# Pro-Colony Metal -rodent breeding rack is here!



## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 6, 2010)

Finally got around to and completed the design for my new indoor / outdoor rodent breeding setup. Based on my original Pro-Colony design, but have eliminated the melamine carcass for an all aluminium frame. New model features a whopping 4000 sq cm of ventillation. An increase of 300%! Couple that with a 75% decrease in weight, we are onto a winner! 

I have maintained all the best design features like gravity watering, large feed basket, slide out tub, chew proof bin guides, and front access. Have modified the door design to allow tray to be pulled out without opening the cage door but I am not sure if this would offer any benefit. This way the door acts as the front bin guide.

Pricing starts at $120 per bay for a 5 bay unit. Compared to the professional tub breeding systems available, this is a slightly better deal and an easier to maintain design. Iam working on an add-on feature that will turn this unit into an outdoor, aviary style setup with front entry doors, shade cloth surrounds and a zinc-alum roof. Stay tuned for that update!


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## kupper (Feb 6, 2010)

That's wicked will you be freighting ?


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## snake_boy (Feb 6, 2010)

thats heaps kool bro


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## dtulip10 (Feb 6, 2010)

how long till we can purchase?
cheers Dayle


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## Wild~Touch (Feb 6, 2010)

For anyone that is interested Snake Whisperer aka Aaron will be guest speaker at HSQ meeting
tomorrow, Sunday Feb.7th. starts 10 am....at Eatons Hill
Come along and throw heaps of questions at him and a couple of orders too !
Cheers
Sandee


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## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 6, 2010)

I believe shipping is very much on the cards for this unit. I will put one together in the next month and work out how much shipping will be to all states. I will keep updating this thread as new information comes in.

Dayle, this model is available to order now! I see you are in Newcastle? At present, I am happy to ship as far as Byron Bay/Lismore for $90 so if you were game to meet me there, I could sort something out for you!


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## Wild~Touch (Feb 6, 2010)

Does this unit come with castors ??


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## euphorion (Feb 6, 2010)

how are you going to stop the rodents from chewing the black connectors for the Queblok? i can see them ripping through those in a few weeks easy...?


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## dtulip10 (Feb 6, 2010)

Snake_Whisperer said:


> I believe shipping is very much on the cards for this unit. I will put one together in the next month and work out how much shipping will be to all states. I will keep updating this thread as new information comes in.
> 
> Dayle, this model is available to order now! I see you are in Newcastle? At present, I am happy to ship as far as Byron Bay/Lismore for $90 so if you were game to meet me there, I could sort something out for you!



a holiday to byron would not go astray. i'll chat with the wife and let ya know.
cheers Dayle


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## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 6, 2010)

Hi Sandee, yes, all units are on castors, only way to go IMO.

Shooshoo, internal corners of Qubelok are not exposed in any way and 6mm square mesh is fitted to inside of the frame. Physically impossible to get their mongrel little, cage wrecking teeth into it!


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## wokka (Feb 6, 2010)

it does look like the rats could knaw at the plastic corners on the inside of the door!


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## euphorion (Feb 6, 2010)

Snake_Whisperer said:


> Hi Sandee, yes, all units are on castors, only way to go IMO.
> 
> Shooshoo, internal corners of Qubelok are not exposed in any way and 6mm square mesh is fitted to inside of the frame. Physically impossible to get their mongrel little, cage wrecking teeth into it!



i like this, i like this alot!!  great design!


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## euphorion (Feb 6, 2010)

how do the doors stay shut, what are the bin runners made from, what are the dimensions of the bins and each bay, what volume of feed can the feeders hold, how is the watering system attached.


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## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 6, 2010)

wokka said:


> it does look like the rats could knaw at the plastic corners on the inside of the door!


 
A valid point Warwick. Two aluminium rails to act as door stops / corner protectors will solve that one. Cheers!

Shoo, roller catches hold the doors shut (in use for over 12 months, no problems with them), bin guides are aluminium angle, bins are 400 x 600 x 150, bay is 400 x 600 x 325, feeders hold about 6 cups of feed (about 1 week worth for 4 adult rats plus food can't be pooped in), sippers are friction fit inside feed cages (again, in use for over 12 months, no problems with them either). WHEW! That was a mouthful!


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## wiz-fiz (Feb 6, 2010)

wow! they look epic!!!
what program did u use to draw them?


Will


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## Brent (Feb 6, 2010)

looks good , i have seen many laboratory type - UK and USA made units,
and home made units over the last 25yrs 
this one looks very good, one of the best i have seen. 
you have done a great job fine tuning any problems i think to ensure that rodents will not damage or escape.


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## Bez84 (Feb 6, 2010)

Are these units shipped assembled, could be alot easyier and possibly cheaper to ship if they were an assemble yourself system. Insert tab a into slot b etc


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## euphorion (Feb 6, 2010)

Snake_Whisperer said:


> A valid point Warwick. Two aluminium rails to act as door stops / corner protectors will solve that one. Cheers!



can you do a redrawn design with these rails incorporated for us to see? i dont see how you can put them in without displacing your door frame. sorry to be a pain but i've made a few things with Queblok and am well aware of the frustration it can cause if you dont finetune EVERYTHING before you start.


