Asf grow much slower then mice in my experience. but I have never had them eat their young like I had mice do off and on for pretty much no reason. they also like to use one corner as the bathroom corner. so there isn't a layer of pee on every inch of the cage and everything in it like with mice. they do still smell but not nearly as bad as mice. I ditched mice for asf a while ago and I very much prefer them to the mice.