# The Rat Ranch



## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

Hi guys & gals. Just thought id show you some picks of my new rat breeding room. i have a few snakes now so decided it was time to breed my own food. My boyfriend & i built the racks together. Each rack is hooked up to a gravity fed watering system to save me time.I feed & clean them every week & check on them daily. I currently have around 150 females and have plenty of room for more. In the last few weeks the rats have started producing litters.Let me know your thoughts on my design.....cheers crystal


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## James..94 (Aug 30, 2009)

Wow thats alot of rats


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## webcol (Aug 30, 2009)

Thats alot rats!


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## dodgie (Aug 30, 2009)

How many bloody snakes have you got.:lol:


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## cougars (Aug 30, 2009)

Cool setup


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

i have 21 snakes atm, mind u 20 of them are hatchies thats why i need to breed rats. 20 pinkies a week would cost $$$ if i had to buy them from a pet shop.


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## wokka (Aug 30, 2009)

Well, that explains it you'd need 150 breeding females to produce 20 pinkies a week.


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

i have no idea how many fems i need for a constant supply. u breed rats wokka, whats ur guess?


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## Mudimans (Aug 30, 2009)

Maybe a little overkill for 20 hatchies great setup though, at least you can sell the excess


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## wokka (Aug 30, 2009)

trippz said:


> i have no idea how many fems i need for a constant supply. u breed rats wokka, whats ur guess?



You should average about1 offspring per week per breeding female


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## diprotodon (Aug 30, 2009)

top racks well done


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

1 per week? my best mate has snakes too so some will go to feeding her collection. i am lookin at gettin a few more snakes too.


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## wokka (Aug 30, 2009)

trippz said:


> 1 per week? my best mate has snakes too so some will go to feeding her collection. i am lookin at gettin a few more snakes too.



Perhaps ypou could use your spare rat tubs? lol


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## Jonno from ERD (Aug 30, 2009)

wokka said:


> You should average about1 offspring per week per breeding female


 
Surely you're knocking out more than this Warwick?

When I was breeding, we were producing right on 10 per month per female, with the averages spiking to 13 occassionally. 

There is_ a lot _more to breeding rats than simply ratio's and diet. I think a lot of people invest the time and money into breeding large numbers of rodents but limit themselves on their lack of research. Often less tubs that are managed well will produce more young than jamming as many tubs as you can into a shed and just concentrating on the number of females you can have dropping litters.


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

Jonno not all of the fems are of breeding age. i make sure all the rats have room to move & play. These racks are for when they give birth & raise their young.


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## kupper (Aug 30, 2009)

good setup trippz , one porblem your too far away from me


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## AM Pythons (Aug 30, 2009)

overkill for that many snakes...lol.


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## leighroyaus (Aug 30, 2009)

what size tubs are you using and how much and where did u get the tubs? im currently looking at expanding due to sell localy, have 20 tubs on the go atm, looking to go another 30, rat priecs here are rediculous. $30 for a jumbo, pfft.

your going to notice you are going to go threw ALOT of food to jsut feed 20 hatchies tho.
i pay $10 for a 10kg bag of rat pellets.
i go threw about 60kg a month


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## leighroyaus (Aug 30, 2009)

and also where did you get your gravity water feeders from


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

leighroy i bought a tonne of food works out $1.04 a kg atm i the rats are using 20 kgs a week so its cheaper in the long run for me to breed. i enjoy looking after my rats so its not a chore for me. i bought my valves from the US.


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## mungus (Aug 30, 2009)

Any female rat not producing at least 10 weaners per drop is snake food.
I'm getting 12 -14 per litter at the moment.


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

thanks mungus i most of my fems are having their first litters so i dont expect too much from them


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## wokka (Aug 30, 2009)

mungus said:


> Any female rat not producing at least 10 weaners per drop is snake food.
> I'm getting 12 -14 per litter at the moment.



There is a compromise between numbers and wean weights. Optimum litter size will depend upon what you are trying to achieve.


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## pythons73 (Aug 30, 2009)

Nice set-up,ive only got a dozen tubs and im producing 120-160 per months,more than enough for what i need...


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## wokka (Aug 30, 2009)

Jonno from ERD said:


> Surely you're knocking out more than this Warwick?
> 
> When I was breeding, we were producing right on 10 per month per female, with the averages spiking to 13 occassionally.
> 
> There is_ a lot _more to breeding rats than simply ratio's and diet. I think a lot of people invest the time and money into breeding large numbers of rodents but limit themselves on their lack of research. Often less tubs that are managed well will produce more young than jamming as many tubs as you can into a shed and just concentrating on the number of females you can have dropping litters.



