post your rodent breeding set-up!

that's a really nice little barn you have there! here's the new pics since i started this thread:

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...-172011034.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...-172011035.jpg

taken with a wide angle lens, that's why it looks so distorted. they were eating Equine crunch, but i've now switched them to hog feed, poured right in their bins. my dog was eating the food when i was leaving it on the lids!!

Just curious - why make two racks of three tubs instead of one rack with six tubs. I think floor space is more valuable if you have the ceiling height available.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

my dog was eating the food when i was leaving it on the lids!!

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lol, I still use tanks partially for that reason. My cat will get into the rat blocks if I even leave the lid off while feeding and walk out of the room for a second or two.

The cat also sits and watches my ASFs and rats all day. If I used a rack I'm pretty sure he'd make it through the mesh at some point.

Here's all of my mice: http://www.iaza.com/work/111107C/iaza13746284457100.png

I'd show my ASFs, but they're just in ten gallon tanks on a shelf, no big deal until I get my new bins.

I bought a used rack from a woman who was moving. I didn't realize how bad of shape it was in when I got it and I've done extensive repairs to the wire(she was terrible at wire work). But it's got 16 slots and I got 18 bins(one has been chewed on the corner and I have no way to repair that that I know of) for it. I'll need to find a source for more bins.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...d/5da867cc.jpg

I'm running 1.3 in each bin right now(one has 1.4 I think). Already have gotten several litters, some good, some lousy, and only the first two litters were killed by the moms. Since they'd just been stuffed into a box, dragged to a meeting spot and then dragged to my house and scattered into the new groupings, I can't blame the first two litters being killed. Stressed out moms do bad things. Now, if they do it again... well. The monitor can always use a nice big rodent.

I'm cleaning once a week, venting the room with a window fan a couple times a day(HUGE difference in odor! Thanks to whoever posted that in a thread on BP.net!!) and it's no big deal. I also have some young rats being grown up in a 20L tank and 4 young females in a plastic sterilite bin, since they(or at least one of them) chewed the corner out of the bin when they were in the rack. I'll feed the whole bin off later when I have replacement females, or if they chew on the holding bin.

You see the edge of a bag of FRM rat food, but I'm feeding mostly the Mazuri/whats-it-called from the NationalPetPhramcy. The food from online is 100 times better. The garbage from my local feed store was mostly powder, while the bag that had been shipped across the country is beautifully intact chunks. The rats love it too. I also offer treats just about every day. A single green pea per rat, or yogurt treats, etc. They've becoming VERY friendly and none are biters. Very pleased. I just need more breeders.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...-39-55_224.jpg

10x16 tuff shed, working on installing thermal barrier to cut down on how much the 12k a/c unit runs:gj:

Here is a Video of our.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJzkCMllk_w

Small setup but it gets the job done!

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...77Medium-1.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...81Medium-1.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...2592Medium.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

Just curious - why make two racks of three tubs instead of one rack with six tubs. I think floor space is more valuable if you have the ceiling height available.

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lol, because i'm really short! and we can't have escapees. nobody in our building knows we have the rats and if they did i'm sure there would be hell to pay.

so i knew it would be easier for me than having to use a stool or something to reach the top bins, and i was afraid of them cascading down onto my head one day if i built it too high :P

I can totally relate to that, this 16 bin rack, the top ones are almost above head height with me standing on a crate. It'll be awkward when I'm using all the bins!