gst, the colony is self sustaining and as long as you keep giving them food and water, they can go on for as long as you want. Our colony is kept fed on a constant basis. If we don't have a skull to do, we put any meat we have. I saved a bunch of goose gizzards that we can use when skulls get scarce, but snaring season in upon us here so I should have plenty of coyote skulls to keep the colony happy. During the summer months we've used fish that I've caught as well as road kill raccoons, skunks, and whatever else looks good that doesn't require a tag.
We use a peroxide solution that comes in a paste form that we spread on and then rinse off. Doesn't seem to make the bone too brittle as we've had to put screws through the bone to attach them to plaques. The teeth seem to be a problem sometimes as they can fall out if you're not paying attention. The small beetle larvae clean the tissue out even the most narrow of spaces.
