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Post by bitbyter on Nov 13, 2014 21:08:42 GMT -5
Well quite a big update today. I lost two of my ASF's (the male and one female). I discovered yesterday that my ASF's do not seem to be able to work a ball bearing water bottle. I thought they weren't drinking but everyone online were saying that they are desert rats and don't drink a lot. I tapped the water bottle yesterday while one was walking by and it freaked out when it got water. I kept tapping at the bottle and they all started fighting over the water. Pushing each other out of the way and even nipping each other. I felt soooo bad. I know it wasn't the bottle because I switched it out with two others and they still couldn't work it. They were primarily just using the tongues and not moving the ball bearing enough to let air in and water out. I put a bowl of water in with them over night. I'm guessing these two were to far gone or gorged themselves on water, then food and their systems couldn't take it. As for the mice,I've just separated everyone out into their own tubs. Mothers in one, male weaners in other and the female weaners in another. Father is still on his own. Going to give the mothers another week on their own and then introduce the father again for round two. Wearners will be culled in another month if everything goes to plan. If the males start fighting then they will be culled earlier. So far the combo of Blue Buffalo Walnut litter and Alfalfa Pellets seems to be doing an awesome job. Now I'll just wait to see how long that combo will last. If it lasts as long as I think it might, then it should be quite affordable (I'm hoping to get 2 weeks with spot cleanings, maybe even longer).
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Post by msav on Nov 13, 2014 23:09:48 GMT -5
I lost one of my females the other day. she was bleeding out her backside. instead of letting her suffer Mogwai got a meal.
how were the asf rats getting water from the person who had them before?
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 21, 2014 18:37:03 GMT -5
They had a water system with the sipper nipples. They are much more sensitive than ball bearing bottles apparently. I bought a sipper nipple bottle ($20!!!) and they are doing fine with that. I am picking up a new breeder group of ASF's in two days and getting parts for a water system.
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 21, 2014 18:37:11 GMT -5
Just an update on my mouse colony. The combination of Blue Buffalo Walnut Litter and Alfalfa Pellets is working AMAZINGLY well for keeping the smell down. Before I was cleaning the tubs weekly if I could wait that long and the smell was BAD by the end of the week. Now it has been a week and a half with one spot cleaning. How long can I keep doing this before I should worry about sanitary conditions affecting them? I'm thinking two weeks max but I don't really know. Suggestions?
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 23, 2014 8:31:06 GMT -5
The only drawback I've found so far with the blue buffalo walnut litter and alfalfa pellets combo is with the breeding age females. They dig in the stuff constantly trying to make nests (even though they aren't pregnant). They are constantly burying the food dish or the spout for the water bottle. Next time, I'm going to try a lot less or maybe try aspen with alfalfa.
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Post by bitbyter on Nov 23, 2014 13:13:25 GMT -5
Just brought my new ASF breeding group home. That meant that the surviving two from the last group had to be culled. My co2 setup isn't complete yet (waiting on a part), so I had to use cervical dislocation. Glad I won't be doing that regularly. The first one went fine, the second was really squirmy and didn't go so well. (headwall) On the positive side of things. The girls really seem interested in the ASF's so I don't think it will be a problem getting them to eat this new food source.
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Post by bitbyter on Dec 1, 2014 0:24:43 GMT -5
Put Romeo back in with his ladies for round two. They are not very happy about it. He is running around like a sex crazed maniac. Lots of squeaks of indignation tonight.
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Post by bitbyter on Dec 8, 2014 9:04:01 GMT -5
Cull day coming up soon. I am torn because they are not quite the size I want them to be at yet but the males are starting to fight. I may just cull them and continue to grow out the females.
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Post by bitbyter on Dec 27, 2014 15:52:46 GMT -5
Well, round two has started. My first female mouse gave birth on Christmas Day and the second today. Approximately 41+ babies in this litter so far with the third female to give birth in the next week or so.
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Post by msav on Dec 27, 2014 20:29:55 GMT -5
WOW!.
That is alot of babies. I hope that was a contribution of a few females.
I am up to 6 liters now of the 2nd generation ASFs. I still have some females expecting though.
I have 3 extra mature males that are going to be fed to the ferrets. I promised them Christmas day, but they had not eaten all their rabbit, then I gave them guinea pig. (left a mess of fur all over the cage and nothing else left) Looks like I will try for a New years ASF meal. Gave Mogwai a pinky that died during the last birth, He smelled it and got all excited looking around for rat zipped all over the place looking. I kept giving him the pinky but he just could not get the message that that was the ASF smell he was looking for. He eventually ate it.
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Post by bitbyter on Dec 27, 2014 23:50:40 GMT -5
I gave the two ASF's that I culled from my first group. The girls ate them without any hesitation.
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Post by bitbyter on Dec 31, 2014 20:09:31 GMT -5
The girls are nomming the first of my home raised mice. One of my males was getting really violent with the rest of the males. He was not just nipping but biting and holding on. I was starting to see wound on the other males. Since I had two grey males and couldn't tell them apart, the both ended up as tonight's dinner.
The CO2 chamber worked really well. The needle valve was instrumental in being able to easy control the flow of CO2. Slow at first to knock them out and then turned up to finish the job. There was no pee or poop to indicate fear. The just lay down and that was it. Their lungs were working hard but that is a natural reaction because of the limited oxygen. All in all, I was very happy with how humane the process was. I'll be euthanize the rest of my male mice tomorrow and will film the process. It won't be posted here but on the forum for those interested.
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 2, 2015 15:28:05 GMT -5
The culling video is in my other thread on how to create a Euthanasia chamber. I did a head count today. Total is 48 from Christmas and Boxing Day. The third female must have had a small litter because there are about 5 that are significantly smaller than the others.
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 3, 2015 0:16:43 GMT -5
So some observations since culling my male mice. - The young females are much calmer.
- The females have also separated into two distinct camps. One in their hide, another group has made a small nest in a corner.
- Romeo (my male breeder) has also calmed down.
All in all, very interesting.
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 3, 2015 1:43:29 GMT -5
My ASF's are very reclusive. I went into the room in partial light and just saw that two of the females look pregnant!!
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