Total Cost-Rodent Birthing Rack

[ThyTempest]

Hey everyone,

I am thinking about building a birthing rack for our rats and doubling it as a new rack for our ASF's. I don't know how big I would want to make it yet, but in all of the stickies and websites around for rodent racks, none of them ever include the total cost + time to build.

The one I am leaning to most heavily is the birthing rack on ARB. I have built and used their breeding rack and we really like it. As our rat production grows we want to be able to separate the moms, and since we are drastically expanding our ASF's, we just want a rack to house them instead of bins, tubs and tanks.

With all of that said, I don't think I will be building a full size (6h, 5w) birthing rack per the DIY guide, since I just think it is overkill for us. The other issue is how many tubs to cover with 1/2" for rats and how many with 1/4" for the ASF's. We plan on installing another watering system, which I know will be expensive, but well worth it.

Post pics of what you have built and how much it cost you total, and build time if you can remember. I am leaning towards support from beneath as opposed to runners again to save time. Any advice is welcome.

[littleindiangirl]

We built ours in a day, 10 tubs.

The only things I worry about for ASF's and racks are dealing with the pups when they are hoppers. I would cringe everytime I opened their tubs because I can just see them all popping out like fleas. LOL but people do make it work!

[ThyTempest]

We built ours in a day, 10 tubs.

The only things I worry about for ASF's and racks are dealing with the pups when they are hoppers. I would cringe everytime I opened their tubs because I can just see them all popping out like fleas. LOL but people do make it work!

Better than what we have now...they get through the tops to our lab tanks. Do you remember how much it cost you in total? Either with or w/o the watering.

[rocko2527]

I built my 14 tub birthing rack for a good price. I paid 11.00 for the 2 by 4s (I split them on a table saw) then 55 for the 14 large pet mate litter pans, around 20.00 for the mesh, and a 4 foot by 2 foot piece of plywood for the gliders which was 6.00. So I spent around 90.00 I didn't use a auto system even though I use them for my breeding racks. Reason being is rats are worth a lot around here and losing a tubs with two female litters would cost me around 60.00 lol. Plus I had my first floods around a month ago and I was devastated I am out there checking on my rats like 4 to 5 time a day and it still flooded them overnight. Honestly I would even consider going back to bottles the watering system has became a pain in my but, keeping up with the maintenance (flushing lines, cleaning valves).