The Rat Ranch

[trippz]

ill give u some of my costs for these 3 racks .........100 tubs $800, 200 valves & spare parts $AUD950(from the US), wood & screws$300(we had some laying around), $900 for 300 rats, $1050 for 1 tonne food & 120 for 120kgs sawdust.This all should last me at least 6 months. Lucky my bf & i love to build things so it wasnt a hassle to make them. I plan on selling excess stock.My initial outlay might be a lot but in the long run i will save $$$$

 

[beeman]

ill give u some of my costs for these 3 racks .........100 tubs $800, 200 valves & spare parts $AUD950(from the US), wood & screws$300(we had some laying around), $900 for 300 rats, $1050 for 1 tonne food & 120 for 120kgs sawdust.This all should last me at least 6 months. Lucky my bf & i love to build things so it wasnt a hassle to make them. I plan on selling excess stock.My initial outlay might be a lot but in the long run i will save $$$$

If you are running the numbers you are quoting you will use most of the tonne of food in under 2 months

 

[Lewy]

If you are running the numbers you are quoting you will use most of the tonne of food in under 2 months

That's what I was thinking LOL and yet people don't want to pay $10 for a jumbo rat

 

[Noongato]

Thats insane!

Youd wanna hope that reptile keeping doesnt become one of those 1 week fads and you sell up in a months time. Hahahhaahaha

 

[trippz]

ive had my licence since i was 12 ive had birds & frogs since then. snakes are just another thing to add to my menagerie.

 

[Jungletrans]

Nice setup , easier to see on here than on a phone screen . l hope you do well with it all and dont forget me when those jungles get a bit older .

 

[Noongato]

Haha ok, wanna hope you dont get a big rat escape, theres enough there to eat you alive!! Hehe

 

[Sdaji]

Nice setup You've put a lot of work in and it looks good

What sort of food are you using? $1050 for a ton is pretty good. How are you giving water to the growout tubs? I assume it's by gravity fed watering, but I can't see it in the pictures.

Like Wokka, I find it a bit strange that everyone wants to breed their own rats to save money. You can brew beer for about 10c a stubby if you really want to, rather than spending $1.50 per can in a slab or $5 at a club, and per hour you're saving more money than you will on your rats. Brewing beer doesn't have the issues of smell and waste disposal either. If you grow your own vegies you'll save a lot of money, etc etc. What is it about rats as opposed to so many other consumable products which makes people want to save money by producing their own? Not that it's a bad thing, I just don't understand it.

 

[trippz]

Sdaji I am using cummins mill to feed them. each grow out tub has a 25lt bucket for water. ther rats have been in the shed for 3 weeks now & only the breeder rack is full. I really enjoy looking after my rats atm it only takes 1 hour to clean, feed & water them & then just a quick check on them each day. its low maintainance. Smell & waste disposal=== i live on a farm/no neighbours= not a problem.I am not much of a tv kid & love comming up with my crazy projects ( i have a tipi & island to prove it) Like snakes, breeding rats is just another thing that people branch out on some people give up after a while because they CBF with the smell ..... BTW i brew my own beer & grow my own vegies too LOL.

 

[blackthorn]

Nice setup You've put a lot of work in and it looks good

What sort of food are you using? $1050 for a ton is pretty good. How are you giving water to the growout tubs? I assume it's by gravity fed watering, but I can't see it in the pictures.

Like Wokka, I find it a bit strange that everyone wants to breed their own rats to save money. You can brew beer for about 10c a stubby if you really want to, rather than spending $1.50 per can in a slab or $5 at a club, and per hour you're saving more money than you will on your rats. Brewing beer doesn't have the issues of smell and waste disposal either. If you grow your own vegies you'll save a lot of money, etc etc. What is it about rats as opposed to so many other consumable products which makes people want to save money by producing their own? Not that it's a bad thing, I just don't understand it.

This may not be quite relevant, but I breed my own rats/mice, initially it was to save money, but I haven't, if anything I'm running at a loss, but I like doing it and I like to know what I'm feeding my reptiles. It's worth it to me to have the certainty that my rodents are safe to feed and also it's a lot easier to optimise feed sizes specific to my reptiles individual weights. It also means that I will always have rodents available, or if I don't, I know how long it will be until I have some.

 

[trippz]

Thank u very much Blackthorn for putting it into a better perspective . I was paying $1.50- $2.50 for pinkies that were missing limbs & had freezer burn.Even the pet shops were saying how the quality wasnt good.Now i have good supply for my babies. When people buy off me, i know what they need & can freshly kill them to their requirements.

 

[Walker]

Wow thats quite the effor if you dont mind me asking where did you get all those rats??????:?:?:lol::lol:

 

[OdessaStud]

You have done a good job but personally I dont like tubs or automatic waterer's, hygene can be a major concern especially if your only checking them every 2nd day, if you have a female with babies in a tub that either floods or some of the babies die bacteria will grow rapidly, summer is worse. You then have the issue of cross contamination not to mention the smell. To recoup your expenses to date you need to breed over four thousand pinkies. As an ex victorian please be mindfull of the extremes of the summer, many times ive got up to a cold morning only to come home to a 40 degree day, the heat and lack of ventilation will kill a rat in less than an hour.Not meaning to come across as a smart arxx just adding my opinion (i dont do it often) good luck with your venture.
Odie
Ps, heres a picture of my setup for your interest

 

[Lewy]

Sdaji I am using cummins mill to feed them. each grow out tub has a 25lt bucket for water. ther rats have been in the shed for 3 weeks now & only the breeder rack is full. I really enjoy looking after my rats atm it only takes 1 hour to clean, feed & water them & then just a quick check on them each day. its low maintainance. Smell & waste disposal=== i live on a farm/no neighbours= not a problem.I am not much of a tv kid & love comming up with my crazy projects ( i have a tipi & island to prove it) Like snakes, breeding rats is just another thing that people branch out on some people give up after a while because they CBF with the smell ..... BTW i brew my own beer & grow my own vegies too LOL.

This may sound silly but can you please tell me the approx size of the cubes that the cummins mill rat food is

Cheers Lewy

 

[Noongato]

That is awesome Odessa!!!!

 

[trippz]

I check them EVERY day.the shed has 6 of those whirlies in the roof and massive double doors. Since it is winter heat isnt a problem just yet.I shred newspaper so they can make their nests. We are in the process of looking for insulation/ freezer pannels for the summer heat. Never in any of my posts have i mentioned that i am looking to re coup the money that i have spent. Breeding rats is just an extension of my love for animals & i get quality food for my snakes.

 

[andycapdnz]

having to pay for the Co2

:shock: So whats with the Co2?? is that for humanly killing the rats is it?.
I'm thinking of breeding a few rats myself and was just curious. :lol:

 

[Lewy]

having to pay for the Co2

:shock: So whats with the Co2?? is that for humanly killing the rats is it?.
I'm thinking of breeding a few rats myself and was just curious. :lol:

Yes its to kill the rats But if your only breeding to supply your self then you can just clonk them. Just as if not quicker than Co2

 

[andycapdnz]

Thanks Lewy,
You know you can make your own Co2, I do it for the plants in my fish tanks.
its not hard. makes them grow like crazy. it wouldnt be hard to divert into a gas chamber for putting a few rats to sleep. its a thought..
I have to persuade the misses into letting me keep rats at home first... lol

 

[trippz]

hope this gives u an idea lewy. the wire is 1" x 1/2". the second pic is of the water & food system in the grow out tubs