What do you keep mice in?

Wil 16qt Sterilite Tubs work for keeping 1.4 mice in? What do you use on your racks to keep mice in?

I only have 3 mice right and don't think that we need to go higher then 5 f. They are in a x large wire hamster cage. they have a wheel and tubes to hide in. might have to use a bin as soon as my snakes need a larger then fuzzy as they might excape( we just started to breed them).

I'm still kind-of old school with my mice. Ten gallon tanks as far as the eye can see, from floor to celling. I suppose I should start to think about racking them. I have Freedom Breeder racks for my snakes and I hear they make great rodent racks too.

I use tubs for my rodents but not in racks.

Here's my colony.

http://tarazod.com/other_hosted_pics...ony_update.jpg

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Originally Posted by snakelady

I use tubs for my rodents but not in racks.

Here's my colony.

http://tarazod.com/other_hosted_pics...ony_update.jpg

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Where did you get that shelf?

Rack using small cat litter pans (cost about $30 to make)

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/MiceRack.jpg

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Originally Posted by juddb

Where did you get that shelf?

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The shelf system was from Lowes' years ago. I think home depot, menards and others like that have them now. They are really nice and sturdy. You can place the shelves pretty much where ever you want.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Rack using small cat litter pans (cost about $30 to make)

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...s/MiceRack.jpg

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How much did the litter pans cost?

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Originally Posted by Chris Rossi

How much did the litter pans cost?

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Less than $2.00 each

HOw many mice do you keep in each?

Mine is similar to snakelady in that I have tubs, but not in a rack per say. :)

This is the updated Rodent Central:
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...gcentral09.jpg

Mouse side:
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...9mouseside.jpg

Rat side:
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...-09Ratside.jpg


The mice are in Rubbermaid 'Large' tubs (26x16x10) with screen on the sides and tops. The rats are in wire cages - girls in the 2 story cage on top, and the male in the blue/black cage. The second level of the rat side holds 2 10g tanks for maternity (the one is currently occupied by overflow mice).

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Originally Posted by Chris Rossi

HOw many mice do you keep in each?

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2 females and I have 2 males rotating between 3 tubs each, spending two weeks at the time in each tubs.

See I would like to keep amy males in all the time, would 1.3 work in 16qt tubs? I have an abundency of them :D

i keep 1.4 groups in 20L tanks

Those tubs of mine have 1.2 groups in them. I like giving my rodents excessive space. :)

heres a mouse cage calculator i found
http://www.thefunmouse.com/info/cagecalculator.cfm

you could also look at this pdf: http://www.altdesign.com/papers/Reco...ia4Animals.pdf

i have our male and female in a 10 gal. tank. there happy i have pic of them in my pic candyman88:snake:

What is the temperature needed to maintain the mouse colonies?

This is what I keep mine in

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...akes/mice4.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...akes/mice2.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...akes/mice3.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...nakes/mice.jpg

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Originally Posted by pitsandpythons

What is the temperature needed to maintain the mouse colonies?

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rats typically breed best between 50-70
mice can go lower than that
alot of places that breed mice are almost constantly running a/c
currently my mice are kept in my snake room at around 70 degrees

lisa what do you have for airflow in that setup?

The reason I ask is I got around 6 feeders and set them up in a nice little pad...10 gal tank, wheel, good food, drink and nice aspen bedding...Fed off four and was going to feed my girls last night and to my surprise they were curled up dead...Still had food and water and the temp was in the low 60's not bad at all...My paranoid side when to C02 poisoning for some reason so I moved my co2 detector down and it was all safe

Any thought on why they passed? Is basement 60 degree temps too cold?

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Originally Posted by pitsandpythons

The reason I ask is I got around 6 feeders and set them up in a nice little pad...10 gal tank, wheel, good food, drink and nice aspen bedding...Fed off four and was going to feed my girls last night and to my surprise they were curled up dead...Still had food and water and the temp was in the low 60's not bad at all...My paranoid side when to C02 poisoning for some reason so I moved my co2 detector down and it was all safe

Any thought on why they passed? Is basement 60 degree temps too cold?

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i would guess perhaps something genetic

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Originally Posted by nixer

i would guess perhaps something genetic

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That's scary because I fed of 4 of the other little ones earlier...I'll try again with different mice...

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Originally Posted by pitsandpythons

That's scary because I fed of 4 of the other little ones earlier...I'll try again with different mice...

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it happens. thats also why alot of ppl stick with the do not use lab mice as feeders arguement

Everyone got this idea fro me. never seen anyone do this way till i began posting the idea.
i need new pictures but now have 12 of them in use.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...g/100_1933.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...g/100_1953.jpg

this is the way i want to do mine but i don't like the way the water bottles are hooked up and there has o be a better way for vent holes .... we must come up with something better

i have air holes on the tops too.

you can cut out a lil square and put hardware cloth there for even better air venting or do it on the sides. i just never gotten to doing it as its very time consuming.

the bottles arent a problem. their a safety feature. keeps little kids out from pulling the tubs open.

here's a updated picture. of setup. they work well im getting a litter every week. right now 3 jsut had babies tonight

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...6/100_2182.jpg

how tall are you lol i think mice would get air sick being all the way up there

with the water bottles do you velco them so the stay thats a good idea i just saw that there it looks btter know that i ses it i'm going to look it to these

can i get a beter look at the vent holes sorry to be a pain

i stacked that tall cuz im 6'3''.

the holes are just used by drilling or solder iron. i drilled holes all over the sides but NOT in the tub. my tubs have one hold and thats for the water bottle. When drilling the air holes take OUT the tubs and do it so you dont puncture the tub.

Dollar General Sells them for $7 cheapest i found.

Yes all i do is use velcro to hold the bottles up. i got a 4ft roll of it for like $10

do they have a bad smell in the and i see you drill the piece outside the drawer part the white part and not the tub itself....

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

Everyone got this idea fro me. never seen anyone do this way till i began posting the idea.

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Just because you have never seen anyone do this doesnt mean they got the idea from you. I have seen others do the same and have lost many rats and mice from this type of setup.

i dotn keep rats in these. mice i have yet to lose one and have had over 13 litters in 8 months. NOT ONE LOST

this is are rodent area in our snake room. The cages on the right are for our cresteds.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/DSC00782.jpg
We have come across several people getting out of or reducing there breeding. That is how we have picked up our breeding bins

I seen them bins before on craigslsit for 20$ each. but i dont see paying that much for a plastic tub with a metal top for holding food and water. that price i can set up 3 of my bins with water and food.

I have bought them several times and never payed over 10 bucks a tub and the 10 dollar ones were never used. I think in total i can double my production with all my spare tubs and i have about 120 bucks into them. I have picked a bunch up at taylor MI reptile show cheap. I bought like 10 for 40 bucks.

I really like the idea...Can someone please share with me a link of where I might be able to find some of them? or if someone is selling theirs, I might be willing pick them up...Thank you...

flamethrower i just picked up 4 racks and they are working great thanks for the idea

No problem. stacking as high as i do makes it really hard and heavy to move around carpet. But i love it. perfect for 1.3 easy

i'm short so i stack low lol