, but don't clean regularly enough (maybe due to too many in one tub) so the bedding and urine and poo gets piled up in the tub!!!!!!

[littleindiangirl]

I'm not a fan of either situation. I know there are people that use the wire method and the first thing I think of is what is the thickness of the wire, and do they ever scrub down the wire because it is still covered with urine and feces.

The problem with thin wire is the rats can develope bumble foot. Which is infected wounds on the bottom of their feet, which can be made worse by walking on the remnants of the urine and feces that are stuck on the wire.

But not cleaning their bedding and cages is simply inhumane and no animal should be subject to that either. The build up of feces, urine and ammonia is severely detrimental to their health.

So for me, both are equally wrong and unsafe.

[truthsdeceit]

Both are really bad.

But for a breeding colonie I'd have to go with the wire being worse. I've seen pinkies fall through wire bottoms and die in the filth. It's just wrong. And of course the wire seems a very uncomfortable thing for tiny rat feet.

Under cleaned is horrible no matter what kind of cage they're in.