Does anyone know of a source for wire rat stretchers that are the correct size (6 1/2" base). I already resized all the stretchers I currently have but I need a few dozen more and was hoping I could find some that do not need to be worked on. All the ones I find online are 7 to 7 1/2 inches at the base.

I do not know if anyone makes wire ones that are 6.5” at the bottom. If your getting that specific you might want to look into using wood stretchers.


Most of the wire stretchers on the market will work well for rats out of the box. The stretchers are slightly narrower where the rats skirt will hit, generally 13-17” down the stretchers. The rats when stretched on them will pull the wire in slightly.

Buy standard wire forms. Then take your bolt cutters and cut the bottom wire then over lap that wire till you get the right dimension and then tack in place.
The problem with most wire rat forms Is they are to wide In the neck and shoulder area. This shortens your rats by as much as 2". And that can cost you money.

Barnes Hide and Fur has a ton of good, used wire rat stretchers for sale. He’s close to Battle Creek, Michigan.

Was/is there a brand of wire stretcher that was made to the dimensions they should be; like the 6.5" at the bottom Duckie mentioned? I found some Peerless at a garage sale the other day but haven't had a chance to measure them.

Don't worry about the base size worry about the neck and shoulder area.
I use nothing but wood for my rats and the neck and shoulder area Is about a 1/2" less In width then your commercial wire rat form that will get you about 2" In length and like I said before that will make you more money.

For anyone interested on follow-up on this topic I took 20 of my old rat stretchers and modified them to have a 6 1/2 " base and with very little effort I have them matched to an FHA template. The whole process took about an hour including the time required to make a welding jig.

Here are the steps I used for anyone interested.

1. Open the eyes and straighten the bottom tabs to add length to the stretcher. (Used a vice and hammer for this step)
2. Place opened stretcher in welding jig set for a 6 1/2" base and 5 7/8" shoulder.
3. Weld on new base. (I used 7" pieces cut from a used cattle panel for this)
4. Bend to match FHA template if needed. (Most need only slight adjustment after welding)

Good luck to all and happy trapping!