1/2'' hardwire cloth too big for ASF!!!!

[lord jackel]

I think they are so "new" to most people that there are a lot of tricks and knowledge that isn't disseminated widely yet. But I keep reading and learning.

I thought it was fairly well known that ASF enclosures have to be mouse proof.

As for the rat foster idea, I'll have to give that a shot next time I have a rat litter. I've thought about going the other way, fostering rats with ASF just because they have so many extra teats, but for some reason never considered putting an ASF with a rat mother.

Mine seem to feed okay from mouse bar spacing on wire top lab cages, but that';s not the same as 1/4" mesh.

[ECLARK]

Im talking about my problems with them, found 2 big litters this weekend that were killed by their mothers for no reason.

Ed...have you had all these problems or just heard of them? So far I haven't had any issues...outside the potential that they are smaller so I need to adjust their caging requirements...but this would be the case of any new animal. My first 2 litters seem to be going just fine with no issues.

[jknudson]

Hey Ed I noticed that too so just started putting them in groups of 1.2 and stopped pulling the pregos since then I haven't had too many issues.

So don't pull the pregnant females from their enclosures, and leave the male with them...or remove him into another enclosure?

[ECLARK]

When I left the prego mothers in with the group(1.5) they would eat all the babies, thats why I tried separating them.

So don't pull the pregnant females from their enclosures, and leave the male with them...or remove him into another enclosure?

[Larry Suttles]

Jbp, I'm not all the way sure just yet but I am having success leaving the males in with the mommy and babies. I do know for sure that their not near as social as rats so mixing and matching groups doesn't work so well.

[jknudson]

When I left the prego mothers in with the group(1.5) they would eat all the babies, thats why I tried separating them.

Good information to know, thanks Ed!

Jbp, I'm not all the way sure just yet but I am having success leaving the males in with the mommy and babies. I do know for sure that their not near as social as rats so mixing and matching groups doesn't work so well.

I suppose I'll have to play around a bit with mixing groups. I'm picking up five trios on Tuesday from Bill. I'm going to split them up into groups of 1.2 for breeding, otherwise two females to an enclosure and the males in another to rotate through each pair of females...however I know that may change.

Thanks for the tips guys!

-Jason

[Larry Suttles]

I'm thinking their more like breeding mice kind of slow getting started with some deaths and chewed babies then the groups/colonies get used to each other and all is well. Just my opinion

[coldbloodaddict]

I leave the male with the females and the babies...I have never had them kill any babies...I have them set up in a 1.3 group...

[ECLARK]

Already decieded to feed them all off, they are not the solution I was looking for. and never any fun to work with. my regular rats... you can reach in and pick them up by the belly and they are a pleasure to work with.

[Larry Suttles]

you see there we're learning 1.2 good 1.3 good 1.5 bad news