If you have had 60 offspring from a 60 week old female then I think that ok across large numbers considering they dont drop their first litter until 4-5 months,


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## Mrs I (Aug 30, 2009)

Thats great, depending on where you live you may need some sort of air conditioner in summer ??


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

im in melbourne so will have to wait & see how nasty summer is


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## Kimbully (Aug 30, 2009)

That last pic has a lot of rats in one tub!


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## Noongato (Aug 30, 2009)

Yeah i hope they dont actuallly live that cramped, poor buggers.


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## kupper (Aug 30, 2009)

grow out tub im sure


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

does this help kimbully? that first pick was a close-up in the tub. i would never over crowd. i understand there are some ppl who do this i dont.


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

thanks kupper


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## nocturnal_pulse (Aug 30, 2009)

i have actually been and purchased some (frozen) rats off this chick and i can tell you the setup is great....as for all the rats in that tub obviously she has taken a pic of them huddled in a corner the "grow out" tubs are about 1.5 meters x 1.5 meters the are huge with lots of room.....the rats are all very health looking and are fed top quality food and well cleaned out ........ funny how from one little pic you all can start ripping someone ...... how many rats do you know jump up to give you a cuddle when you go near them...none im sure they all scurry away and try and hide under each other just like in the pic.....


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## Noongato (Aug 30, 2009)

Ahh ok
Yeah i believe rats at least need comfy living conditions, since their life is sacrificed to feed another.
You got a wide variety of colours there too.


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## coree2009 (Aug 30, 2009)

stunning mate your set up is wicked good job


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

Thanks coree & nocturnal pulse. When i have enough to feed my snakes i will be able to help others out. It seems some pet shops have poor quality rats & cant keep up with stock so should be interesting to see where im at by christmas.


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## kupper (Aug 30, 2009)

most out my way are from matts rats and they are pretty good ,


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## mungus (Aug 30, 2009)

wokka said:


> There is a compromise between numbers and wean weights. Optimum litter size will depend upon what you are trying to achieve.



Very true wokka, but the 3 females that dropped the 14 babies, all survived and were in very good condition - not even a runt......:shock:
I keep the females from such litters and find that each generation their getting better and stronger, just introduce new males to network at times.
At the moment i have 7 females with 89 weaners  [ will seperate them in a few days ]
Mate, got to be happy with these results.
Have another 4 girls ready to drop with the next generation to come through in another month.
If you have 20 good breeding females and 4 or so males, you average about 60 or so weaners a month. That keeps most collections going, especially if you throw a few quails in there for good measure.
At the prices of rats these days [ justified, as to the time and costs in producing them ], you would be crazy not to breed your own - simple.
Aleks.


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## Reptilia (Aug 30, 2009)

Youve got a good setup trippz. Well done. Should have purchased opaque/clear tubs for a few reasons but theyll do the job.

I remember several years back when there were only 2 or so rodent suppliers in vic and rats were about $15 an adult. now there are a heap of suppliers and you can get an adult rat for about $6. Its great!.


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## wokka (Aug 30, 2009)

mungus said:


> Very true wokka, but the 3 females that dropped the 14 babies, all survived and were in very good condition - not even a runt......:shock:
> I keep the females from such litters and find that each generation their getting better and stronger, just introduce new males to network at times.
> At the moment i have 7 females with 89 weaners  [ will seperate them in a few days ]
> Mate, got to be happy with these results.
> ...



Aleks, my point is that if you are trying to produce pinkies then litters of say 18-20 may be desirable, but when aiming at weaners there is little point in aiming for a litter size over 12. Litter size is highly heretible!Big litters are not necessarily desirable.
As an aside; Do you recommend that budgie owners grow birdseed. It only takes a few seeds and a bit of dirt and water.


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## fritzi2009 (Aug 30, 2009)

just wondering, i live in qld and pet shops aren't allowed to sell live animals as reptile food. do any states in australia allow this? by the way i think your set up is great and good luck ! such cute little rats too aw i couldnt bare to let them be food i would want to keep them all but such is life. hope everything goes well for you


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## j.kcustoms (Aug 30, 2009)

Reptilia said:


> Youve got a good setup trippz. Well done. Should have purchased opaque/clear tubs for a few reasons but theyll do the job.
> great set up 'trippz' wish i had the room to do the same ive only got 12 tubs going
> re;whats the difference from black to clear tubs is it the heat factor ?


