Housing rats on screened-in back porch?

Thanks for the input guys!
kc261- Right now I have only 6 rats (3f / 3m) it may be because they are housed in wire cages, but they tend to start smelling fiarly quickly. I'm thinking that when maintained in a breeder setup (bins /rack) they won't be as stinky.. Usually its the items in the cages that start smelling or the cages themselves, not the bedding.

I will have to put more thought into this. Now I'm only feeding 5 snakes and will probably only be adding about 5-6 more to my collection over time, so it may still be more economically sound to do f/t.

If they start getting stinky quickly, then either you are sensitive to it, or there are a few other possibilities.

- Diet can play a big factor in how much they stink. What are you feeding?

- At least in mice, some males just stunk a whole lot more than others. Not sure if it was a difference in body chemistry, or just habits (marking their territory more). I always fed off the extra stinky ones.

- The bedding you use, how often you change it, and how crowded your rats are makes a huge difference. The pine pellets seem to be the most effective in controlling odors.

- Adequate air circulation is important. I always keep a fan running in the rat room.

There are other things, but those are the biggest ones that I can think of at the moment.

Thanks,

I may just be pretty sensitive to the smell.. I feed native earth (harlan 18%), use shredded aspen with an under layer of pine pellets, and keep a fan running in the room they're in. Oddly enough, it's the females that start smelling faster... I think they scent-mark more than the males.

since your rats are in a cage, is there some type of substrate on the poop tray? it gets really stinky if rat pellets and pee collect on a bare tray. try to put some sort of bedding under the cage.

JP- Thanks for your feedback. Yes, I do use bedding.. A layer of kiln dried pine pellets with aspen over it. At this point I think it's the cages and furnishings smelling, not the bedding. I may try a tub-style setup if I do breed because I think fewer furnishings / less metal for the pee to get on will mean less smell.