I am in the process of switching to a rack & stock tank plan for rodent breeding. I made the lid and set up the water system and all that for the stock tank on Friday night before work. I am using an 11 inch long rabbit feeder for food which is native earth rat blocks.
I came in early Saturday morning and the entire hopper was empty and blocks were everywhere!!!

I stood there and picked through the bedding and put it back in the hopper, most were 1/2 blocks if not more.

Will they stop doing this?? I'm assuming its a "new cage/ new food" exploration thing but they are some wasteful little buggers.

should I rig my hopper to where they have to eat through some 1/2 inch mesh or will they eventually stop flinging it everywhere?

~Beth

I am in the process of switching to a rack & stock tank plan for rodent breeding. I made the lid and set up the water system and all that for the stock tank on Friday night before work. I am using an 11 inch long rabbit feeder for food which is native earth rat blocks.
I came in early Saturday morning and the entire hopper was empty and blocks were everywhere!!!

I stood there and picked through the bedding and put it back in the hopper, most were 1/2 blocks if not more.

Will they stop doing this?? I'm assuming its a "new cage/ new food" exploration thing but they are some wasteful little buggers.

should I rig my hopper to where they have to eat through some 1/2 inch mesh or will they eventually stop flinging it everywhere?

~Beth

You will have to do what I did with my pig feeder and adapt it to work with the 1/2" mesh. The will constantly take the food out and waste it if you don't.

If they can get to it, they'll keep doing it. They love to take a piece of food, bring it somewhere, drop it, get another piece, and repeat. They'll do that nonstop until the hopper is empty. Naughty little things.

You will have to do what I did with my pig feeder and adapt it to work with the 1/2" mesh. The will constantly take the food out and waste it if you don't.

Like this.....

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g302/wildbill_photos/100_0452.jpg

It's natural behavior for a rat to "hoard" it's food. Any open feeders will be emptied in 30 minutes or less. I feed my grow out tank of weanlings from an ordinary crock. They empty it out in 15 minutes and there is lab block all over the cage, BUT the next day it's gone. Everything was eaten. So, eventually, they will find and eat any food taken out of a feeder. Nothing goes to waste. It's only wasted if you change out the litter before they've eaten their "stash"...lol.

they hide and play with thier food it's best to add for rats 1/2 inch mesh,and for mice 1/4 inch mesh so they dont crawl threw