>>I find that the $6.00 Sterilite tubs--the ones with no inside contours--are excellent breeder boxes. I do some woodworking so it's no problem for me to make screen-covered frames for the tops. I drill a hole to pass the stem of the water bottle through, and make a harness by linking nylon cable ties together, to hold the bottle outside the tub. Feeders are heavy-guage galvanized screen bent into free-standing boxes which rest in the middle of the floor of the tub. By cutting the sides of the feeders a lot longer than the end result box, I can fold the excess into wide legs to support the feeder and give the mice a place to nest under it. I fill the feeder with rodent block--most feed stores will be able to order rodent breeder block. The results are better than one gets with cheaper foods like dog food. The mice get occasional vitamin B supplement in their water, and also mealworms about twice a week. Few people know that rodents prey heavily on insects, and mice love mealworms and crushed crickets. Since I raise my own mealworms and crickets, those are also vitamin-balanced supplements. (Feeder insects, BTW, are reared on a diet of Layena Game Bird Crumbles for laying hens, ground to dust in a blender or food processor--very well-balanced diet--remember, insects do not replace cells once they mature, so in order to sequester nutrients, they must ingest them as they grow through several stages at least, preferably life.)

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>>Mice are kept on a 14-hours on, 10-hours off light cycle and breed best at 70 degrees F. Down to about 60 degrees, no heat is needed if they have a small enclosure they can line with facial tissue strips and huddle together for warmth, but they may not breed if too cold.

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>>By the time I finish with a rodent breeder box large enough for one male and five female mice (I house one male and three females, but five females could fit in a pinch), I have spent less than $20 including feeder and bottle, and nary a nibble at the walls. One word of caution: I'm not sure I'm confident enough to try the same breeder box on adult rats--those things can gnaw through a battleship.





I would like to see pictures if you have any. Thanks

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• economy rodent breeder boxes - 53kw, Tue Dec 25 13:13:50 2007
• RE: economy rodent breeder boxes - tmshaffer, Thu Dec 27 22:11:01 2007