Need some rat caging ideas

[almaron]

Ok, so I'm thinking of going bigger with the rat colony, but I want to make it as hassle free as possible. What I'm thinking is some type of wire mesh for the floor, and no substrate. Just a tray I can hose down. I'll probably make some type of rack setup, with a vent shroud to keep the piss smell down. I know african makes wire cages, but I'm curious how you do the flooring. I also like Magpie's setups. Slatey, you breed rodents too right? Who else has large scale rat breeding setup? Any thoughts, or advice on caging would be appriciated.

[lutzd]

Hi Almaron!

I don't breed large numbers of rats - just enough to keep my babies fed, although it's getting harder to keep the numbers down, as a couple of my snakes aren't eating at the moment and the freezer is filling fast!

However, I agree completely with the wire mesh for the flooring idea. I keep all of mine in a converted rabbit hutch. See: http://www.aussiepythons.com/modules...view_album.php

The enclosure rests on bricks and the waste just drops through onto cardboard, which makes it really easy to clean up. I only provide a little hay as nesting material.

The only word of warning I can offer is to keep a close eye out when one of the mother rats drops a new litter. Pinkies can also drop through the mesh if the gaps are large enough! I found a couple like that when the babies are born outside the nesting box!

We have the rats in an outdoor enclosure with mesh flooring. Under the enclosure is polystyrene boxes to catch the droppings.

[Slateman]

Yeah Almaron i have them in plastic 60 l containers and clean cages regulary. Not best setup at all . Lot of work.

[Magpie]

I had mesh based cages but changed them for 55-60L tubs with mesh lids. I found a lot of the food (pellets) ended up going through the floor and getting soaked in rat urine. Mine could not go a winter in an all mesh cage as they are housed outside and it gets pretty cold where I am. Also, no good for young pinkies, they fall straight through (12.7mm square mesh.) I use pine shavings and shredded paper for a substrate, often adding more paper during their 7 day cleaning cycle. I find a single female rat in a tub can kindle and raise a litter of 15 ratlings to weaning without a change of substrate and without the cage getting too smelly. Some only go 7-14 days before needing a total clean out but most go the 3-4 weeks no problems. I keep up to 30 growers in a tub together, cutting it down to 15 as they reach adulthood (150g.) These need cleaning EVERY 7 days without fail.

[Slateman]

I have SAME SETUP AS MAGIEPIE problem with pinkies faling through mash made me do this. Mash on the lid for ventilation,

[sarahbell]

we have the plastic tubs aswell but we poke hole in them with a soldering iron

[Fangs]

We use te same set up as mags ie:plastic tubs with wire tops and find them to be ok.3 females per tub and drop a male in with them for a week or so.
How do the rats feet hold up with all wire floors?Also keeping them outside especially for you Mags as I know it gets cold up your way do they breed ok in those conditions?

cheers M....

[almaron]

Thanks for the input everyone. I was planing on using 1/4" (6.4mm)hardware cloth (welded wire mesh). I'm thinking rat pinkies shouldn't be able to fall through this, but it should be large enough to pass waste. I will still have to provide some type of nesting box or material of some sort. I hadn't really thought of the food issue though. I know I'm still going to have to clean them regular, but it's just such a pain with the tubs and tanks I have been using. I've heard of rats getting their claws stuck and doing damage, but this was on woven mesh, not welded. Still going to have to think on this one a little I guess.

I have these lab cages i made myself the same setup as ppl that breed lots and there real good ill get a photo one day also i sold 140 mice yesterday

[africancichlidau]

1/4 mesh will let the urine through Almaron but the lumpy bits will prob get stuck What a lovely thought eh, all that matter under ya fingernails when you clean them out

[Magpie]

1/4 mesh will let the urine through Almaron but the lumpy bits will prob get stuck

Sure does, I tried it for a while. Great for mice, no good for rats.
Never had any problems with the feet whilst I was using mesh floors.
Outside they are fine, until we get a real frosty morning like monday (-3C) and I lose most of my unfurred pinkies. Grrr.... What I try to do is have the youngest litters on a heat mat or have heat cord running under there cages. Still not 100% though, I need to build them an insulated room soon.

[africancichlidau]

have kept a lot of rats on wire floors without any foot problems whatsoever. Bit of a problem when you plug 'em in though

[rodentrancher]

Hi, we are breeding for bulk supplies of mice/rats for reptiles. My husband builds our breeding boxes for about $5/box. Feel free to email for details. Cheers Cheryl. PS. We scab a lot of materials from shedbuilders. eg. the metal that gutters are held in? Think about it! The metal sleeves that hold the gutters, make the exact size for boxes for holding breeding rats and mice after a little cutting and shutting. We get ours for next for nothing. Lots of em for maybe a slab of beer? ?Well just depends how well u know your local builder/shed builder hey? All the boxes have solid bases and we build the lids, with the feeder sections inc., but we just change all the nesting at least once per week(whether it is needed or not). The only open mesh we have is in the lids and the feeder container areas. We have got onto a good mob who manufactures great Rodent Feeder pellets which includes Tylan(tylon) which is a main product that rats/mice need in their diet. PPS. If anyone has any ideas re mites/lice etc, please send us any ideas about NON TOXIC SPRAYS Please? Thanks Cheryl

[lutzd]

Cheryle, in my opinion, you can't go far past Top of Descent spray. In a mesh type enclosure, you'd have to cover the cage openings, as the ToD spray sits for quite a while in the air, and any draught will flush it out.