Rat Caging

Okay well I had my two female rats in a 28qt tub and they started chewing it even though I put chew toys in it. But I liked using it better than the 10g tank I have them in now.

So my question is for the ones that use the tubs how do you keep them from chewing the tubs? And what sizes tubs do you use and how any rats per tub?

I didn't seem to have a problem with chewing. The inside of mine is all curves so there really isn't any real easy spots to grab with those teeth.
I ended up with the wood racks like the picture in the thread above. I got mine from WildBill. Don't know if he is still offering them, but I love mine, and will most likely copy the design with different bins when I need to expand.
Given wood stuff to chew, and maybe some catnip, they tend to not chew. But you might just have chewy rats! LOL
Wolfy

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/.../newSetup2.jpg

and
http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...8/newSetup.jpg

Even these thick cement tubs my rats chew through the inside, with nothing but smooth sides to grab on.... it just takes a while, like pushing over a coke machine :)

I just pop rivet some aluminum patches over the holes, and that makes it g2g... Im sure eventually I will just replace them, but an entirely patched up tub would be more secure anyway i guess :)

Bryan ... if I tried to use that chair I'd end up on my back with 5 gallons of water on me ... I have a hard enough time on the ladder.

The first wood rack I showed I keep 1:4 in ... Its a 60L tub
The 1st picture of the rubbermaid tub My wife keeps a pair in ... but it could easily hold 1:3. Its 72 quarts
The Long Iris tub will hold varying amounts ... up to 30 weaned or 20 smalls or 15 mediums. Ive never tried keeping breeding colonies in it. No idea of voluem capacity.

To make the lids for the iris tub or rubbermaid tub the instructions are at http://www.rodentracks.com/Rodent_Rack_Tub.html. Just adapt the lengths to accomodate your tub.

Ive never had a rat chew through the tubs in the wood rack. Cant even see places where they have scratched either.

Bryan

Where do you get the tubs you use in the rack systems (the black ones) and how much do they usually cost plus shipping?

The black ones can be found at home depot in the masonry department. The are called mixing tubs. Bigger ones are 9.98 and smaller ones are 4.98

The ones from lowes are similiar but are thinner plastic. I thought about using them but after picking them up they are too flimsy. Same price as the ones at home depot.

Bryan

Okays thanks

One more thing about the caging I'm not understanding quite fully. How many males in one cage vs how many females? And when not breeding (so you don't over breed your stock) where do you put the males?

Lets says One tub you have 2 females and one male. Then after you breed do you place the male all by his self in another tub? Do you get him a buddy? Or do you keep him with the non pregnant female and just move the pregnant one into another tub?

Too many questions in my head...Sorry.

I keep mine 1.2 all the time. I don't remove the male. Some people do, and that's fine too.

So its okay to keep the male in even with the babies? Well then what do you do then the babies when they are weaned, I assumed you just move then to a new tub/cage until they reach the desired size right?

Thanks for all the information!