Breeding Rodents (Rats)

snakelover · #1 (**permalink**) 27-09-2008, 02:56 PM

Ok, i have 2.6 Rats and 2.0 have a cage and 0.6 have a cage. The females dont give me babies frequently enough so i have "spare". I need alot more rats than i am getting, so i will up it to 2.10 sooner or later. I am woundering if i can put a male with the females ( the females are in a HUGE cage) and they will breed and produce readily? OR will the male fight, and kill babies?

I have recently, last week got 4.15 mice so i hope when they start i will have a load of mice as feeder and spare food, but i still want to feed rats.

Anyway, can i keep 1.6 rats in a huge tank and will they mate ok?

Dan

Athravan · #2 (**permalink**) 27-09-2008, 03:01 PM

I have 1.8 rats together, the male does most of the girls and no one gets over-harrassed, they all produce fairly regular, I have never had a problem with my male killing babies, and I have even seen him carry them about for the females and when growing on he tolerates the young fairly well, although he will tell them off if they pester him to play too much! But I do have an incredibly tame and dopey male so I guess it is something you would just have to monitor.

My cage has a pecking order between the females and I have to say my male is not at the top of the pecking order either, he's about 3rd down, so again, I suppose it depends how dominant your male is whether he will fight with the females if housed permanently.

adamntitch · #3 (**permalink**) 27-09-2008, 03:23 PM

for better broods ad keep 1.3 in 2 cages instead of the 1 and 6 as that sape male will be lonly

snakelover · #4 (**permalink**) 27-09-2008, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamntitch

for better broods ad keep 1.3 in 2 cages instead of the 1 and 6 as that sape male will be lonly

Iv got it as 2.6 atm in teh huge cage, all females came from the top shelve to see the males...so i will se how that goes. I dont really want to split the females...

keeps2008 · #5 (**permalink**) 27-09-2008, 04:26 PM

hi iv bred rats for years with a 1.3 ratio without a problem the male is very loving and very fatherly you shouldnt have a problem as long as there is sufficient space just make sure the females are not harrassed too much and have a small break once in a while

SnakeBreeder · #6 (**permalink**) 27-09-2008, 04:38 PM

Male rats make good parents.
But still best to keep one male to a cage.
Some people "rest" the females between litters but mine live with the males permanantly.
Stephen

saxon · #7 (**permalink**) 28-09-2008, 01:33 PM

Hi,

I've tried breeding my rats in most ways.
I've had the males in 24/7 but the does got tired quickly and the litters soon became smaller as the doe got to about 8 months old.
I've had the does in pairs and let them mate the same buck but taken him out after 8-10 days and let them birth together. This way seems best but you have to have more than one buck that get along and can live together.
I also give my does a rest between litters so that their litters are better 'quality'.

My rat kittens seem to be bigger than the average kittens.
I have a kitt here I got a few days ago from a breeder, he is 5-6 weeks old, my 23 day old kittens are twice his size.
He is only 49grms whereas my kitts are around 70grms.

I breed mainly for show and pets though.

SnakeBreeder · #8 (**permalink**) 28-09-2008, 05:23 PM

Having seen Saxons rats I can confirm she does something "special" with them.
Also the diet she gives them is better than the food I eat myself

toyah · #9 (**permalink**) 28-09-2008, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saxon

I have a kitt here I got a few days ago from a breeder, he is 5-6 weeks old, my 23 day old kittens are twice his size.
He is only 49grms whereas my kitts are around 70grms.

Gosh that's criminal

I would expect a 5-6 week old kitten to be a minimum of 100g, up to around 200g at six weeks. 49g sounds like it hasn't been fed anything more than just dry mix

saxon · #10 (**permalink**) 28-09-2008, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toyah

Gosh that's criminal

I would expect a 5-6 week old kitten to be a minimum of 100g, up to around 200g at six weeks. 49g sounds like it hasn't been fed anything more than just dry mix

I know.

He's tiny. I doubt he is as old as they told me.
They breed for BoP but again that's no excuse as I use some of mine for the snakes but I still feed them well.
He's been accepted into the 3 week old litter and feeding from the doe so he should build up pretty quickly now.
He's also a rex!!!!
I dont' know if they are smaller than normal coats or not????
I know my nakeds are always smaller until around 6 months old then they seem to catch up.

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