Newly Built Rat Rack

Here is a pic of my new rat rack.
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...ballpython.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/sho...php?i=5319&c=3

Pic of built-in food holder.
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4/1/fauna1.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/sho...=3&userid=2741

Pic of 1.3 rats in tub.
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4/1/fauna2.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/sho...=3&userid=2741

This is my second rack I have built, made some minor changes from the first. It seems to work very well, rats seem fat and happy. With this setup keeping them is very easy. Built-in food holder holds up to a weeks worth of food, right now I am using water bottles but plan on making an automatic waterer. Any comments are welcomed.

I see the pics didnt show up, here is link to my gallery.


I got it working now!!! LOL

Very cool!

-adam

Thats awesome! And I think the built in feed rack is pretty nifty too. Hmm automatic waterer, huh? From what? My only thought though is unless you can find a way not to have water in the cage in a resivior (sp) type thing, so thier bedding dont get in it, an automatic waterer may not work. Let us know what you come up with though!

Hi Jeanne,

Thanks for the comments, I found a site that sells the systems for waterers. It is a system that uses a bucket with a valve on it that connects to black tubing (same as in the garden section of home improvement stores) which you use a tee connector to branch off to each tub. Then they sell a brass valve that connects to the wire mesh above the tub. The valve has a "pin" valve they lick to get water, plus they cant chew and destroy because it is brass. I would post the link but I dont know if I can for sure. Let me know if I can. ;)

Bill

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Very cool!

-adam

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Thanks Adam!!

Yes, you can post a link to that since it is a product that could benefit the rest of us to know about..heck you got me curious..... sounds like a neat idea actually.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

The valve has a "pin" valve they lick to get water, plus they cant chew and destroy because it is brass.

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Be careful ... the rats love to jam bedding into the value which leaves the pin in a constant open state .... then you've got FLOODS!!

Also, it's a good idea to have a regular routine for flushing the entire system ... over time "gunk" works it's way into the lines and the sippers and cuts off water to the tubs.

Auto watering systems are a lot easier than water bottles on a day to day basis, but they do have their own issues.

-adam

Here is the link for the valves.

Here is the link for the bucket.

Link for tubing.

Link for tee connector.

You can customize this to your application, such as buying valve and using larger bucket etc. Some of the components are available at Lowes, Home Depot and Menards ( black tubing and tee connector). It does have some intial cost, but the time saving will be awesome!! :D

Thats pretty neat! Let us know how it works out if you decide to go with that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Be careful ... the rats love to jam bedding into the value which leaves the pin in a constant open state .... then you've got FLOODS!!

Also, it's a good idea to have a regular routine for flushing the entire system ... over time "gunk" works it's way into the lines and the sippers and cuts off water to the tubs.

Auto watering systems are a lot easier than water bottles on a day to day basis, but they do have their own issues.

-adam

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Hi Adam,

Thanks for bringing up valid points, as I had alot of those concerns when I first looked into this alternative.I was concerned with many things when considering these. The part about them putting bedding in the valves is very hard to do in my setup, the valves would barely stick past the mesh and is at the top of their enclosure. I currently have water bottles that stick in farther than the valve would and it doesnt seem to be an issue, but if you were planning to use hanging down in or come in to the side of the tub then it would certainly be a problem.

With the system I am going to use with the bucket floods are less of a concern. Sytems hooked directly into a live water pipe could possibly flood.

Yes I have talked to the company and they said they do recommend a flush of the system twice a year and to replace the internal parts of the valve once a year or at any signs of leaking, replacement parts are very cheap.

As any system there are pros and cons, just matters which apply most to each setup.

At this time, the pros out weigh the cons for me. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

The part about them putting bedding in the valves is very hard to do in my setup, the valves would barely stick past the mesh and is at the top of their enclosure.

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I help my buddy at his rat barn a couple of times a month and his setup is the same way, but if the rats can reach the sippers to drink from them, they can and will stuff bedding into them. I'm not talking about bedding casually finding it's way into the sippers, but rats actually using their paws (???) to push bedding into the sipper causing a flood. They are really quite persistent. (They also like to pull all of the food out of the hopper down into their tubs from time to time which also $ucks).

Using buckets is definitely much better than an open water line ... with a bucket, even if it does flood a tub, it's only 5 gallons of water.

No doubt that auto-watering is better than bottles, you just have to watch for floods and clogs ... something that a lot of people aren't aware of when switching over.

I wasn't trying to discourage you, just sharing my experience for what it's worth. ;)

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

I wasn't trying to discourage you, just sharing my experience for what it's worth. ;)

-adam

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Hi Adam,

Didn't take it that way, it always better to discuss it and hear all pros and cons from all people. It helps everyone else make future decisions a little easier.

What size galvanized wire does he use? I use 1/2" X 1/2" and I havent had them pull all the food out yet. But then again they have to chew the big chunks down pretty small to get them thru the wire. It seems to keep them occupied and not doing too much "trouble making". LOL

Bill

It's 1/2 inch mesh ... seems to happen more frequently with moms in the nursing tubs, but I sometimes see it in the breeder tubs as well ... I think once a female figures out how to do it, she tends to make it a habit from then on.

I'm lucky enough to be able to help out in with friends operation which is pretty large by most standards (he's running something like 270 breeder tubs and around 700 birthing tubs I think .... just guesstimating the numbers) so I get to see just about every problem you can imagine when it comes to breeding rats .... On that scale, he either has a flood, or a clogged sipper, or a dropped box, or whatever at least once a day.

Smaller scale home breeding is definitely not subject to the same frequency of problems, but they are certainly not immune from them. Like you said, those rats can be trouble makers at times. ;)

Keep us posted on how things go for you!

-adam

Hey Adam,

Thats brings me to a question for ya, does he take females with babies out and seperate them? I had a litter of babies today and seen a couple got munched, but mom seems to be taking care of the rest. I ask because most of the people I have read about for breeding feeders leave them in the tubs with the other rats, just wondering if that is something I should do?

Bill

Each week when we clean, pregnant moms get pulled and put into birthing tubs before they even have babies .... sometimes a pregnant mom will get missed, but for the most part, they each get their own tub for birthing and raising.

It seems like sometimes young/new moms chew up and baby or two, or even a whole litter but once they get the hang of it they're fine.

When you leave a pregnant mom with other females to give birth, sometimes they will fight over the litter and the other females will try and "steal" the pinkies ... if you see some pinks with "bites" or "scratches" in them, then it's probably from a tug of war between 2 females .... separate birthing tubs solves that.

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Each week when we clean, pregnant moms get pulled and put into birthing tubs before they even have babies .... sometimes a pregnant mom will get missed, but for the most part, they each get their own tub for birthing and raising.

It seems like sometimes young/new moms chew up and baby or two, or even a whole litter but once they get the hang of it they're fine.

When you leave a pregnant mom with other females to give birth, sometimes they will fight over the litter and the other females will try and "steal" the pinkies ... if you see some pinks with "bites" or "scratches" in them, then it's probably from a tug of war between 2 females .... separate birthing tubs solves that.

-adam

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Thanks Adam!!! :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

Thanks Adam!!! :D

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Anytime. ;)

-adam