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## richard (Aug 30, 2009)

Hi,

Can you tell me about the gravity fed drip feed? What hoses, tank? Do you attach the end of a purpose made water bottle to the hose etc.

Cheers

Richard


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## Barno111 (Aug 30, 2009)

Great looking set up. We are about to make some more racks up and that has given me some ideas. Where did you get those tubs from?? If you dont mind me asking!


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

im guessing clear tubs are to see if there are any floods reptillia? i couldnt find any clear tubs in the size i wanted but have now gone straight to the source to aquire them for next time. I bought valves from america & i just use a 25 lt tank & 4mm pipe to run off each valve. it was cheaper to go to a irrigation shop for the fittings( tees & elbows) than bunnings. i know there will be a few kinks in my system that i will need to iron out.


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## Kimbully (Aug 30, 2009)

Sorry wasn't "ripping" anyone! The set up looks excellent 
I like the food tunnel in the centre and the space.
Thanks for the extra pic trippz, even more impressed.

Kim


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## mungus (Aug 30, 2009)

wokka said:


> Aleks, my point is that if you are trying to produce pinkies then litters of say 18-20 may be desirable, but when aiming at weaners there is little point in aiming for a litter size over 12. Litter size is highly heretible!Big litters are not necessarily desirable.
> As an aside; Do you recommend that budgie owners grow birdseed. It only takes a few seeds and a bit of dirt and water.



No way, budgie seed is way to hard to farm.
breeding rats is so easy........:lol:


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## Reptilia (Aug 30, 2009)

trippz said:


> im guessing clear tubs are to see if there are any floods reptillia? i couldnt find any clear tubs in the size i wanted but have now gone straight to the source to aquire them for next time. I bought valves from america & i just use a 25 lt tank & 4mm pipe to run off each valve. it was cheaper to go to a irrigation shop for the fittings( tees & elbows) than bunnings. i know there will be a few kinks in my system that i will need to iron out.



Yep the floods.
But also the photperiod 12/12 (not enough light gets into those black tubs compared to opaque/clear tubs. Thats why labs use them.)
If you are selling a large amount of rodents under an abn then you will probably get a visit from the rspca at some point. They will look at the code which is based on the laboratory setup. Rodents should be able to stand on there hind legs and peer out of the tub, should be housed in opaque/clear strong tubs (escape proof, chew knaw proof) and the tubs should not be overcrowded.


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## Lonewolf (Aug 30, 2009)

thats a grait looking set up we would love one like that but not for feeding purposes lol 

would like to see more pics


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## trippz (Aug 30, 2009)

thanks reptillia i dont think i will be doing commercial quantities but that kind of info is good for the future. i live on 97 acres so u never know


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## Ciircz (Aug 30, 2009)

That's amazing. Do you use C02? If so were abouts do you get it?


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## dodgie (Aug 31, 2009)

trippz said:


> im in melbourne so will have to wait & see how nasty summer is



Melbourne summer you will need some sort of cooling.


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## phac (Aug 31, 2009)

wokka said:


> As an aside; Do you recommend that budgie owners grow birdseed. It only takes a few seeds and a bit of dirt and water.


 
If budgie seed was the price per kg that rodents are, yes, that would be recommended. Scotch fillet steak is cheaper per kg than rodents. Why can rodent breeders in the states sell jumbo rats for $2.00 each?? And its not because they have mexicans working for them for nothing before that old chestnut gets wheeled out by the aussie rodent breeders. Even the small breeders over there who work for themselves have similiar prices to the bigger breeders.


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## wokka (Aug 31, 2009)

phac said:


> If budgie seed was the price per kg that rodents are, yes, that would be recommended. Scotch fillet steak is cheaper per kg than rodents. Why can rodent breeders in the states sell jumbo rats for $2.00 each?? And its not because they have mexicans working for them for nothing before that old chestnut gets wheeled out by the aussie rodent breeders. Even the small breeders over there who work for themselves have similiar prices to the bigger breeders.


I agree that without the costs of employing labour and the requirement to pay tax, small breeders should be able to sell for far less than the larger breeders. I guess they get what the market will pay, and capitalise on not paying workers comp,holiday pay,gst,income tax,rent ect that many of the larger breeders and shops pay.


