rat rack

[Lisa]

Here's our rat rack that katey and I built. still tweeking things, planning on changing to metal bins. It holds 12 bins, 4 female rats per bin, moving males through out every week. Planing on building a few other racks too.

[JasonBrennan]

The suggestion I would make is if you want to feed on top of the cages like that, you need a food hopper to hold the food in place. With it loose like that, the animals really can't get to the food easily (it will just move as they try to bite into it). If you made a food hopper to put on top, then the weight of the food above will hold the food on the bottom in place and allow the rats to get to it.

Also, it looks like you are feeding dog food?

[mykee]

And the dog/rat food debate continues. Round 426. DING!

[asphyxia]

Looks good, What size are the bins, and where did you purchase them? Also, do you know if mice can get out of a bin/screen like you are using

Thanks
B

[Lisa]

the rats have no problem eating the food.

the bins are about 22X16X6, jumbo deluxe kitty litter pans, from superpet. mice can get out of the size of screen i'm using (1/2") for mice i'd go with 1/4" screen and a different bin, shallower.

i'm not happy with the kind of plastic the bins are made of, its too soft. I figure we can make metal bins for the same price...

[sapphire_moon]

nice!

I got my rats on rat food, I don't like it, they seem to be getting thin, so I've been supplementing with dog food. And plan on putting them back on ol roy dog food they were plumper on it, and not as jumpy or "food crazy" as they are now.

[annieb_mice]

I was considering making another comment about feeding cheap <crap> dog food, but decided not to waste my breath. But I thought I would suggest something you can use along with the dog food, if you are concerned in any way about your rat's health that is.
I have found that the large horse pellets are almost identical to rodent lab blocks, but are a LOT cheaper! They have the same ingredients and virtually the same nutritional value. For a 25 lb bag of the large horse pellets, which I only feed to my rats, it costs about $18 per bag and one bag lasts me about a month. I do suppliment with other foods as well, but I've noticed that my females are less food crazy, not that they were before but you know how a nursing female can get... The pups also look plumper and seem more active.
I tried this food with a small group of rats and compared them to my others after two months. I still plan to continue testing this out for at least another two months before I give it to all the rats, but so far, things look very good.
When comparing the prices with the lab blocks and the large horse pellets, the pellets are cheaper than the lab blocks and as I said, are virtually the same thing.
Oh yeah... and about the racks... it looks good. How are you doing the water system? For the bins, have you thought about using sterylite or rubber maid bins? I use the sterylite bins for my pregnant females and have found them to be excellent! I would think that metal bins would rust over time, with the constant urine. I agree with the comment about using food hoppers though, but if you aren't having a problem now, then there is probably no need to change. I've got a rat cage rack coming in the next couple of days and can't wait! Personally, I like using a "cage" system with rats so they have the extra air flow. I have found that rats "sweat" a bit too much for my liking in the bins.
Anyways... Good luck and take care
Annie B. <:3 )~~

[Oliverian]

What are the blue tubes for? And the bins simply slide out, right?

Looks good.

-TammyR

[annieb_mice]

The blue tubing is the water system. It is an automatic dripless system that most professional feeder breeders use and is an excellent way of providing water.
The bins slide in and out easily. Rack systems really are the best way to go if you are keeping more than just a few rodents. They are easy to clean and feeding and watering is easy and fast to do.
<sorry for butting in Lisa >
Take care
Annie B. <:3 )~~

[Lisa]

Yup, the tubing is a watering system. I've left the waterbottles in to help transition the rats from one method to the other. The watering system seems to be working as the water goes down in the water bucket and I have to fill waterbottles every 3 days instead of every day... eventually i'll just take the waterbottles away.

I've found with our caging (martins rat caging 1"x1/2" mesh) that the babies could squish out, which to say the least is not desirable. we will still use the cages for growing our rats to bigger sizes.

I wish we switched from cages to racks and from waterbottles to watering system sooner.

[mykee]

Annie, why go with the whole horse food route for $1/lb. when actual rat block is les than $.50/lb? Horses eat horse food, dogs eat dog food and rats should eat rat food.

[justinO]

Where can someone obtain the tubing and nozzles for the watering system? I'm interested in switching to that for our racks instead of water bottles.

thanks

[annieb_mice]

I don't know where you are getting your lab blocks from... but the places out here are charging an average of about $30 for a 25lb bag of food. I have tried lab blocks before and wasn't too impressed, and had several good breeders die. I have had good results from the horse blocks thus far. My rats are not fed solely on the horse blocks, but are also fed a variety of different fresh foods. Ok... I admit it... my rats are spoiled ratten! They all got some nice fresh hard boiled eggs today and had lots of fun trying to figure out how to get at the yummy stuff inside.
Take care
Annie B. <:3 )~~

[annieb_mice]

Originally posted by mykee
Annie, why go with the whole horse food route for $1/lb. when actual rat block is les than $.50/lb? Horses eat horse food, dogs eat dog food and rats should eat rat food.

*** Forgot to mention... my dogs DON"T eat "dog food." They are fed a raw food diet. I will NEVER buy "rat food" for my animals, at least not the crap you find in the pet stores. Oh... and just as a side note... let's not forget that horses and cattle eat grains, how many farms have you heard of that are free of mice?
Take care
Annie B. <:3 )~~

[corrado]

This is my rat rack this is the best thing for breeding rats you have just one bad thing is the smell lol.

Sebastien