# Hello from Cumbria!



## Pied Pythons (Feb 11, 2010)

Hi all,

I'm new here, obviously 

I'll be honest, I am looking to keep mice both for pleasure breeding and a seperate stock to breed for my snakes...I hope no one is offended by this.

I've kept mice in the past, a few years ago now, but never bred them.

Used to breed Syrian & Dwarf Campbells hamsters around the same time as I was keeping mice as pets...would love to return to that again, but my partner doesn't want any rodents in the house...not to mention we're lacking space.

Incidentally this bring me to the following...In the next couple of months I will be setting up a 6' x 4' shed just down the side of our house (so nicely sheltered) in which to keep my rodents (once it's set up).

I will be fully insulating the shed with thick polystyrene, and weatherproofing it etc...but will I need heating for the mice of will they fare well in this with just insulation?

Thanks all for reading & ''hello''.


----------



## harlequin stud (Dec 20, 2009)

hi there

and welcome to the forum 
i have answered the pm you sent me 
hope it helps if you need to know anything else dont hesitate to give us a shout if 
i can help i will

paul


----------



## Pied Pythons (Feb 11, 2010)

Hi Paul,

Just read your message; thanks for the swift reply!

Thanks for the info on the shed...fingers crossed I can get it sorted soon...really looking forward to keeping rodents again after a relatively long (or so it feels when you're missing the hobby!) break of 4 years or more.

I can see this 6' x 4' shed ''expanding'' mysteriously over time... :lol:


----------



## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

If the shed's insulated well you may not need to heat it. I only use a heater on a thermostat if it's extra cold in winter - just give lots of bedding!


----------



## julieszoo (May 27, 2009)

Welcome to the forum  Don't forget to post some pics of your snakes in the other pets section for us all to admire  My mice share my converted garages with my cavies and rats. I don't heat it, but I have moved the mouse cages inside some of the empty hutches to provide some additional shelter as it has been especially cold this year.


----------



## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Mousies do best at temps from about 65F to 75F.


----------



## WoodWitch (Oct 18, 2009)

Hi there

:welcomeany

This sounds familiar to me!

I bought a 6x8 shed last November (ask me anything about sheds....ship lap, pent or apex.....I know it all  ) especially for my mice.
Now, 2 months and HUNDREDS of pounds later it is nearly ready. Had to hook it so it would run a light and a power point for the said thermostatic heater (which I have also had to buy)....and put lino down.

I guess it's all worth it as I will be spending alot of time in there.

Good luck with your own shed project....I'll bet you get it all done much faster than me 

Anyway, enjoy the forum...it's great

xx


----------



## Oakelm (Oct 17, 2009)

Hello and welcome

Your username looks familiar, I two keep mice for multiple purposes and use a shed which is a 6 x 4 for the mice, tubs all down one side, small work area and no room to do more than to pull out cages and turn around on the spot, only had to have the tube heaters on when it went bitterly cold other than that plenty of bedding and they keep nice and toastie.


----------



## Pied Pythons (Feb 11, 2010)

Thank you everyone 

Yep I will get around to posting some pics of our lot at some point in the non rodents section, lol.

Mousebreeder & Moustress; thanks for the info on temps...and Julieszoo thanks for the tip about putting your cages inside hutches over winter where possible, I may have to look into a double enclosure type construction for the coldest weeks.

Tratallen, yep, sounds about right. I can see this getting rather more costly than I was initially anticipating! Again, you've given me a few ideas...may well look into getting some cheap lino now for simple & effective cleaning.

And Oakelm - you should recognise the username  I am to be found kicking around elsewhere...
Again, thanks for the tips. I'd like a larger shed than 6 x 4 to be honest, but we just don't have the space unfortunately for now. But as long as it serves its purpose I'll be more than happy. Out of interest, how many tubs/mice do you manage to fit in a 6' x 4' shed Emma?

All the best


----------



## Oakelm (Oct 17, 2009)

I have shelves down the long side and use converted rubs and savic rody cages so in there at the minute there is
- 6 x 9L rubs for the individual males
- 8 x 18L rubs
- 8 rody cages, in a 6 x 4 shed you can fit 4 rody cages per shelf on the 6ft side, they have nearly the same foot print as an 18L rub.
- And a couple of medium and large exo terra flat faurnariums
But I still have shelves to fill as I switched from lab cages for mice a while back purely because I couldnt get anymore cheap enough and still use more rats for the reps than anything so the mice are kind of a hobby without any waste. I would seriously recommend doing converted rubs they are so much easier than anything else for cleaning time and cheaper than the lucky reptile lab cages.


----------



## Pied Pythons (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks Oakelm, that's really helpful 

I think I will go with converted RUBs then. I need to get some in anyway for the reps so may as well just as them to the order.

Ahh yes, just googled Rody Cages...just as I thought they were. I have a couple of these at my parents from when I was keeping hamsters. I also have a Zoo Zone 1 (or 2) in their barn with an ammended lid (smaller bar spacing).

I was looking at lab type cages but it seems the frame doesn't break down for most & we wouldn't be able to fit it in the Land Rover.

Although I was offered some loose lab cages but the swap the seller wanted was rather in their favour!

Can't wait to get it all sorted now


----------



## Kallan (Aug 16, 2009)

Howdy PP! Welcome to the forums


----------

