Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I am building my rack and I am about ready to acquire my rats. I want to breed my rats in my garage. I live in Denver, CO and I know lots of people breed in their garages here in Denver successfully. Does anyone know what the lowest temps I can keep my bins during winter and what the highest temps I can keep my bins in summer. I am having terrible luck with getting any specific answers on this. And just in case, I will save some of you the time of responding by saying I do not want to keep them in my house or basement. I want to keep them in my garage. I would love to hear from anyone who keeps their rats in their garage in a cold climate like Denver.

Thanks so much for any help,
Mark

I keep mine between 50°F and 90°F....prefer 65°F.
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic

1.1 Morelia Clastolepis

I live in central illinois and have rats in my garage. It gets too cold for them in the winter with temps dipping in the single digits. The water in the watering system freezes and they get frostbite on the tips of their tails. In my experience they don't breed once the temp dips below 60 degrees or so. That means a cold winter of cleaning, and feeding with no babies. I have either moved them to the basement or killed off the colony in the winter and started up again in the spring.
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Michael McFadden, M.S., D.V.M.

Hi Doc,

The rats are in the basement now and I am much happier. I will just have to wait and see if the wife and I can stand the smell. Thanks for the write up.

Mark

>>Hi Doc,
>>
>>The rats are in the basement now and I am much happier. I will just have to wait and see if the wife and I can stand the smell. Thanks for the write up.
>>
>>Mark

If you live in an area where climate is not a factor, IE not super cold winters. You can build a tent type cover for the rat area and vent through a basement window. Force air out with a small fan 365 days a year. Its nearly impossible to build a air tight cover so the fan will draw air in from the home and force it out, taking much of the odor with it.

If your resourceful you'll figure something out...
-----
Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic

1.1 Morelia Clastolepis