ASF Rack Question!

I was thinking about using either my mouse or rat rack for them. Do they get out of the 1/2 inch hardware cloth like the mice do or should I use the 1/4 inch hardware cloth due to them getting out? Just curious! Thank you!

1/4 inch overall with a few 1/2 inch holes at the bottom of the hopper.

some people have issues with 1/2 cloth and some don't. 1/4 is best option to be sure if you have both.

1/4" FOR SURE as they will definitely get out of 1/2"

My grow out rack is 1/4 and my breeder rack is 1/8th i believe... Very small. I wouldnt trust any bigger then 1/4

I ONLY use 1/2 with adult mice, and rats. Never have babies in 1/2 because they absolutely will get out, or get stuck.

Double that... They get stuck in the 1/2"... If you've ever had to cut a ASFbody in two to get it out of wire, you'll know what we're talking about.
I use 1/3" wire for mice and ASF. Hard to find and not cheap, but worth the money. I find that 1/4" is just too small.

EDIT: if you are building multiple racks... I can't imagine useing 1/3 wire for just a few levels, it's not cheap...

On another note, if you're building hoppers inside the bins for lab blocks, use 1/2 inch.

Why wouldn't you cut the wire, rather that cut the Rat in half? Just curious, seems like you could always repair the wire that was cut, in order to remove the rat.. Sorry, it just seems a little backwards to me....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BrianWilson

Why wouldn't you cut the wire, rather that cut the Rat in half? Just curious, seems like you could always repair the wire that was cut, in order to remove the rat.. Sorry, it just seems a little backwards to me....

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I think he means cut the Asf because it's already dead and to avoid having a tub with a bunch of repairs in it down the road.

On a side note I must be incredibly lucky I have been running six tubs of ASFs for about six months now and haven't a single chew out of the plastic tubs and haven't had a single escapee from the 1/2" wire.

I use 1/4" for tops, 1/2" for feed hoppers.

A while back, I kept finding asf weans in the sticky traps I have out in the floor in the snake room. I couldn't for the life of me figure out where they were coming from. Then one night I witnessed one sitting in the top of the feed hopper of its cage, on top of the lab block. They were squeezing through that 1/2" wire once the food got low enough and taking off. Problem has since been solved by placing stoneware bowls I no longer use over those openings.

The little ones can definitely squeeze through 1/2".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BrianWilson

Why wouldn't you cut the wire, rather that cut the Rat in half? Just curious, seems like you could always repair the wire that was cut, in order to remove the rat.. Sorry, it just seems a little backwards to me....

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Why would I want to cut/repair the wire? Dead rodent=cut him not the wire....
Besides, then I would have a less than perfect frame, and I would have to rewire it because it would drive me absolutely insane:rolleye2: