Rat Tubes

The Barn Hunt Association is very strict about how rats are handled at trials. Rat Wranglers are put into place to make sure that all rats are treated humanely. Their comfort, safety and well-being are paramount. The official rules even have specific instructions on how to make authorized dog-proof rat tubes -- with pictures! See:

To practice at home, we needed tubes. One Sunday morning I printed out the instructions and went to work. Hubby went to Lowe's. He sent me pictures throughout the day of his progress. 

Cut and glued

After drilling 156 holes!

The good news is that the instructions are clear and detailed, and the construction is fairly easy. The bad news is, they're not cheap. Hubby bought the stuff to make four tubes. Here's the breakdown of the cost, including his 10% military discount.

• four 10" sections of solid core schedule 40 PVC pipe, 4" diameter [he ended up buying two 2' pipes] ($12.80)
• four 4" PVC clean-out snap in drain caps ($11.24)
• four 4" female adapters
• four 4" PVC cleanout plugs ($20.40)
• clear PVC cement ($9.88)
• two colors of spray paint to camouflage tubes ($7.07)

The grand total for this project was $61.39 plus tax. (This does not include a 3/16" drill bit and sandpaper. You'll need them as well.) Here's the finished product:

Looking good, huh? Now we need to introduce Hide to the tubes. I'll keep you posted! -- K