Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was thinking of moving my rat breeding project outdoors. I was planning on building a PVC frame lined with tarp to put over the rack and keep it dry. The only problem is cold. I live in the Bay Area, CA where we have relatively mild winters. Does anyone have any experience with this? If I added some more insulating bedding for them and or some heat tape, would that be ok? How tolerant are rats of cold? or more importantly what is the minimum temps at which they will still breed. any help would be much appreciated

Omer

I think it's fooolish for plain outdoors, i have mine in the garage and that's that, i live in Nrthn CA and they will breed year round unless it's hot (100*) or so, cold i don't know, if i need breeding, then i bring them inside and place the juv's/feeder group outside. THey will slow down too cold or too hot, what those temps are I don't know. Just having the tanks exposed like that isn't good. Predators etc.
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1.4 various boas(Flicka,Felony,Nova,Alias,Alibi)
0.1 BRB Abalone; ABBI
1.0 Rott X (OSO)
2.0 cats (Simba, Morris)
fish & feeders
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I think if you put them outside your biggest problem would be parasites and wild rodents. if you can combat those two problems you should be ok.I'm in san diego and mine are in the garge but the temps in there dont differ too much from outside(it gets down to the 40's/50's)You should look into buying one of those metal tool sheds,then you could insulate it and bild a floor,lights,heat,whatever..Rich

>>I think if you put them outside your biggest problem would be parasites and wild rodents. if you can combat those two problems you should be ok.I'm in san diego and mine are in the garge but the temps in there dont differ too much from outside(it gets down to the 40's/50's)You should look into buying one of those metal tool sheds,then you could insulate it and bild a floor,lights,heat,whatever..Rich

I have two friend both kept theirs outdoors. One built a simple lean to and had them in a wire rack system. He raised and grew out rats in the same htuch style caging. Another friend keeps his breeders in a barn and raises up for sale and future breeders outside in a wire cage hutch type set up. I think the wild rats can be controlled if you limit their access to food. But each situation will be different depending on the amount of wild rats and where you are trying to breed.