breeding rack?

allright, I began breeding ASF's and the trouble is too much, I am thinking about breeding Norway's, but I am not sure the breeding specs and ratio's. Here's the rack system...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2556/...f4eaa6d2_o.jpg

there are five cement mixing tubs measuring 26 inches long, 18inches deep, and six inches tall. There is 1/4 inch wire mesh on the top, and each have food hopper's on the front made of 1/2 inch wire mesh. I know it works well for a ASF colony, if they would breed, but would this work for a Norway colony?

What I was thinking was having the bottom bin have a male and four to five females. After the females are visibly pregnant, move them to either of the bins above. I was thinking three to four females per nursery bin, but I am unsure. And after the babies are weanable, they go to seperate-sex grow-out bins above the nursery bins. After a female's babies have been weaned, throw her back into the bottom breeder bin. and the cycle goes on...


I am a newbie to the Norway breeding cycle, so any advise would help.

Anybody?

the way i do it i have one female per bin. and i rotate the male from bin to bin on a weekly basis. i dont move the females out of their birthing racks, they stay in the same place at all times. when they give birth, i give four weeks until i wean off the babies. but i have a rack for birthing and a rack for grow ups, both 6 tub racks. i dont like over crowding but alot of people do a 1.3 colony per bin.

you shouldnt have a problem switching over to norway's. as long as they have the 1/2 hardware wire to eat through like you said you have they should be fine.

hope this helps! :)

Yeah, I don't have the room for more than one rat rack, seems how I need to build two more snake racks and fit them all in a 8ft by 12ft room. But I'm hoping to have them work out with the cycling of the females.

Does anyone else cycle the females? and how many per birthing bin?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimi_Reptile

Yeah, I don't have the room for more than one rat rack, seems how I need to build two more snake racks and fit them all in a 8ft by 12ft room. But I'm hoping to have them work out with the cycling of the females.

Does anyone else cycle the females? and how many per birthing bin?

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the answer depends on how many rats you need and how big you need them to be...

I breed tons of rats and don't have a birthing rack.

Rats gestation cycle is 25-28 days roughly.

and the way they have that rack made is not a good idea.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimi_Reptile

Yeah, I don't have the room for more than one rat rack, seems how I need to build two more snake racks and fit them all in a 8ft by 12ft room. But I'm hoping to have them work out with the cycling of the females.

Does anyone else cycle the females? and how many per birthing bin?

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take note, the person who just gave you advice has SEVEN breeding rats. Keep that in mind.

I have similar setups, I run 1.9 in the large cement tubs, once ready to give birth the females are moved to birthing tubs where they raise their litter for the first 7 days than it's communal nursing.

and I have a very specific rotation which fits my needs :gj:

I keep 1.4 or 1.5 in a similar-sized bin all the time. I do not remove the females to give birth, I do not remove the males, or cycle anything. I keep them as a colony to live, breed, birth and rear as a colony. Rats live in colonies in the real world and prefer to live in colonies in captivity. I would also imagine that it is far less work than constantly moving and swapping, and switching and rotating...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mykee

I keep 1.4 or 1.5 in a similar-sized bin all the time. I do not remove the females to give birth, I do not remove the males, or cycle anything. I keep them as a colony to live, breed, birth and rear as a colony. Rats live in colonies in the real world and prefer to live in colonies in captivity. I would also imagine that it is far less work than constantly moving and swapping, and switching and rotating...

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same way and logic I use.

I use large tubs and run them 1.8 without issues

alright, I had heard that Norway males tend to eat the babies if left in, but I'll think on it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimi_Reptile

alright, I had heard that Norway males tend to eat the babies if left in, but I'll think on it.

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you heard wrong.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by het.pied

the way i do it i have one female per bin. and i rotate the male from bin to bin on a weekly basis. i dont move the females out of their birthing racks, they stay in the same place at all times. when they give birth, i give four weeks until i wean off the babies. but i have a rack for birthing and a rack for grow ups, both 6 tub racks. i dont like over crowding but alot of people do a 1.3 colony per bin.

you shouldnt have a problem switching over to norway's. as long as they have the 1/2 hardware wire to eat through like you said you have they should be fine.

hope this helps! :)

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1/2 inch mesh is to big...the weaners will be able to squeeze through it...1/4inch is big enough for them to eat, and small enough to keep all in the tub.

Pitoon

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimi_Reptile

allright, I began breeding ASF's and the trouble is too much, I am thinking about breeding Norway's, but I am not sure the breeding specs and ratio's. Here's the rack system...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2556/...f4eaa6d2_o.jpg

there are five cement mixing tubs measuring 26 inches long, 18inches deep, and six inches tall. There is 1/4 inch wire mesh on the top, and each have food hopper's on the front made of 1/2 inch wire mesh. I know it works well for a ASF colony, if they would breed, but would this work for a Norway colony?

What I was thinking was having the bottom bin have a male and four to five females. After the females are visibly pregnant, move them to either of the bins above. I was thinking three to four females per nursery bin, but I am unsure. And after the babies are weanable, they go to seperate-sex grow-out bins above the nursery bins. After a female's babies have been weaned, throw her back into the bottom breeder bin. and the cycle goes on...


I am a newbie to the Norway breeding cycle, so any advise would help.

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your rack will work well with 1.3 ratio....keep in mind if you have all your tubs full....you will be producing more that you can feed.

have a back up plan....freezer? sell off extras? trade?

think things fully before you begin breeding....it will keep you from getting in a bind later on down the line.

Pitoon

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pitoon

1/2 inch mesh is to big...the weaners will be able to squeeze through it...1/4inch is big enough for them to eat, and small enough to keep all in the tub.

Pitoon

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i havent had one weaner crawl through the 1/2inch hardware cloth...