What is the minimum temp you are keeping your rats at in the garage or rat building. I am looking to setup some rats in the garage in a shed but need to know the minimum temp they can be kept at and still breed well.

Richard

I try to keep mine from dropping under 40 degrees. If it drops under 40 I'll fire up a small heater in the room to take the edge off.

Another good tip is when the room starts getting really cool. Start keeping your groups a little tighter. Instead of 1.5 go with 1.7 the extra bodies does wonders for adding more heat.

Make sure the fans are off as well. I turn everything off when the temps get low, just dead air.

If the water starts to freeze it's too cold.

I try to keep mine from dropping under 40 degrees. If it drops under 40 I'll fire up a small heater in the room to take the edge off.

Another good tip is when the room starts getting really cool. Start keeping your groups a little tighter. Instead of 1.5 go with 1.7 the extra bodies does wonders for adding more heat.

Make sure the fans are off as well. I turn everything off when the temps get low, just dead air.

If the water starts to freeze it's too cold.

That explains my failure :lol::lol:

No I keep mine about the same way =)

I agree for mice and rats, but for the ASF they seem to like the warmer temps. The colony I had setup didn't seem to produce as much with colder temps.

I keep most of my mice in 56qrt tubs.... dump some newspaper in with em and they'll take care of the rest and build the nest. The other thing is try to keep em as clean as possible, clean bedding holds heat, dirty doesn't.

Let the numbers get a little higher as Larry mentioned. I'm getting our garagre gas heater looked at so I can fire it up. I want to try and keep it at 50F this winter so they don't slack off too much on production.

I also make a point of feeding them bread, the extra food, vits n mins does help I think.

Pretty much the same, fire up a little heater if it gets near freezing to take the edge off, but that is it.

I agree for mice and rats, but for the ASF they seem to like the warmer temps. The colony I had setup didn't seem to produce as much with colder temps.

I'm sorry I was talking about the rats and mice only. I tried it with ASF's and they wouldn't produce under like 55-60. If I did get a litter from ASF at those cold temps the babies always died

I'm actually always dealing with the opposite, the heat. Here in AZ I run a air conditioner for my rats. When it get 115F outside its really tough keeping them cool enough.

I'm sorry I was talking about the rats and mice only. I tried it with ASF's and they wouldn't produce under like 55-60. If I did get a litter from ASF at those cold temps the babies always died

Thats good to know, it is starting to get down to the mid 60's and i was getting worried. Trying to get to breed some asf's.:yourock:

Good info guys. I am getting ready to setup some rats in the garage and just wanted to make sure I did not freeze them out there.

Thanks Richard

I run a couple 250 watt bulbs in my rat building and try to hold it at about 55 degrees. The ASF don't breed well but as long as they have warm days they do OK.

Hmm this thread rocks.,.. i was just saying how i need to update the production but dont have the space... unless i move em to the shed...

what type of space heater do you guys use for your sheds without electricity in the winter?

Hmm this thread rocks.,.. i was just saying how i need to update the production but dont have the space... unless i move em to the shed...

what type of space heater do you guys use for your sheds without electricity in the winter?


This is what I would like too know too. I have just been moving them inside the last few years and I would rather keep them outside. Than upstairs. :lol:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=42164-63981-HO-301&detail=cr&lpage=none

Something like this could work maybe if we really bush leage it and run a godly amount of extension cords to the shed... LOLOLOLOL

It would be bush league to not only use the extension cords but bury them too!

mine (asf) are being a pain in the ass and not breeding now that temps ave dropped its only around 65 but they are stubborn so going to increase temps a little just to see if it gets the going again

mine (asf) are being a pain in the ass and not breeding now that temps ave dropped its only around 65 but they are stubborn so going to increase temps a little just to see if it gets the going again

Mike may not be the temp but how many in the tank. If there are too many they tend to quit producing as well.

Right now our rodents are in the house, next year they will be outside.

I'm wondering about the temp range for breeding ASF's. I lost some new babies the other night when it only dipped down to about 70. Could have been something else but I'm wondering if they really do best at mid 70's and above. On the high end I've read about them breeding in FL in the summer without AC (90's?) so maybe they really like the heat unlike Norway rats and mice. Would be a pain to switch back and forth on feeder species between seasons but maybe if you can't provide temperature control that might work for some (Norway in the winter, ASF’s in the summer).

I use a heater similar to the one linked to in my herp room... it works real well. I have yet to have to kick it up to 1500watts..... in the dead of winter I only have to switch it up to 900watts.

And I do have a bright orange extension cord burried outside :)

And I do have a bright orange extension cord burried outside :)

:yourock:

The ASF's love heat...the more the better I think. The room they are in was well over 90 this summer and luckily none of the regular rats bit the big one but those ASF's were going full steam ahead...one litter after another.

We got them originally from a guy who breeds rats for a living and he had a few colonies of ASF's die off from a cool breeze one night, at the time and price they were I set them up nice and cozy in a nice warm non drafty spot in the house.

We have a tall oil filled heater in our garage, it keeps it very warm in there. Talking high 60's-70's.

Maybe for ASF's high 60's and 70's are chilly. I've lost a few more pinkies and fuzzies on cold nights. I'm going to go get some more insulation for my rat room tomorrow and try to get it up into the high 70's to mid 80's and see if that helps. I haven't seen any eaten. Just dead out of the nest for the last few. Haven't lost any ones big enough to have good hair yet.

Weird how the rats can live in 40 degree...but the things that eat the rats cant go below 70

Keep the ASF with your Balls and they will do great in those temps.