ASFs and the summer time HEAT!

[dacalio]

Many people have told me that ASFs can handle high heat no problem. I have a few groups going that are still young so no babies yet. I do have to admit that these guys seem not bothered at all by really high heat. I live in SW Georgia and temperatures average 95 during the day right now with extreme humidity.

All I have to help them is an industrial fan, which I doubt they even need. If I put my other feeders out in this weather a lot of them would die of a heat stroke in a few days and production would drop off sharply.

I really hope these guys work out for me. AC is not cheap but a necessity if you want to breed rats or mice down here.

Anyone else have experience with keeping these guys in similar environments?

[littleindiangirl]

We don't have air conditioning, but have exhaust fans that keep it generally cool where they are, and they seem to do just fine with it.

They just sleep during the hottest hours, and play all night.

A lot different from my domestics rats, that seem to get knocked on their butts during heat waves... poor little boogers.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

yep, when it is hot they really sleep during the hot hours, then play once it cools off. I am in Jacksonville and I keep them in the garage. during the day it gets to 90 degrees... sometimes on really sunnny, hotter then usual days it will get as high as 92 0r 93. I have had not reduction in breeding, and no deaths.

[J.Vandegrift]

I am in FL and mine are also in the garage. I actually get MUCH better production in the summer. My winter production drops to almost nothing.

[broadude]

I have notice this same tendency in my ASFs to breed more during the hotter months and not be bothered by the heat, while production drops off in the winter.

This works out perfectly, because I also breed rats and their production drops off during the hot months and picks up during the cooler months.

Have had no heat-related deaths.