Asf question

[Amon Ra Reptiles]

I have decided to start breeding ASF for feeders. Planning to run 1.4 in concrete tubs. I can't seem to find any info on what to do with the female and her litter. Do I leave them in with the others or pull them out? Should I put them in nursing tubs or leave them in with the male? Also at what age should I expect them to breed? Thanks for any help you can give me!

[Emilio]

This link should help you out.




http://ball-pythons.net/forums/forum....php?129-ASF-s

[snakesRkewl]

I never separate asf's unless I don't want them together again...
They don't take well to newcomers which the female you pull to a separate tub will become so they are best left as a colony 24/7, generally with no issues of eaten babies or the like.

I tried tubs for asf's till I got tired of chasing loose ones
They can chew out of the home depot tubs because they have that small hole in the front of the tub.
Also they can seriously jump, when you slide a tub out and scare them watch them go nutz...no fun
Ten gallon tanks work well to keep 1.4 in and they do just fine.
Make sure to have a glass water bottle to hang in the tank or they'll ruin the water bottles too.
Also it's best to make and use food hoppers for them, they love to waste food...
In 10 gallon tanks I use a fish net to remove small ones I'm feeding off, saves the skin on my hands

When I put weanlings together as a group it seems like about 10-12 weeks from then before I see preggo's.
They do not always have larger litters than regular rats in fact my regular rats drop 15 regularly and my asf's drop 10-12 babies most of the time.
My last asf litters were 8/13/11/13/9
My last 5 litters of norway rats was 18/14/18/12/15

[Herp4life11]

can you run a 1.5? jw

[snakesRkewl]

I guess 1.5 would be ok but if they all have litters at one time it's going to be a lot of rats in one ten gallon tank and holding over would need to be done in another tank.

1.4 is as large of a group as I do in 10 gal tanks. and with that many they need changed once a week or they are living in squalor

[reptilegirl07]

I personally use laboratory grade breeding tubs. I run 1.2 and have never had any canabolism and ZERO escapees.

My tubs average 15-25 babies about every month-month and 1/2 and all is well.

The lid doubles as a feeder and bottle holder so you don't have to worry about food hoppers, the bottles (plastic) aren't chewed through and you can even use watering systems with the tubs I have. They're lightweight and NOT glass so you don't have to worry about working with bulky 10 gallon+ tanks. They're also easy to clean!

For asf rats, I'll never use anything else again. I'm having a lot of success with these!

Just remember if you decide to get them, don't use Big Apple's tubs!!!! I tried them with MICE and the MICE chewed them. ASF rats would have devoured them in a day!

[anatess]

ASFs normally drop big litters. Mine usually does 12-18 per litter.

They reach sexual maturty at around 3 months.

I have mine in cement tub rack for almost2 months now without a problem.

But, even in the rack (a much bigger space than 10 gallon tanks), I keep them at 1.2 for several reasons. 1.) The baby rats stay with the colony until they are weaned - around 3 weeks to a month old. With 2 mommas in the tub, that is potentially 40 rats in that one tub at one time. 2.) If the daddy rat dies, that's only 2 momma rats that stop breeding. It's almost impossible to add an adult rat to an established colony. You'll have to grow a baby one out with the colony to be the new daddy - that's 3 months of lost production.


And yes, your colony stays together all throughout their lifetime. You take out the baby rats when their eyes are fully open (between 3 to 4 weeks of age). The momma rat drops a litter every 3 to 4 weeks as well. She doesn't need a rest period. She will be too old by 18 months of age or even earlier. You'll notice her litter starts to drop in size.

Hope this helps.

[reptilegirl07]

I just wanted to add something. I bought about 50 asf rats. males were in one tank, females in another.

I already had groups of two females (about 15 or so) already established waiting for males.

When I combined all the rats into groups of 1.2 I did not have trouble adding a male to the existing group of two females. Out of 15 tubs, i only lost one male during the add and that was to a tub where the females were pregnant.

In addition, I'm moving and trying to consolidate tubs. I started taking asf rats out of tubs, males and females, and tossed about 8 into a large holding bin together. they have been in there a week and i have yet to have even a fight.

I don't think it's always true that they will fight if it's an "established" colony. I've seen this not happen more than i've seen it happen. just my 2 cents. (i've had asf rats since early 09')