• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
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    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Picking up a rat colony tomorrow. Have a question.

Randall Turner

Randall Turner

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So my feeder supplier is getting out so he can travel and do stuff with his wife. Happy for him, but sad for me lol. He's selling me what he has left of his breeding setup (An ARS 70, 6 high rack, with watering system, 50 rats, gas chamber etc.) I initially was planning to put them in my garage as it doesn't get too cold in winter, and I can use a swamp cooler on the really hot days... Well I thought of a potential problem. Will loud noises be a detriment to the colony? I keep my riding mower in the garage, and I also do wood working, welding and other fabrication in the garage as well. I was wanting to hear from people with more experience with rodent colonies (I've never kept more than 4-5 females at any point).

The benefit of using the garage instead of the basement was the obvious benefit of not smelling rats, and also the upkeep will be far easier in the garage, cleaning tubs and disposing of dirty bedding.
 
Not sure this is relevant, but I'll contribute it anyway.

I raised rabbits for about ten years (just ended that project recently, actually). I kept them in a large lean-to addition on a detached garage. The first year I had them, the does killed nearly every litter they had. I finally figured out what it was: I also stored firewood in that addition, and I would haul the bucked logs to near the shed, then split them with a maul and stack the splits inside. Once I started splitting in the woods before hauling the wood back, the killing stopped. It was the sharp repeated noises.

The rabbits always tolerated the noise of our tractor without issue.
 
That is good information to have, I definitely don't want to cause issues with the females. I have read that stress inducing noise will cause mice to eat their young, but haven't found info regarding rats. I may just have to play it by ear, see how things go, and if necessary I can haul the mower out and start it in the drive.
 
So I've had the group now for a week. My riding lawn mower appears to have induced a premature labor in one female, resulting in her dropping 3 quite small pinks. (2 of the 3 didn't survive). Other than that one issue, it doesn't appear to be a problem keeping them in the garage. I will definitely be moving the riding mower out next year (thankfully I only have maybe 1 more mowing for the season).

So far, I'm most surprised by how little they smell (the rats themselves). I figured a group this large would be fairly stinky by the end of the first week but they weren't. The only off putting smell is the mazuri 6f feed. My wife and a couple of the kids find it rather repulsive.
 
I wonder if maybe the move itself contributed to the female's trouble. That's pretty stressful, I'm sure.

Many people think rats smell much less than mice. I think they mostly smell different; maybe personal sensitivities play into it.

Anyway, it sounds like it is going well so far. :)
 
Thought I'd post an update. They are going well now, I will be building a 2nd rack using Super 70 tubs (have a 2 high grow out I built previously, but don't think it'll be enough.)
They are doing great in the garage (knock on wood)

 
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