Show me pics of your Mouse colonies

I have two breeder colonies and one grower tank. One male and two females in each tub. The grow-up one is a 15 gal long tank. There are running wheels, hides and items to chew in each tub. I've got them in my insulated garage, that keeps the smell out of the house.

I don't have shot's of my set up with me but here is what you have to look forward to! I just got my first litter two days ago.

http://tarazod.com/other_hosted_pics/pinks.jpg
~
http://tarazod.com/other_hosted_pics/pinks2.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Doxster

Looking good truth! How much would you say one of those small homemade cages cost you to make? I'm a bit cramped in space at the moment and have to have the balls and my mice colonies in the same room but your way is pretty space efficient by the looks of it.

---

The small mouse tubs (16qt 18"Dx11"Wx7"T) cost 7 dollars a piece (6.89 at bed bath and beyond) plus a 3dollar waterbottle and a 99cent food dish to build the hopper. So about 11 dollars per tub.

The rat tubs were 60qt for 12 dollars a piece. If you'll be makeing a lot of these you can order iris tubs online from target in multiple for cheaper, just watch the shipping prices.

I also bought a 5'x2' roll of hardware cloth but that goes a long way to make hoppers and put mesh on all my tubs. I used 1/2inch because I only used it for hoppers but you should use 1/4inch for mice. I'm actually gonna get some to make the mouse tubs mesh lids and perhaps redo a few hoppers to see if they shred less food with smaller mesh.

The thing is finding a shelf the right size. The shelf you can see in my pics has four poles for legs and the shelfs slide up and down it so you can put them where ever you want. It's the shelving unit that costs. I had this one already so it worked out. You can also just stack tubs, but it gets anoying after a while.
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/p...t/DSCF3525.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

Well it does break down into saw dust so yes it will be dusty (more for rats than for mice though) however it is the best bedding I have ever used.

I pay $6.25 for 40 lbs and it goes a long way.

---

Where do you get your bedding?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by truthsdeceit

Where do you get your bedding?

---

At my local Tractor Supply :gj:

My diy tubs that I made to start with costed about $15 each to make.

Well as for doing the identical ones myself that's more or less impossible, I live in Sweden. ;)

However! A friend of mine just got in touch with a guy at a metalshop, he said he could make him an almost identical copy of the ARS 7030 snake rack, that made me think he might be able to do the ARS rat rack as well. That's not really doable for me right now as i live in a condo at the moment but when me and the gf move to a house it's on baby! :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Doxster

Well as for doing the identical ones myself that's more or less impossible, I live in Sweden. ;)

However! A friend of mine just got in touch with a guy at a metalshop, he said he could make him an almost identical copy of the ARS 7030 snake rack, that made me think he might be able to do the ARS rat rack as well. That's not really doable for me right now as i live in a condo at the moment but when me and the gf move to a house it's on baby! :D

---

ive already been working on these for some time. for rats mice and snakes.
once i get a prototype worked up it will be posted here for opinions!

they all look good. our set ups cost about 6 bucks each and work great i will post pics soon when the rat/mouse room is finished. we use 16qt steralite tube ($2.50) with med size critter canteen water bottles (2.50) and a wire feed hopper made out of 1/4-1/2 wire.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dmaricle

they all look good. our set ups cost about 6 bucks each and work great i will post pics soon when the rat/mouse room is finished. we use 16qt steralite tube ($2.50) with med size critter canteen water bottles (2.50) and a wire feed hopper made out of 1/4-1/2 wire.

---

where do you get your tubs so cheap?

I got a question do you have to use a water bottle for mice or would those little 99 cent food dishes work to? I was thinking about buying those plastic shoe boxes at Wal-Mart that a $1 to put the pregnant girl in to seperate them but there not high enough for a water bottle.

With a water dish you would have to constantly clean up the mess and add more water.