Keeping Mouse Enclosures Smelling Fresh?

[Snakefood]

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

Have you checked yo make sure they didn't castrate him? One of my females got 2 different males before I could figure out who was doing it. And what is your male to female ratio for rats?

Well the male mouse has nuts, that's all I can say!! But I can easily replace him come payday and feed him off to one of the girls!!

My rat ratio is 2:8 (with 4 more females growing now)

I have one litter growing for my own uses right now, I have just bred 2 more females, and am about to breed 3 more. I like to stagger my litters!

[rodentgirl01]

Thanks for all the comments on the racks. They're nice but I need more. lol

The watering system is a MUST HAVE for lots of rodents. All you have to do is set it up and check it. I have had floods with my very first system, but that was due to an escaped rat that chewed through the lines.

Personally, I'm not sure what smells more right now, my mice, or my rats. I moved all my mice to my office today as well as a few rats. The mice in the rack shown were all fancy show mice I picked up as a "pet colony".

My feeder breeders will all go in the basement in more racks when they come in.


As far as asf's, I PERSONALLY wouldn't use any store bought plastic tub for them. I know people use the black cement mixing tubs with no problem, BUT I also know people who use the black cement mixing tubs and end up chasing asf's all around their house.

As someone who had a feral colony of asf's living in their basement, I'm telling you, it's not fun! LOL

You can go with 10 gallon tanks with METAL screen lids (not the plastic lids with the window screen because they still chew right through the lid and screen).

Pros- glass so no chew outs, can fit a larger colony

Cons- glass so it's heavy, if you drop it, you have glass everywhere, they chew the hanging bottles to shreds a lot of the time, they will fill bowls with bedding in a matter of minutes and absorb all their water, can't do auto watering.

The problem with asf's is that they are tenacious chewers.

We always used these tubs for our asf rats (my setup before I moved).




I ran 1.2 in there and had much success. They can't chew the tubs because of the metal lid that sits inside the tub. There's no space for teeth, plus, the tubs are the really expensive lab grade tubs directly from a used lab equipment supplier. I bought about 300 of those tubs.

Now we're changing it up, since our asf's we had decided they wanted to just push the lids off the top as they got larger.

We're taking the same tubs, not using the lids, and putting the tubs in a rack. That's what we're going to be using for our asf's.



And lastly, I DO NOT recommend Big Apple Herp mice/rat tubs, especially NOT for asf rats. I had mice do a number on one Big Apple Herp tub and I'm glad I saw that before deciding to purchase a bunch from them.

That's just my experience.

[millertime89]

what do you guys mean by asf's?

[spots]

Originally Posted by millertime89

what do you guys mean by asf's?

African soft fur (Rats)

Originally Posted by rodentgirl01

Thanks for all the comments on the racks. They're nice but I need more. lol

As far as asf's, I PERSONALLY wouldn't use any store bought plastic tub for them. I know people use the black cement mixing tubs with no problem, BUT I also know people who use the black cement mixing tubs and end up chasing asf's all around their house.

As someone who had a feral colony of asf's living in their basement, I'm telling you, it's not fun! LOL

You can go with 10 gallon tanks with METAL screen lids (not the plastic lids with the window screen because they still chew right through the lid and screen).

Pros- glass so no chew outs, can fit a larger colony

Cons- glass so it's heavy, if you drop it, you have glass everywhere, they chew the hanging bottles to shreds a lot of the time, they will fill bowls with bedding in a matter of minutes and absorb all their water, can't do auto watering.

The problem with asf's is that they are tenacious chewers.

I ran 1.2 in there and had much success. They can't chew the tubs because of the metal lid that sits inside the tub. There's no space for teeth, plus, the tubs are the really expensive lab grade tubs directly from a used lab equipment supplier. I bought about 300 of those tubs.

Now we're changing it up, since our asf's we had decided they wanted to just push the lids off the top as they got larger.

We're taking the same tubs, not using the lids, and putting the tubs in a rack. That's what we're going to be using for our asf's.

That's just my experience.

Rodentgirl01 where can I get some of those tubs? I am in the process of breeding asf's. I have them in 10gal tanks but want to make a rack system. Also what do you do for watering asf's? I have only had mine for a week, I have a water bottle in with them now and so far luck with it still being intact.
Thanks
Jimi

[infernalis]

I had one lone rat running loose for a couple months, Finally caught him in a box trap and put him back, just cleaning up after one was a pain...

[Kayla90]

We just got this awesome bedding for our rats... it use to smell so bad in this room, but now I can barely tell we have them.. well except for the little tiny cute voices of the newborns :P

[Gungirl]

Originally Posted by Kayla90

We just got this awesome bedding for our rats... it use to smell so bad in this room, but now I can barely tell we have them.. well except for the little tiny cute voices of the newborns :P

What bedding? Name?

[Kayla90]

I'd tell you.. but I'd have to kill you... bahaha jk.. I'm not 100% sure.. You'd have to ask Steph.. but I'm pretty sure it came in a nameless bag..

[rodentgirl01]

I'm using a metal bowl for the one colony I have now in a 10 gallon while the rack is getting built but it's a pain.

Everyone will have Edstrom Vari Flow Valves for watering system.