mouse cage question

[hoo-t]

thats about what i had in mind, although i was orginally thinking square, but that looks alot easier. I'll be working on a water idea to, so if i come up with anything ill let you know.

Thanks. On the round feeders, I take a glass jar or bottle (actually a green olive jar) to wrap the screen around, then stitch the sides together with wrapping wire from Radio Shack. Also, on the bottoms, for some I've cut a separate piece, and for some, I've cut strips vertically in the end and folded them in. Haven't really decided which is easier yet.

Steve

[piranhaking]

thanks for the details. I think i have an idea for the water bottle, but i'll have to make it first to be sure it works right and because im not sure exactly how to explain it.

[hoo-t]

thanks for the details. I think i have an idea for the water bottle, but i'll have to make it first to be sure it works right and because im not sure exactly how to explain it.

I really want to use a gravity system for water, but I'm afraid its going to be a while before I can afford it. So in the meantime, I'll probably just hang bottles from the front edge of the tubs.

Steve

[frankykeno]

I believe it's Matt (Smulkin) who posted a pic of how he uses empty coke cans as water bottle chew protectors for those of us that have the water bottle actually inside the enclosure with the rodents. Nifty idea and cheap as dirt.

[TekWarren]

hoo-t you stole my idea! Just kidding and your doing it a bit different than what I do with my tubs. I posted a link in another thread but I made square holders and they attach to my tub lids so I can easily dump in more food or add water without opening the tub at all. I also have my water bottles IN the same holder. I put the water bottle in and then poor in the block food around it. No bottle chewing or pee all over it, easy access to add/change water/food.

[hoo-t]

I believe it's Matt (Smulkin) who posted a pic of how he uses empty coke cans as water bottle chew protectors for those of us that have the water bottle actually inside the enclosure with the rodents. Nifty idea and cheap as dirt.

Great idea! I've actually made water bottle protectors in a similar fashion to the feeders that I posted. Extruded aluminum (rain gutter guard) works very well for this.

Steve

[hoo-t]

hoo-t you stole my idea! Just kidding and your doing it a bit different than what I do with my tubs. I posted a link in another thread but I made square holders and they attach to my tub lids so I can easily dump in more food or add water without opening the tub at all. I also have my water bottles IN the same holder. I put the water bottle in and then poor in the block food around it. No bottle chewing or pee all over it, easy access to add/change water/food.

I saw your thread on that and started to post in it. This thread was covering pretty much the same subject, so I decided not to post in two threads.

The first feeder/waterer that I made is almost EXACTLY like yours! The difference being that I cut an opening in the side of the "basket" at the bottom, and slipped a food hopper made from metal rain gutter downspout. When I started making these, I realized I would have been better off not to have cut out the bottom, and just dump the food in! Then it WOULD have been exactly like yours!

Great minds???

Just a thought - What do you think about putting a divider down the middle to separate the food from the water bottle? Would that make it easier to remove/replace the bottle? That might necessitate making the whole thing a little bigger though.

Here's a pic of that first one that I did...

Steve

[TekWarren]

All your designs look so professional LOL, I just took four sections and clasped them together

At this point I'm not to worried about seperating the food and water bottle. I'm not filling my baskets all that full that it makes it a big deal to get the water bottle in and out. With mine I've only been puting about 2" or so worth of food in. This way I can kinda still keep an eye on how much they are eating. If I have to refill water I just nose the spicket through the block food and then stick it out the basket back at the level it was before. I can see where some sort of divider would definately be need though when supplying more food, in which case trying to get the bottle back down would be messy. I am not keeping alot of rats which is probably why I am not going through as much food in a tub.

Maybe you could do two smaller baskets? One that is just enough room to manuever the water bottle into so its protected and the other just for food? That may look a little funky though hrm...or your divider idea could work just as well without multiple baskets.

Automatic watering would solve alot of this! I will probably look into an inexpensive gravity watering system this winter. Then all it will be is a matter of running the line into the basket and having a removeble mount for the spicket to stick out of it rather than bulky bottles.

[piranhaking]

Finally, im getting around to posting pics of my feeder feeder


The first three are just pics, the fourth is a cut out diagram i will explain below it.





The colored lines are the places to cut. The reason it matters is because i fold the "extra" over to hold it together. The bottom needs to be cut like the one with the blue lines. The sides need to be cut like the one with the purple lines. The front and back need to be cut like the one with the green lines. The divider needs to be cut like the sides, and the top needs to be cut like the one with the red lines. When couting squares for your sizes ONLY COUNT FULL SQUARES not ones that are open on one side, because those will be bent over. Also, when bending the "flaps" bend toward the side where the other wire is not the other way, because it will break (the diagram in the bottom right corner should make more sense of that for you). The reason for the single "peg" in the front of the lid is to work as a latch.

When assembling, first attach the sides and the divider to the bottom. Then attach the front and back to the rest of the box (if you do front and back first you'll have a harder time getting the divider in). In my case the "pegs" on the back of the top just stick back into the holes and dont bend over, but in some situations they may need to and they would then work as a hinge. One more thing to note, the back needs to be longer than the front so it can be bent into a hanger for the rack. Also, when determining the height top to bottom of the rack, make sure that once the water bottle is in, that it wont touch the bedding (that drains it and makes a mess). That pretty well sums it up. If anyone has any questions or needs to see any more detailed pics let me know.

[frankykeno]

Oh excellent! Diagrams! I'm totally useless at figuring out how to construct something from just a photograph so thanks so much for posting this.