Reptile & Amphibian Forums

...six bin rat rack, got the plans from arbreptiles.com. I still need to install the wheels and watering system. I ordered the automatic watering system from AgSelect.com and not Bass Equipment Company because Ag has free shipping. I paid $82 for parts and lumber then $48 for the watering system. So for $130 and 8hrs of my time I now have my first rat rack! I am by no means a carpenter or anything close to it but this project came together very nice and isn't what I consider hard. I did have to settle for 1/4 inch hardware cloth because nobody carries 1/3 inch. Spacing for the tracks was different for every tub so some extra time was spent getting it just right. I will try to post some pics if I can figure it out.
I plan to keep two bins for breeders 1.2 rats in each and the other 4 bins for growing out. I think the concrete tubs will hold 1.3 just fine but not sure I need that many rats right now. Any questions, comments, or sugestions feel free to ask.

keep an eye out when you start putting rats in it i think they're going to have a hard time eating through the 1/4 inch wire 1/4's okay for mice 1/3 has to be ordered , they used it because of the watering system

... but using wire cutters I will cut bigger squares in the feeding area of the hardware cloth. I decided to do this because 1/2 inch hardware cloth seemed too big and ordering 1/3 inch wasn't an option due to price (had to order 100ft of the stuff online over $100).

For normal domestic rats, 1/2" cloth is ideal. Big enough for them to eat through, yet too small to squeeze through by the time they are mobile enough to do so.

For mice and ASF, 1/3 or 1/4 is needed because the fuzzies and hoppers can squeeze through 1/2" easily.

Six bin rat rack, just waiting for the watering system to get here!

I used the small strip of 2x4 left over as stoppers for the back of the rack. My cross bracing is a little different than what was suggested but it saves a little space since it's inside the legs of the rack.

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Is it wrong to pull on the food chain a little?

love it!

making. I will shoot a pic of one tonight and post it tomorrow. You can get some 1/2" hardware cloth from Home depot. This feed hopper hangs on the lip of the tub and doesn't affect the ability of the tub to slide in or out of the rack.

The one problem I have found with putting food on the top of a rack is after the rats nibble on it for a while, it hangs down through the wire mesh and intereferes with the tub opening and closing.
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Happy Herping,
Jody Barnes
Royal Kreationz

My snakes aren't fat, they're big boned.

I've used those a lot with the ASFs in glass tanks. I used the vinyl coated cloth as thats all I had, but they end up chewing the coating off eventually.

I also have 3 of the original "Ware Mfg" lab block hoppers that are no longer sold, I modeled my homemade efforts after them.

I just built one of these myself. Haven't got the watering system hooked up yet though. I used 1/2 inch hardware cloth and it works fine. Question.........Did you go by the suggested measurements for the width? I did and I find it a little too wide. My tubs slip out from one side or the other while pulling out or pushing back in. Think I'm gonna revamp mine a bit.

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

I had to space each bin seperatly which took a while but worth the time. I numbered them because it's very easy to confuse what bin goes in what slot. I haven't had a problem with the bins slipping out of the runners while pulling them in and out. The hardware cloth is too wide and a lot of fun to cut to size(sarcasum). If you figure out a better way to hook up the watering system let me know. I have it hooked up right now, it works but could be better.
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Is it wrong to pull on the food chain a little?

LOL, the hardware cloth was probably the most time consuming part of the whole deal.

Quig

Yes it sure did take a while!! Plus that crap cuts your hand very easy! Make sure you have a good stapler or you will want to put the whole thing in a trash compactor!!! The first one I had kept jamming up, it would shoot one staple every 20 tries(no joke).
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Is it wrong to pull on the food chain a little?