Pic's Of My New Breeding Colonies

well now that the rack is down and i filled it up yesterday here are some pictures of my new colonies

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...z/100_2160.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...z/100_2161.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...z/100_2162.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...z/100_2163.jpg

i like how there is a bunch of diffrent colors

How many levels do you have?

I'm using the large kitty litter tubs as well and I have six levels. I've found what's worked the best for me (and kept the smell down) is one male in his own tub (the breeding tub). He has three females with him at any given time. When the female is about to pop, she's moved to another tub with one or two other females to have her babies, and another female goes in the tub with her to replace her.

If there are more than two females with babies in a tub, it gets way too crowded (and SMELLY).

If those are going to be permanent colonies per tub, I think you're going to find that they are going to be over-crowded.

Of course, I'm breeding only in the one rack, due to space issues, and I do supplement my production with a local larger scaled rat breeder when I'm low on food.

im building another birthing rack today that holds the small cat litter pans
once a female is ready to pop she will be placed into on of them to nurse her babys by her self

and yes it is a 6 level with the jumbo litter pans

Don't use the high whites(marked) for breeding. They have a great propensity for making megacolon babies. Stick with selfs, hoodeds, berkshires.

Also, they are very overcrowded...

ok not sure what you mean but ok

and im perty sure they are not over crowded i have the exact same tubs ralph davis use's and he runs 1.5 - 1.6 pure tub i only have 1.4 and they have alot of extra room in them

Megacolon is a genetic disease, which tends to be more common in rats with high white markings. You have a lot of high whites in your colony, mostly blazed.

Also, Ralph Davis overcrowds his rats like no other, just because he does it does not make it okay. I use a cement mixing tub rack, each tub measures 26x21x7 or so. The most crowded I have ever let a tub get is 3 adult males, or 4 adult females. This does not happen often, and usually it is no more than 2 adults per tub.

Hmm found this post http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=82487

where you where asking how meany per tub and the guy told you

Quote:

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

If you need some extra quick space, to free up the rack, make some sterilite tubs, 54 qt or larger, for the nursing mothers or grow ups.

We had 2 of those tubs going for maternity tubs while we still had the 6 tub rack going. We had 12 females and something like 4 males. (have a bunch of those tubs not in use anymore hanging out in the garage ;))

Per tub, if it's just small females, I can put like 5 or 6, 4 or 5 if they are large.

If it's breeders, 1.4 max for me. I don't like to do to many breeders in one tub.

In my opinion, you have a ways to go before you run out of room. Just stop holding back males like we did, and you'll be fine. :gj:

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and then turns around and says

Quote:

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

I can keep up to 3 females in that size tub. I also separate my mothers, my girls always nurse alone and do not like any intrusions.

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for the same size tub in 2 diffrent posts

and from all the post with pictures and people saying on here most all i can see 5 rats in the pic and alot recomend 1.4

I don't know where the second quote came from.

Also, what are the dimensions of your tubs. I already posted mine, and if your rack is comparable to other litter pan racks, my tubs have more than 33% more floorspace than yours. So, if potentially crowding in mine is 1.4, 1.3 would be pushing it for you, and 1.2 would be better...yet you have 1.4 in your smaller tubs.

None of are going to come pounding on your door for you to give your rats more space, but I think you are overcrowding them. Their health will suffer, they will need much more frequent cleaning, they will smell more, and until you get your birthing rack going, you will be even more overcrowded when 4 females pop in one tub.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by klonedskillz

and from all the post with pictures and people saying on here most all i can see 5 rats in the pic and alot recomend 1.4

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Thats funny...I count 6 in the first pic.