The Rat Ranch

[leighroyaus]

reason i breed my own rats, is mainly for my own snakes consumption.
after buying localy from 3 different sources of rats, 1 a commercial well known one, and 2 locally bred, and then feeding my own, noticed a massive difference in the snakes health
more muscle was put on and the snakes looked physically better also.
now, im no vet or anything but ill never go back to buying from a store.
i dont know if its the feed or what? but yeah. u get the idea.

 

[Sdaji]

Ah, you stick the water down through the food hopper. I've thought about doing that, but for some reason I just don't like the idea.

Well, if you also brew your own beer and grow your own vegies, you're making more sense :lol: I've also done all three, a lot of what I eat and drink is home grown and brewed (but these days not by me :lol: ). My main motivation for breeding is having a consistent supply of quality food for my own snakes, I became fed up with the garbage being sold by some suppliers.

To the people comparing US prices to Australian, feed costs are different in the US and labour is cheaper. Being in a different continent, it's just a totally different thing. US$1 American also buys more than AU$1. You can feed yourself for a lot less money in the USA than in Australia.

 

[booboomoomoo]

can i ask how high up is the top tub as it looks pretty high up

 

[zulu]

re The

The rats that are elevated in tubs would need good air conditioning,i keep the rodents in a garage and have them in lines on the concrete floor to keep cool,makes them breed like crazy,they survive the 40c heat that way if they are well watered,off the concrete floor they are cactus.

 

[mungus]

The rats that are elevated in tubs would need good air conditioning,i keep the rodents in a garage and have them in lines on the concrete floor to keep cool,makes them breed like crazy,they survive the 40c heat that way if they are well watered,off the concrete floor they are cactus.

Bulls eye..........
Old bath tubs are also the go on the concrete floors though out summer............

 

[trippz]

its at 2 m i think. the shed has high ceilings. i live on an old dairy farm so i have a lot of sheds. i work on the westgate freeway so love comming home to peace & quiet. U into the whole hippy thing Sdaji?

 

[Ciircz]

Where do you buy your c02 from?

 

[trippz]

i own my own co2 bottles & havent used a bottle yet so dont know how much it is to refill.

 

[Ciircz]

Thanks anyway, I'll have to find out.

 

[Lewy]

Thanks anyway, I'll have to find out.

Most people I no get it from BOC

 

[Sdaji]

its at 2 m i think. the shed has high ceilings. i live on an old dairy farm so i have a lot of sheds. i work on the westgate freeway so love comming home to peace & quiet. U into the whole hippy thing Sdaji?

Why would I be into 'the whole hippy thing? *puzzled* Oh, the 'make your own stuff' thing? I brewed my own beer years and years ago, initially because I was under 18, brewing was cheap and didn't require ID. Later I tried a few more for the fun of it, although the fun obviously wasn't enough for me to continue :lol: I'd like to try distilling my own spirits, again, not long term, but just for the experience of having done it. A friend of mine constantly has about six large containers brewing away in his kitchen, every cupboard and shelf in the whole house is fully loaded with beer :lol: Needless to say, I usually have a couple of drinks when I visit!

As for vegetables, again, I've done it for the fun of it, and while I still find the idea appealing, I don't really have the time (says me posting on a forum! :lol: ). We (or should I say "People other than me"? ) have a couple of vegie patches near the rat building. There's certainly something very appealing about freshly picked food.

Or was the hippy comment just in reference to my hair? :lol:

 

[trippz]

nah i just thought u would like my tipi

 

[kupper]

all i have to say trippz is way TOOO MUCH BASS STATION !!!!!

 

[MrMertens]

well controlled tubs are the way to go, 10 to 14 every four weeks from a single pair housed on their own. Small numbersmeans less food, less work, less bedding unless your breeding comercially good managment is needed over numbers

 

[Midol]

Do you like... give the rats anything to do?

 

[Midol]

Like Wokka, I find it a bit strange that everyone wants to breed their own rats to save money..

I'm breeding my own because I have a different idea of "ideal" conditions for rats than others and so far I haven't seen a single setup which satisfies me.

 

[Omega]

I have bought from stores before and can say that breeding my own has saved me an absolute fortune.
I have no idea why people think that keeping and breeding rodents is an expensive practice, I don't buy anything in bulk and I am still saving heaps. My mouse tubs cost me around $10 each to make including waterer, rat tubs around $15 including waterer.

Spend an initial outlay of $100 and should last you a few years (If you used some of the offspring as adult breeders) that same $100 would easily be gone within a month if I was to buy them frozen!

I buy my wood shavings for $12 for 20kilos, Mouse and rat cubes for $10 for 20kilos. I just don't understand how it could not be saving you money?

 

[Chrisreptile]

I buy my wood shavings for $12 for 20kilos, Mouse and rat cubes for $10 for 20kilos. I just don't understand how it could not be saving you money?

I buy my shavings (0.7 cubic metres, $65) this usually last me 6 weeks.
The quality rat food i buy is $50 for 40kg.

I try and sell a few if i get excess to pay for the food and shavings etc, as long as i can feed my snakes for free, im happy.

 

[kupper]

chris do you find that the sold animals cover the costs of keeping your rats and feeding your naimals though?

 

[ravan]

dear lord! *shudders*