Stagnant air is bad as stated. Keep the air circulating in the room.
Low cages are better (more ventilation) so ditch anything over 8" high and get them all in shallow enclosures
The vanilla extract in the water is gold
Clean once a week - find a system that is efficient and it won't take long. I use all of the same tubs across the board and have 1 extra. I prep the tub, throw all the rats in it and throw it in the rack. Then I take the dirty tub, dump, spray, wipe, and prep it for the next row. Get a really big trash can so you aren't micro managing the shavings on their way into the trash.
Use kiln dried pine. Some people use the pine pellets you can get in conjunction with shavings as they are more absorbent.
Don't overcrowd the bins - once a week at the right level of population and the rats should be able to bury most of their droppings. When you start overcrowding and they're all digging around and going to the bathroom willy nilly they start leaving stuff on the surface.
Make the bedding deeper so they have the option to bury.
The ammonia is REALLY bad for the rats, as stated. I know you're raising them as food, but their welfare is just as important if not more important than your snakes. They have much more complex brains than the snakes and therefore have a greater ability to suffer. Don't be a jerkGL!
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