Quote Originally Posted by RandyRemington View Post
Do your plastic tubs have any edges they can get a hold of? I've been using the cement mixing tubs which are smooth and had no problem. Maybe it's when keepers use sweater boxes with indentions in the bottom that they chew out. I do keep wood blocks in the tubs and they chew the heck out of them.

As far as low temp being a possible cause of baby death it sounds like that isn't proven. Is it generally agreed that they don't breed well under 70 deg F? My babies could have died from any number of reasons but since they didn't have any marks I was thinking too cool for newborns. I wonder if I hadn't found them when I did if they would have been eaten later. In some cases it might be hard to be sure if the parents killed them or just recycled them after they are dead.

I would think they would need a pretty constant milk supply as newborns so might be susceptible to any stress that interrupts that and with a first time mom there might also be timing issues with the start of milk production. Also, coming from warm areas the parents might not be as good at keeping babies warm as cooler temp rodents.
I have heard that ASF's do terrible under 70, whereas domestic rats do very well.

It's like some have said, and I have experienced as well, ASF's bump up during summer production (may be linked to their population growths during flooding season when food is plentiful and their populations sky rocket in a short amount of time), and domestic rats are the best producers during the cooler months.

Anywho, Randy, I keep my ASF's in 66 qt and 54 qt sterilite tubs.

The breeders all get a wheel, blocks and nesting material. I used to give seeds, but it's a very rare treat now. Their fur tended to get extra oily and yellow, extra smelly pee.

The grow up tubs, this recent group of males I have not given a wheel to, and they do fine. Females still have it.

I really like experimenting different techniques for raising these guys. I think they are great little buggers and unfortunately not very adaptable once they are set in their ways, but they don't at all NEED one way to live.

I do know give them space, things to chew and a complete diet that the babies have access to once they have strength to get out of the nest.