I plan on getting 20 females in the near future, but I want to setup a feeding colony first so I dont go broke

For now, lets say I am feeding 20 females that way 500 grams each (though I may be getting 200 grams instead, which will be easier to start)


I was thinking of 3 1.3 setups, one aquired each week.

This way I ideally have 3 females producing each week, ~ avg 10-15 per litter thats 30-45 babies... I would need to let the babies get up to ~ 4-6 weeks of age to be proper size for feeding I believe, and I could rotate out/rest the females in the 1.3 setups in order to get the proper number of babies, and not end up overrun.


I would like to be able to feed off 20 appropriately sized rats each week.


Should I go with 10 gallon tanks, or cement mixing tubs with tops? How many of these will I need (obviously 3 for breeding, several for birthing mothers, and then a few large ones for the male and female feeder population to grow up)

I'm trying to figure out if this is something I will be able to maintain and exactly how much it will be costing me to feed them monthly.

Any help is appreciated, Ive read a lot of threads on here and this is how far ive gotten so far. I may have to add another 1.3 or 2 in order to allow mothers more rest.