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How do you eliminate the pneumonia smell of rodents in a rodent room? Would like to start breeding rodents but I have heard the smell is unbearable. Does any one breed rodents that could give me some advice? Thanks

Run a large exhaust fan on a timer! Works great for me!

Run a fan 24/7 and clean often. The quicker you change bedding the less smell you have to deal with.

Bill
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2.1 Tripple Het Caramel, Orange Ghost, Genetic Stripe
1.1 Het Lavenders
1.1 Het Caramel Albino
0.1 Het Albino
0.1 Spider Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied
1,1 Pastel Het for Orange Ghost
1.0 Albino
0.1 Spinner
1.1 Super Pastel
0.1 Jungle Pastel
1.0 Pied 50 percent White
0.1 Clown
0.3 Normal
1.1 Kids
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Chocolate Lab

Do you have a storage building to use, or are you going to have to breed in your house?

Derek
Cape Fear Reptiles

think of trying it my garage

Where do you live? If you have cold winters you will need to have heat for the garage.

Bill
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2.1 Tripple Het Caramel, Orange Ghost, Genetic Stripe
1.1 Het Lavenders
1.1 Het Caramel Albino
0.1 Het Albino
0.1 Spider Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied
1,1 Pastel Het for Orange Ghost
1.0 Albino
0.1 Spinner
1.1 Super Pastel
0.1 Jungle Pastel
1.0 Pied 50 percent White
0.1 Clown
0.3 Normal
1.1 Kids
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Chocolate Lab

Like everyone else says, use an exhaust fan if you can. If not, I find that the Febreeze True Air filter for pet areas cuts the odor quite a bit. However, you will not avoid the ammonia odor completely. I clean my cages every 7 days at a minimum.

Derek
Cape Fear Reptiles

I have a 10" exhaust fan and I clean the cages weekly. Now I only have 20 tubs for the rats and 1 tub for the mice but if I did not follow this routine it would smell.
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....I would rather have a Bottle in front of me.....than a Frontal Lobotomy....

Rob Trenor
RK Reptiles
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you will get used to it.....

noone that does not live there will

it is forever.....clean alot and use exhaust fan ....wash tubs with soap and dry in SUN when possible too....

ammonia is a powerful thing.......males are worse(mice)...

......
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...(______________________)

There are two ways that I've heard of. First you can purchase/use small animal Bi-Odor by Marshalls. Or I have tried, with minor success, adding real vanilla extract to the water. I believe it is 1 tsp per 16 oz of water. But this is all secondary to frequent cleaning. We clean daily.
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Tri State Pythons

Clean them. If you smell ammonia, you're days past when you should have cleaned last.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

Clean all the bins once a week and it doesnt get to bad

Bob

it's quite simple.....

more rats in the tubs = more frequent bedding changes

less rats in the tubs = less frequent bedding changes

i keep 1.3 rats per "Mac Court" cement mixing tub. i have to change out about every 4/5 days. sometimes even more frequent if there's several litters in the tub.

Pitoon
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Frequent cleaning and not over populate each cage is about the best way to keep the smell down. Exhaust fans certainly will help too. Keep in mind if you are breeding mice, they will stink no matter what, due to the male's urine which contains a strong musk. Frequent cleaning will just get him urinating all the more to make his home 'smell' just right.

Vinegar in a open container outside the cages (or even sitting right ontop of the screen) I find does great to cut down odors, without costing alot of money. Baking soda sprinkled underneath the bedding also helps and this doesn't seem to bother the rats.

The best method is probably a combination of several things, depending on how your setup will be. An exhaust fan and air filtration would be the best, in addition to frequent cleaning. Less crowded conditions and more space for each trio also helps cut down the smell, but the more animals you have in the room, the more the smell will build up even after a recent clean.
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PHLdyPayne

I keep rats on wood stove pellets and have an air purifier on 24/7.

We have no issues with cleaning bedding every two weeks and cleaning tubs with Virosan monthly. I would definitely say that if you are smelling ammonia from rats you are not cleaning enough. I have heard to, that if you smell the ammonia it can cause RI problems with your rats. Also, it definitely is dependent on how many you keep in a tub.

Bill
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2.1 Tripple Het Caramel, Orange Ghost, Genetic Stripe
1.1 Het Lavenders
1.1 Het Caramel Albino
0.1 Het Albino
0.1 Spider Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied
1,1 Pastel Het for Orange Ghost
1.0 Albino
0.1 Spinner
1.1 Super Pastel
0.1 Jungle Pastel
1.0 Pied 50 percent White
0.1 Clown
0.3 Normal
1.1 Kids
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Chocolate Lab

I personally clean weekly including cleaning with bleach 1:30 ratio and I use the bio odor from marshals and I think its the best at keeping the odors down as I did not always use it and it was horrible before that now its not HORRIBLE but they always smell..... you will get used to it. As for amonia causing resp problems I have been told by a vet that they WILL get resp infections and sores around their eyes if not kept clean.

Good luck with your colony!
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Brian Hettinger
480 Pythons
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