Quote Originally Posted by akaangela View Post
I have been breeding rats off and on for a long time. They tend to get big fast. I find that unless you do f/t you will have a hard time keeping the right size when you need it. If you do f/t then you won't have that much of a problem. It also depends on how many snakes you have.

You do not have to remove the male as long as he ALWAYS stays with the females. If you take him out then put him back in you are asking for problems. I usually leave 1:3 in my large cage (they also require a larger cage) and in the summer I have plenty of babies. In the winter (they are outside in a cover unheated building) they usually stop producing or slow way down.

They do smell more. They eat more and they go thou a LOT more water (so more pee). HOWEVER, they are MUCH more friendly. They are not inclined to bite and they make great pets.

Good luck on your decision. If I where you I would get 1:1 or 1:2 and see how you like them before getting rid of your ASF's.
Thanks for the info! I'm not giving up on my ASF's just yet, just curious about the differences at the moment.