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## Lewy (Aug 31, 2009)

Never understand why people always compare America to Australia we are different people. Most Americans rat suppliers don't grow there rats right up as the have a huge market for the smaller size animals like the Ball python 

If your not happy with rat prices then breed your own. IMO the price of rats and mice is stuff all. For the amount of time and effort that we need to put in to cleaning, feeding, sorting, power, lighting, building rack systems, waterers, drippers, saw dust, having to pay for the Co2 and running freezers. Its a full time job and costs a lot to keep running it takes something like 6-7 months to get a full size/jumbo rat and to then only charge $10 for it?? it nearly cost that to feed it LOL 

JMO 
Lewy


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## Troy K. (Aug 31, 2009)

I agree with you Lewy. People come and have a look at my rat set up every now and then and ask do you think I should breed my own rats. I always give them the same answer, do you want to be a snake breeder or a rat breeder? 

My thoughts are if you want to be a snake breeder than put a couple of extra female snakes into your collection and the money you'll get back from breeding them will more than pay for your rats for the year and a lot less work. 

Good work with your set up Trippz. Clean and user friendly with plenty of room to work.


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## steph (Aug 31, 2009)

looks like a great set up. we too breed our own rats but not that many at the moment. just looking at getting a shed, what about ventilation in summer. I thought a shed might be too hot in summer we would have to get extra windows in it, have you got any suggestions 
as we live in Brizzi and it gets bloody hot.

cheers 

julies


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## mungus (Aug 31, 2009)

:lol:


Lewy said:


> Never understand why people always compare America to Australia we are different people. Most Americans rat suppliers don't grow there rats right up as the have a huge market for the smaller size animals like the Ball python
> 
> If your not happy with rat prices then breed your own. IMO the price of rats and mice is stuff all. For the amount of time and effort that we need to put in to cleaning, feeding, sorting, power, lighting, building rack systems, waterers, drippers, saw dust, having to pay for the Co2 and running freezers. Its a full time job and costs a lot to keep running it takes something like 6-7 months to get a full size/jumbo rat and to then only charge $10 for it?? it nearly cost that to feed it LOL
> 
> ...


 
Sorry Lewy, but I dont agree with you on this one.
Tubs and racks are basic to make.
A bag of feed and bedding is no more than $40 a month at the most.
My rats and mice get done every Friday Night [ while listening to the footy on the radio...:lol: ]
and its 2 hrs of my time a week - bugger all .
Water and food checks every 2 days, which takes 5 -10 minutes Max, while getting the car out most times.............:lol:
By the way Trippz, your rack system is awesome, but slightly large for the average Joe blow.
Should start to breed and sell, bit of extra pocket money.................


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## Lewy (Aug 31, 2009)

mungus said:


> :lol:
> 
> Sorry Lewy, but I dont agree with you on this one.
> Tubs and racks are basic to make.
> ...


 

LOL no problems Mungus, But I am talking about big scale breeding not just a few racks. I'm in the proses of building a few hundred racks and by the time I'm finished I'm hoping to be putting out a few hundred rats a week  

ATM I'm going through well over $100 a month in food and saw dust and it still going up with more tubs being built

With my caravan full of mice and my carport full of rats its a good half day Friday cleaning them and at least an hour aday topping up all there foods and sorting out the different sizes for killing, then weighing each one and bagging them then rotating the freezer to make sure the older stock comes to the top and so on

Cheers Lewy


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## Fireflyshuffle (Aug 31, 2009)

I agree completely with Lewy also, Im going throught the same amount as you.. they arent cheap and you must be commited to their hygeine, especially if you want to sell, but even more, would you feed your reps crappy dirty unhygenic rodents? you may aswell hunt wild ones lol.
A couple of breeders for your reps at home, no worries. But if you want more than just that, thought needs to be considered.


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## trippz (Aug 31, 2009)

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 $$$$


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## beeman (Aug 31, 2009)

trippz said:


> 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


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## Lewy (Aug 31, 2009)

beeman said:


> 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


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## Noongato (Aug 31, 2009)

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


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## trippz (Aug 31, 2009)

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


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## Jungletrans (Aug 31, 2009)

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 .


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## Noongato (Aug 31, 2009)

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


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## Sdaji (Aug 31, 2009)

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.


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## trippz (Aug 31, 2009)

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.


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## blackthorn (Aug 31, 2009)

Sdaji said:


> 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.


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## trippz (Aug 31, 2009)

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.


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## Walker (Aug 31, 2009)

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


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## OdessaStud (Aug 31, 2009)

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


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## Lewy (Aug 31, 2009)

trippz said:


> 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


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## Noongato (Aug 31, 2009)

That is awesome Odessa!!!!


