# breeding rats through the winter in the outside shed?



## jrcash4321 (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi Guys,

I was just thinking today about how my breeding rats will hold up this winter as i keep them in a wooden shed in the garden and we all know how cold it gets during the festive season. I know they will slow breeding during the coldest months, luckily i have a full freezer :2thumb:

So I was wondering if any of you keep rats outside and how you will be dealing with the cold this year?

My plan is to raise their tubs higher off the ground and insulate the sides and bottom with cardboard. I will also give them extra bedding and small cardboard boxes for them to snuggle inside lol.

Any other ideas or thoughts?


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## Smigsy (Jul 30, 2009)

Electric heaters? Would use polystyrene instead/aswell as cardboard


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## jrcash4321 (Mar 7, 2011)

Smigsy said:


> Electric heaters? Would use polystyrene instead/aswell as cardboard


Really good idea with the poly insulation never thought of that. I really didnt want to use heaters if i could get away with it but i supose i may have to on the really bad days.

Cheers,


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## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

I've had my rats in a brick built shed for nearly 4 years now, every wintner they slow down breeding which is to be expected.

I have no additional heating but I do have a very heavy curtain thats folded in two and I drape it over the top and sides to keep the chill off.

If its very cold you may find that your water bottles freeze up overnight so you might want to consider some foam pipe lagging to wrap round them for insulation.


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## essexchondro (Apr 9, 2007)

I have a colony of about 100 breeders that I house in an 8x10 shed that has no additional insulation. I find that the temps in the shed never drop below about 7c even when the outside temps drop below freezing...there own body heat keeps in relatively warm in there. Production drops by about 30% during the very cold periods but never enough to cause concern.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

I only have a small colony of feeders but had no problems breeding them over this last winter. I will however be moving any that i am breeding this winter into the reptile room which i built in the other half of the shed. This is heated so should still get some litters hopefully :2thumb:.


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## Sylvi (Dec 30, 2008)

Mine bred well through last winter in my shed. On cold nights I hung tarpaulins over the cages and tucked it round, and kept the rats in bigger groups so they kept each other warm. I fed them well too, plenty of table scraps etc


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## jrcash4321 (Mar 7, 2011)

markhill said:


> I've had my rats in a brick built shed for nearly 4 years now, every wintner they slow down breeding which is to be expected.
> 
> I have no additional heating but I do have a very heavy curtain thats folded in two and I drape it over the top and sides to keep the chill off.
> 
> If its very cold you may find that your water bottles freeze up overnight so you might want to consider some foam pipe lagging to wrap round them for insulation.


Great idea with the pipe lagging around the water bottles, i will do that as mine are in a wooden shed so they will no doubt freeze if i dont :2thumb:

Cheers.


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## jrcash4321 (Mar 7, 2011)

essexchondro said:


> I have a colony of about 100 breeders that I house in an 8x10 shed that has no additional insulation. I find that the temps in the shed never drop below about 7c even when the outside temps drop below freezing...there own body heat keeps in relatively warm in there. Production drops by about 30% during the very cold periods but never enough to cause concern.


Great, thanks for the input i really apreciate it :2thumb:


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## jrcash4321 (Mar 7, 2011)

thanks to evryone for the great response. really helps me.


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## blobby (Nov 6, 2006)

*heating*

hiya i have a 20 foot x 12 foot wooden shed,, and all i use is a small oil filled radiator with a thermostat, and all my 100 or so rats lived through it, and didnt notice much of a drop in litters ,,bevan


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## eightball (Jan 1, 2011)

keeping them in a group would be the best option as theyll keep each other warm and a blanket over the rack to keep chill off like someone said

an electric heater bill is gnna be expensive if youve not got good insulation, ive got a 1kw heater on a stat and meter for how much its used and in a month it used about 100 units = £11.11 or something like that, we have that loft space insulated all over with spaceblanket insulation and plasterboarded all up so imagine if we had no insulation and the 1kw heater running


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