My new little rack

[Cas]

Just some pics of my new little rack... only holds four bins (each bin will eventually hold 1.3 or 1.4 mice), but I can add another 2 levels later if I want/need to.


<img width="512" height="316" src="http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?s=cano&src=/PhotoLoft/Asset20/2002/10/25/10142/10142018_0_4501.fpx,0,0,1,1,512,316,FFFFFF">
The full rack


<img width="512" height="376" src="http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?s=cano&src=/PhotoLoft/Asset20/2002/10/25/10142/10142019_0_6256.fpx,0,0,1,1,512,376,FFFFFF">
The one bin that currently has 1.2 mice in it (the white stuff is kleenix for bedding)


<img width="388" height="234" src="http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?s=cano&src=/PhotoLoft/Asset20/2002/10/25/10142/10142020_0_2145.fpx,0,0,1,1,388,234,FFFFFF">
Empty bin with the feed hopper removed


<img width="343" height="219" src="http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?s=cano&src=/PhotoLoft/Asset20/2002/10/25/10142/10142021_0_2728.fpx,0,0,1,1,343,219,FFFFFF">
Feed hopper by itself


To slide out a bin, the food hopper has to be taken out first... however, routine cleaning and other things can be done easily through the hole for the food hopper... bins only really need to be slid out for a complete cleaning.

Dawn

[Tim_Cranwill]

Interesting.... I've never seen a set up like that before. Do the mice eat through the holes in the wire mesh?

[Kyle Barker]

Cool setup. Is that horse crunch?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Great setup!!

Cranwill, its the same basic concept as pretty much ALL the breeder mice racks on the market.

[Tim_Cranwill]

Oh, so do they eat through the holes???

[lanalizard]

that is a nice setup...good job

[Christina]

Cas
Are you not concerned about the mice eating at the wood?

[Cas]

kyle, no, it's hagen nutri-blocks... a pressed rodent food.

cranwill, yes, the idea is that they eat through the holes :) Keeps them from pooping all over the food before they get around to eating it.

Christina, do you mean the wood on the feeder? I'm not overly concerned about it... it should take them a long time to get through it to the point where it could cause any problems... and I could always add some wire overtop of it to limit how far they can chew, if it becomes an issue. (I would do things a little differently If this were for rats, however).

Dawn

[Linds]

Excellent setup!! :D

[lance]

cool setup thanks for sharing

[frogman]

Neat setup

and they probially won't get through the wood to fast

[Syst3m]

Cas, excellent work.

thats awesome I've been looking to do something like that myself with what I have, I am going to use hardware cloth instead of stretched steel. Are your mice having any trouble eating out of that?

How did you make the sides for the feeder bin? looks like you used a jig of some sorts.

[Cas]

Syst3m, I was going to use hardware cloth myself, but since I wanted to make the food hoppers out of expanded flattened metal, and I had to by whole sheet of it anyway... besides the expense, I really like the expanded metal... it doesn't bend, and it just looks nicer to me (yeah, I know... who cares about asthetics on a mouse rack? *L*)

The mice don't seem to have any problems with eating through the metal... a good number of the rodent blocks in the food hopper have been well chewed, so I assume they're doing fine with it. Since at the widest point, the holes in the expanded metal are almost 1/2" wide, I'd be surprised if they had difficulties.
<img width="484" height="304" src="http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?s=cano&src=/PhotoLoft/Asset20/2002/10/28/10146/10146472_0_0487.fpx,0,0,1,1,484,304,FFFFFF">
(that's the other nice thing about expanded metal... larger spaces in the center of the holes than 1/4" hardware cloth, but since they taper so fast from that point, I shouldn't have any hoppers escape (I've heard that's a problem with 1/2" hardware cloth)).

The slides are actually really simple, just smaller boards screwed on to leave a gap:

<img width="202" height="173" src="http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?s=cano&src=/PhotoLoft/Asset20/2002/10/28/10146/10146470_0_6638.fpx,0,0,1,1,202,173,FFFFFF">

<img width="512" height="384" src="http://image.photoloft.com/opx-bin/OpxFIDISA.dll?s=cano&src=/PhotoLoft/Asset20/2002/10/28/10146/10146471_0_1435.fpx,0,0,1,1,512,384,FFFFFF">

So far, I'm liking this design... if I end up making another one, I think I'll make the food hoppers about half the length though, mostly just to make glancing into the cages easier (the mice tend to like to nest underneath the food hopper... though, it does make it easy to check on the babies when I lift the hopper out... they're right under the hole!)

Dawn

[Syst3m]

I can only say I wish I were as handy as you!
Great work, Glad to see it works good too.

[Cas]

I can't say I'm all <i>that</i> handy... while I could have quite easily done this one myself (besides cutting of the metal) since it's pretty simple, my dad was actually nice enough to throw this one together for me... I'm just so busy lately that I didn't even have the time to help with it ... midterms, gah!. University sucks... but it's great having supportive parents! ;)

Up for tonight, a small hatchling rack for the 4 corns I'm getting tomorrow morning... suppose I'd better get to measuring rubbermaids and my available space (design is half the fun)!

Dawn

[Syst3m]

I've seen your work before cas, so I still say your a rather handy person! Very nice mouse rack. Your father gets high praises for his work! And so do you.

[snakeman92]

very cool i think i might make something like that for my rats

[Tim_Cranwill]

Hey Cas, how is that flatend metal working for you? I picked some up today ($17.00 for 2'x 2'!!!) and just wanted to make sure it was good stuff...

[Cas]

I really like it... it's strong, and it's the perfect size - i scatter some seed mix for my mice every day or so, and with the flattened metal I can just pour it in through the holes (i have mice in an aquarium as well with 1/4" hardware cloth for a top, and have to open it to get sunflower seeds and oats inside). I only wish it were cheaper!

Dawn

[Tim_Cranwill]

Yeah! I was expecting it to be about $5, but $17!?!?

I'm trying it out on one of my colonies right now. It seems to be working ok.

How did you cut yours? That stuff is thick!

[Cas]

Actually my dad cut it (I don't do metal!)... he just used a jigsaw with a metal blade... if you do it this way, use safety glasses... the metal bits really fly!

BTW, I noticed the mice hoppers in my aquarium were crawling through the wire of the food hopper I made for the tank (it's just 1/2" hardware cloth) so I figured I'd give the expanded metal a little 'test'... I took one of the food hoppers from my rack, and inverted it over some of the mice, trapping them inside. And, they weren't able to get through the holes in the expanded metal. So, I'd have to say that 1/2" expanded flattened metal is approved for raising mice, in my opinion. ;)

Dawn