I guess I'm an ASF breeder now. Tips?

[SlitherinSisters]

I found that dropping black oil sunflower seeds into the tank when they start opening their eyes and exploring, and then for the first week that they're in the growout tub boosts growth.
Some say it's a bunch of fat, but I dont know, mine are nice and healthy looking and acting, just a little bigger out the gate.

Mike Im with you on that, I go either way on it. It all depends on the age of the group. If they were fairly young, Ill set up a 1.1 and add the other female in in order to maximize her potential.

Thanks for the info. I actually have sunflower seeds in the tubs right now. The lady gave me the sunflower seeds with the food. I thought it was weird, but it makes total sense now

well i had mine for a while and I know that they not cheap most the time. I know in Delaware they sold like 15 bucks a piece when you find them , and they sodl under a fancy mice name ( lol makes no since with that name) I have mine in 3 large tansk but I know they were not breeding right and I learned why lol I wasw keeping soemthing like 2-9 ratio cause I didn't have enough water bottles/room to set up about a dozen tanks. I also found if I dumped the rodents into a clea ntub and then wiped the old cage down when I cleaned the males were not getting jumped as bad since it was all a new and clean set up for them.

I also founda chewing trick they liked for a hide/ chew area. I took a small piece of plywood( to fit inthe tank and screwed 4 pieces of 2x3 for legs making a mini table they will climb on hide under and chew on and it made out of scrap wood lol..

Thanks for the advice! And holy cow that's expensive!!!

If theyre making you happy with their production, give them popcorn as a treat...they go absolutely insane for it.

I give them any veggies that we have that are going bad, and at one point I gave them the rinds and core from a pineapple, they enjoyed that for a bit.

For the OP
Pricing, you got a good deal BTW. I sell trios for like 30 bucks cause I find that Im one of the few locally that has ASFs, and quality ones at that. The local pet store has them for like 5 bucks a piece but they only sell males, I sell feeders for 1-2 a piece.

Ok thanks for that. How do you decide if they really are buying them to feed and not to breed?

[pavlovk1025]

Thanks for the info. I actually have sunflower seeds in the tubs right now. The lady gave me the sunflower seeds with the food. I thought it was weird, but it makes total sense now



Thanks for the advice! And holy cow that's expensive!!!



Ok thanks for that. How do you decide if they really are buying them to feed and not to breed?

By controlling the sex of what you sell as a feeder. I will sell either all males or all females, and people that buy males one day will keep getting males, so I dont accidentally create breeding groups for cheap.

The only reason I do this is because I BATTLED my wife to get them into the house in the first place, and the care and love that I have for them wont allow me to be undersold so other people can get in on my hard work for cheap.

Oh and remember, sunflower seeds are for when they're little, because it contains a lot of fat. You dont want them on it constantly or theyll get fat and unhealthy. I find that if they gain a lot of baby fat throug sunflower seeds, theyll use it to grow faster and will run it off playing around in the grow out tub.

[SlitherinSisters]

By controlling the sex of what you sell as a feeder. I will sell either all males or all females, and people that buy males one day will keep getting males, so I dont accidentally create breeding groups for cheap.

The only reason I do this is because I BATTLED my wife to get them into the house in the first place, and the care and love that I have for them wont allow me to be undersold so other people can get in on my hard work for cheap.

Oh and remember, sunflower seeds are for when they're little, because it contains a lot of fat. You dont want them on it constantly or theyll get fat and unhealthy. I find that if they gain a lot of baby fat throug sunflower seeds, theyll use it to grow faster and will run it off playing around in the grow out tub.

Ok thanks very much! I was wondering how you did it. I really don't want to give people colonies either because they are a pain in the butt to get and I'm the only breeder within 2 hours. I'm selfish, I want them all to myself

[pavlovk1025]

Ok thanks very much! I was wondering how you did it. I really don't want to give people colonies either because they are a pain in the butt to get and I'm the only breeder within 2 hours. I'm selfish, I want them all to myself

LOL yeah me too. Only breeder for a long ways. Just get really good at sexing them cause its hard to tell when theyre still pinks, but it can be done.

[RR - Mackenzie]

Hi Stephanie,

This s Mackenzie (*SSS*) and I am VERY interested in ASFR, trying to get my baby to eat

I would imagine they would be kept just like rats or mice, don't see much of a diference other than orign and color.

Good luck with the babies!

[SlitherinSisters]

Hi Stephanie,

This s Mackenzie (*SSS*) and I am VERY interested in ASFR, trying to get my baby to eat

I would imagine they would be kept just like rats or mice, don't see much of a diference other than orign and color.

Good luck with the babies!

I thought that was you! You keep them in 1.2 colonies, 1 male and 2 females and you never change them around or add more. The females tend to kill the males other wise, and don't produce as well in bigger colonies. You might have troubles finding ASFs because they aren't all the popular.

[RR - Mackenzie]

Haha, I know what you mean I've been looking everywhere, everyone seems very far away I'll guess I'll keep looking. Do you think 1.2 is to much for one snake? I'll probably be getting another snake once I got my problem feeding doing alright.

ASFR remind me of oppossums haha

[don15681]

you are building tubs for them. put a little thought into it, cause they are chewers. I had aluminum water bottle holders and they chewed them. I now use the sterilite 58 qt tubs from walmart I cut the center out of the top and install 1/4 inch hardware cloth (screen). I cut a hole in the top hardware cloth to place a food feeder made out of 1/2 hardware cloth that goes to about 4 inches from bottom of tub. this gives room for the bedding and keeps the food dry. I keep the water bottles on the outside of the tub and drill a hole for it to go thru. I put 1/4 harware screen on both side of the tub where the bottle goes thru so they can't chew it. I had them in these tubs for little over a year now with no problems. one good thing is they do smell, but no where near as bad as mice or rats.

[SlitherinSisters]

you are building tubs for them. put a little thought into it, cause they are chewers. I had aluminum water bottle holders and they chewed them. I now use the sterilite 58 qt tubs from walmart I cut the center out of the top and install 1/4 inch hardware cloth (screen). I cut a hole in the top hardware cloth to place a food feeder made out of 1/2 hardware cloth that goes to about 4 inches from bottom of tub. this gives room for the bedding and keeps the food dry. I keep the water bottles on the outside of the tub and drill a hole for it to go thru. I put 1/4 harware screen on both side of the tub where the bottle goes thru so they can't chew it. I had them in these tubs for little over a year now with no problems. one good thing is they do smell, but no where near as bad as mice or rats.

Yep I found that out the hard way!!!!

Now I move the colony with babies one they are old enough to escape into a plastic tub as well! They can get out of every gosh darn little hole. And yes the water bottles are on the outside out of reach