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## trippz (Aug 31, 2009)

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.


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## andycapdnz (Aug 31, 2009)

Lewy said:


> 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:_


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## Lewy (Aug 31, 2009)

andycapdnz said:


> Lewy said:
> 
> 
> > having to pay for the Co2
> ...


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## andycapdnz (Aug 31, 2009)

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


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## trippz (Aug 31, 2009)

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


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## leighroyaus (Aug 31, 2009)

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.


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## Sdaji (Aug 31, 2009)

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.


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## booboomoomoo (Aug 31, 2009)

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


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## zulu (Aug 31, 2009)

*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.


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## mungus (Aug 31, 2009)

zulu said:


> 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............


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## trippz (Aug 31, 2009)

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?


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## Ciircz (Aug 31, 2009)

Where do you buy your c02 from?


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## trippz (Aug 31, 2009)

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


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## Ciircz (Aug 31, 2009)

Thanks anyway, I'll have to find out.


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## Lewy (Aug 31, 2009)

Ciircz said:


> Thanks anyway, I'll have to find out.


 

Most people I no get it from BOC


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## Sdaji (Aug 31, 2009)

trippz said:


> 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:


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## trippz (Aug 31, 2009)

nah i just thought u would like my tipi


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## kupper (Oct 9, 2009)

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


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## MrMertens (Oct 9, 2009)

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


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## Midol (Oct 9, 2009)

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


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## Midol (Oct 9, 2009)

Sdaji said:


> 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.


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## Omega (Oct 9, 2009)

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?


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## Chrisreptile (Oct 9, 2009)

Omega said:


> 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.


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## kupper (Oct 9, 2009)

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


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## ravan (Oct 9, 2009)

dear lord! *shudders*


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## Chrisreptile (Oct 9, 2009)

kupper said:


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



Including initial start up costs and monthly food/shavings....no lol.
I'm catching up though. It costs about $260 a month to maintain my colony.
I'm not selling near that, although i do use quite a few rats for my own purposes.


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## nugget (Oct 9, 2009)

Thats a mad setup you got trippz.
Really like the feed tube idea in the growout cages.
Where does everyone get thier rat pellets from? I haven't seen them anywhere. 
Also where is the cheapest place to get those opaque tubs from?

Cheers


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## trippz (Oct 10, 2009)

Midol they are bred for food not as pets. They are given chew wood & a wheel in their large tubs, the small tubs are for the first 4 weeks.Nugget I buy from cummins mill they are located in SA.


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## kupper (Oct 10, 2009)

Trippz can you make me a ti pi as well please


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## mungus (Oct 11, 2009)

At the moment I have 9 girls with 11 - 14 bubs each.
I purchase Medium rats from a local breeder if I need any extra at a very good $$$ here in Newcastle [ meduium rats weight - 150g average ].
PM me for details.
Breeding your own saves an absolute fortune !!!
Dont let anyone tell you any different.
Cheers,
Aleks.


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## trippz (Oct 11, 2009)

lol NO KUPPER!!!! i bought that from Byron Bay. I am selling my excess rats now so if you are in the South Eastern suburbs & you need rats or mice PM me =D. Live available too


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## krusty (Oct 11, 2009)

looks like a great set up,well done.


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## Jungletrans (Oct 11, 2009)

lts not just about the money saved [ lots ] , l like to know the history of the animals l feed to my snakes .


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## kupper (Oct 11, 2009)

Pleeeeese I want a tipi for when I come home lol


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## Just_Joshin (Oct 11, 2009)

Chrisreptile said:


> 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.


 
$65!!!!! i can get that much for $20.. OUCH!


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## Chrisreptile (Oct 11, 2009)

Just_Joshin said:


> $65!!!!! i can get that much for $20.. OUCH!



Who supplies them, or do you know someone?

These are the huge 'Breeders Choice' bales.


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## nugget (Oct 12, 2009)

Why pay for shavings? I get it free from a local saw mill.


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## Chrisreptile (Oct 12, 2009)

nugget said:


> Why pay for shavings? I get it free from a local saw mill.



Not everyone has a local saw mill


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## wokka (Oct 13, 2009)

I find kiln dried shaving are far more absorbent than "green" shavings/sawdust from a mill, and far more convenient and consistent.


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## ReptilesAsPets (Apr 26, 2010)

Like the setup how do they go about eating ther food wher do you feed them.
In the tub or on the wire


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