rodent cleaning day

**Russell** · 09-13-07, 05:04 PM

Almost every Thursday is the set day for cleaning the rodents. The ammonia smell is getting to my wife more and more she says. So I might have to consider something, somehow, where the ammonia isn't so high. The only thing I can think of is totally cutting back numbers which I hate doing. Then I gotta buy frozen thawed again, and I hated that. But overall my wife isn't into the hobby like I am and frankly isn't too happy with it just now. So I'm now thinking of where I can cut back. I should try to cut the snake population in half, get rid of most of the birds, and cut mouse numbers down to next to nothing, and leave the rats as they are. Rats being bigger and heavier in shipping would be my main problem I hate buying frozen thawed. Shipping them would be very spendy indeed. So I've got some overhauling to do around here with my hobby. And yes, I'm not happy about it, but to bring more peace into the house...

On the other hand, if I can find a way to get rid of the ammonia that gets produced... Aren't there products out on the market that can handle this? I'm going to have a look around. I really hate to have put in all these many years just to have to cut back down in a big way just to make someone else who's moved in on the situation in the last few years happy... Kind of like, hey uh, the hobby was here, you knew what it was like BEFORE you said I do..geez...

So that's my rant for the day... wanna see some cool pictures? First are of some seriously pregnant mice! Then in a diff cage is a batch of fuzzies. Then a small pile of blue fuzzy rats. And then today's bucket full of weaner rats that are now sitting in the bellies of various pinesnakes, bullsnakes, and ratsnakes... And some pics of my newest attempt at bringing a little color to the mouse room...

Cat_Eyed_Lady · 09-13-07, 05:40 PM

I have the same problem.. my bf doesnt like it either.. but I have taken to bleaching the tanks once every 2 weeks... that does help with the smell abit

But there are also some 'zero odor' type sprays at like walmart and places that are supposed to help that too

the blue rats are sooooo cute

I really like the dark eyed reddish mice too

I usually only have colored mice hehe I figure if I have to look at them, I might as well have ones I like the looks of

Sozz · 09-13-07, 08:26 PM

Mice smell way worse than rats, so if you're going to cut anywhere I'd start with them. Another thing that can help in reducing the smell is the eliminate the male rodents first - it's the male urine that causes the biggest stink.

I've got two racks each of mice and rats, and a grow-up bin for the mice. They are on aspen shavings and get cleaned out once a week, and they live in my basement. The smell from the cats that live down there is often worse than the rodents! I'm pretty ruthless with my male culls, though, and I selectively pick the boys out for my pinkies. The earlier I get rid of'em the better.

Some people claim that putting vanilla in the water helps, but I haven't seen any scientific proof of that so I'm inclined to think that it's just a myth (and a good way to gum up an automatic watering system). And so far as odour-killers go I'd be wary of anything that produces a smell of its own, as rodents have very sensitive respiratory systems and you may end up with a bunch of rather nice-smelling dead rats.

If you're interested in switching breeds altogether, I've heard that natal rats (aka. multimammate mice) have next to no smell at all.

Mike17L · 09-13-07, 08:30 PM

I bought an air purifier from Tom Stevens, www.TomsSnakes.com. I like it, it was a bit costly, but the benefit is awesome.

galenwbritt · 09-13-07, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by Mike17L

I bought an air purifier from Tom Stevens, TomsSnakes.com - Home. I like it, it was a bit costly, but the benefit is awesome.

I was going to mention the exact same thing...........believe he sold 3 or 4 of them at the Austin Expo. TomsCleanAir

Also, if your "downsizing" deals with any of your Abbotts I would like to be your first contact.

G

Becky · 09-13-07, 11:00 PM

I like those colored mice you've got, Russell. Very pretty. Have you tried a paper-based bedding yet? Like Soft-Sorb. It comes in fairly large bags. I mix that with aspen pellets and they can go two weeks with not much smell. I've got 5 cages now. 4 breeding groups and 1 tank for the weanlings. I also put a layer of baking soda underneath the bedding, plus add some alfalfa hay to the mix. The mice make incredible 'nests' out of the hay. Just some ideas.

**Russell** · 09-14-07, 05:09 AM

thanks for your advice everyone! I do have the Austin Air purifier in there. I believe I need to replace the filter in there. With the cockatiels and their excessive dander, I'm sure it's life is used up! I think replacing that will be a big help. Plus really when it's warm outside, it gets too warm in that room and you definetly notice the smell. Versus when it's winter, we don't notice it so much. I'll just let the colony age and knock off the old adults as time goes by and when I set up replacements, not have so many females per male per litter pan. I was running 1.5 to 1.8 and that can't help. Plus I need to consider my overstock cage where I try to grow stuff out a bit. I just don't have the room to do that properly and keep them from smelling with so many weanlings to a single litter pan. Baby steps...little change at a time. I'll figure out what works best for me.

And Galen, I know I'm going to sell SOME of the Abbotts as time goes by. I can't keep them all. I just wanted a pile to raise up and then choose the best pair and sell the rest. In fact I have a yearling Abbotts that will be going to Tinley. She's very nice, but not quite what I'm looking for in an Okeetee...