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## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 7, 2010)

shooshoo said:


> can you do a redrawn design with these rails incorporated for us to see? i dont see how you can put them in without displacing your door frame. sorry to be a pain but i've made a few things with Queblok and am well aware of the frustration it can cause if you dont finetune EVERYTHING before you start.


 
After giving it a bit of a think, simplest solution is some 25mm angle to the top and bottom of the door. This will also serve to stiffen the only potetial weak point (the swinging door). While I don't believe the corners would be a problem as the plastic corner presents as a flat, vertical surface inside the bay, there is potential there so a couple of quid worth of ally eliminates that potential!

Wiz, Google Sketchup is used for the drawings. Cheers!


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## wokka (Feb 7, 2010)

I dont know how that "Q lock" stuff works but you may be able to cover the inside of the door with mesh so the plastic is behind the mesh.


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## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 7, 2010)

I'd thought of that wokka, but purely for aesthetic reasons, decided against it. I'm trying to maintain function and appearance. The problematic point in question would be the bottom corners of the doors so to protect with wire would require wrapping it around to the bottom of the door. I think the spaces between the wires would also leave the problem largely intact as they have no problem chewing between them. Cheers.


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## euphorion (Feb 7, 2010)

ahhh he's a thinker! sounds like you've got it all worked out 

flat packing would be super easy, not the lightest of materials so could be exy in the shipping but overall i think you're onto a winner here!


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## Bax155 (Feb 7, 2010)

Great looking set-up but my only concern is rodents in my experience like to hide and with this style of cage they have no cover to feel safe, my racks are constructed from metal in a similar fashion to all the concrete mixing tub set-ups you see out there where the food is placed on top of the mesh, I find they always sleep during the day under the feed as to give themselves some type of cover and a sense of security. Just s thought you may like to consider.


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## Reptilia (Feb 7, 2010)

get rid of the hopper on the back, put a hopper on the front door holding the food and put a piece of angle on the inside of the door so when u shut it it covers the front lip of the tub. 2 more angles on the side walls covering the side lips and a piece of angle on the back covering the back lip of the tub (which you have already done). add an edstrom watering system (gravity fed) to the back of the rack. As stated in the previous post they are way to open and will stress the rats out as they need both a light spot and dark area. You would have to add a hides to all the cages.


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## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 8, 2010)

Reptilia said:


> get rid of the hopper on the back, put a hopper on the front door holding the food and put a piece of angle on the inside of the door so when u shut it it covers the front lip of the tub. 2 more angles on the side walls covering the side lips and a piece of angle on the back covering the back lip of the tub (which you have already done). add an edstrom watering system (gravity fed) to the back of the rack. As stated in the previous post they are way to open and will stress the rats out as they need both a light spot and dark area. You would have to add a hides to all the cages.


 
Flicked the hopper on the door as I didn't like the blocked visibility. Angles are already there (look closer) on 3 sides, door covers 4th lip. As stated earlier, angle to bottom of door provides door chew barrier. Edstrom is the watering system I use , hence the mention of a gravity fed watering system in post #1. In 2 years of breeding rats in full visibility tubs with no nesting boxes, on a moderate scale, never had a problem with stressed out rats. :? Perhaps I will wheel a TV in there with some Dr. Phil to help with their emotional state. I wouldn't have to add hide/nesting boxes but you can add them if it pleases you!


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## Bax155 (Feb 9, 2010)

I find they prefer music over TV, especially if its Dr. Phil their watching, who really watches that garbage??? If you do go the TV route by an LCD, a lot easier then wheeling an an old school TV!! At least the advantage with this style of cage is they will all get a good view of the TV


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## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 9, 2010)

Lol, yeh, I threw out my old tube telly some time ago but it got me back by giving me a hernia! No Dr. Phil huh? How about Oprah? I will try playing them some Enya to calm their little nerves. Pity they won't be able to hear it over the table saw and router most of the time though. 

Seriously though, what are the noteable effects of this stress. I am genuinely curious. As far as I know they are fine. Females average 9 pups per month each, the last biter I culled was about 4 months ago so none out of about 40 are biters. Out of those 40, at least 10 are less than 4 months old. Heck, even with the heat this season, I only lost 2 breeders whereas last year I lost about 10 to the heat.


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## jennyb (Feb 10, 2010)

*Rat racks*

Wow I really like these. You certainly have done a good design job. Whats the mesh size used? I am looking for mice use, I already have the URS cage rack systems which are ok, but I find them too small and have starting using more of the rat breeder boxes instead with larger colonies living in them and the only other ones I like are in the USA as they give better floor space so your design is looking a pretty good idea to me.
Jenny


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## Snake_Whisperer (Feb 10, 2010)

jennyb said:


> Wow I really like these. You certainly have done a good design job. Whats the mesh size used? I am looking for mice use, I already have the URS cage rack systems which are ok, but I find them too small and have starting using more of the rat breeder boxes instead with larger colonies living in them and the only other ones I like are in the USA as they give better floor space so your design is looking a pretty good idea to me.
> Jenny


 
PM sent Jenny. Cheers!


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