Breeding rats

[Nebbz]

As some may know i used to breed rats years ago, but gave up due to lack of buyers.

What is the market like now. I Know its harder to sell black rats, and full browns/agoutis (god knows why they are gorgeous)


My current female stock consists off:
1 Champagne hooded flat fur, top ear (very light) very good bone structure and a very clever girl
1 Champagne Variegated Rex dumbo typical dumbo rat but a gorgeous coat on her
1 Black Variegated Rex Top ear small but well proportioned Although i think she may have some hairless gene in her as she is loosing more and more hair as she is getting older.

I am due to pick up two top eared Roans, How ever yet to pick them out, and i will have to wait till they are 7 weeks minimum how ever i asked if possible can she keep them till 8 weeks!

Now. If i was to breed, i want to keep the dark colourings out, but try breed some awsome markings.

a) what would be the best to go with the girls (male stock)
b) if the rex who is loosing her hair, does she hair hairless in her, and how would i get fully hairless kits!?
c) what is the market like these days?

I will be looking to set up my own website eventually for obvious reasons this will help selling!

[KathyM]

I would be asking yourself various questions, like what are your breeding objectives? What variety do you want to breed? What are the histories health and temperament wise on your rats and their ancestors? Also how old are the girls you plan to breed as it sounds like they're "mature" ladies?

This link might help....

National Fancy Rat Society

Edit: Sorry, shall answer your q's.

1. Depends on the family tree of the rats in question, and whether they're fit for breeding (see above). Depends also on what you want to achieve.
2. Could be age related, hairless would've been apparent from kittenhood. What were her parents?
3. Depends on who you're aiming for - if you're looking for decent homes and intend to check I would say homing is slow at the moment due to SDAV outbreaks.

[LisaLQ]

This one is good too:
Breeding Rats

[Nebbz]

the girls i have are between 4 months old and 6 months old, the youngest wouldnt be breed from untill she was old enough.

And my objective would be mainly good stock, if you go to pet stores you can see nothing but over breed does, odd proportioned rats with bad coats the rex's arnt as thick and glossy as they used to be and the flat top eared dont have very good bone structures any more, i feel there quite small!

As the hairless would be apparent from a young age, i dont think ill want to breed from the black variegated as her coat isnt very good, as i said, when i bred rats a couple of years ago, it was for healthy, well proportioned stock, with good glossy coats and very good temperaments, out of the 50+ i bred only two i had problems with (temperament wise) of which i think is a good number to be honnest! and with some time spent with them, they soon came out their shells

It wouldn't be a constant thing happening two litters at most to a doe.

[saraheh]

The market these days well atleast in Kent is more people throw out animals then they do buying them also I do a kent based side for a rescue near london and I know there are a large number of animals being thrown out due to circumstance change, the said credit crunch aswell as other things. The internet on rescue sites, preloved, findafurry, freeads, gumtree all those are the places to look to see how many are on there.

only 4 out of 11 of my rats aren't rescues. I personally am a big fan of bucks.

[KathyM]

I think if your goal is high quality rats, that's what you'll need to start out with. Your girls sound like lovely pets, but you don't say whether you got them from a breeder that can supply their lines' health information? If you've got the opportunity to start with well bred rats from healthy lines, I would really hold out for that, and wait for rats that you have a really good background on. That way you can ensure to a great degree that your rats will be sound, and you'll be able to know what to expect variety wise. I would try and get in touch with some good breeders and see if anyone is willing to help. The NFRS would be a great place to start - not *all* the good breeders are registered there, but a large proportion are.

It might be worth picking one or two related varieties to focus on so that you're not just putting any varieties together as this affects health, size and type along the way if you end up with rats carrying tonnes of recessives. I'm not good on genetics at all but have tried to learn enough to understand the varieties I breed, this has really helped and wasn't quite as scary as I thought it would be lol.

Hope everything works out for you!

[Nebbz]

Originally Posted by KathyM

I think if your goal is high quality rats, that's what you'll need to start out with. Your girls sound like lovely pets, but you don't say whether you got them from a breeder that can supply their lines' health information? If you've got the opportunity to start with well bred rats from healthy lines, I would really hold out for that, and wait for rats that you have a really good background on. That way you can ensure to a great degree that your rats will be sound, and you'll be able to know what to expect variety wise. I would try and get in touch with some good breeders and see if anyone is willing to help. The NFRS would be a great place to start - not *all* the good breeders are registered there, but a large proportion are.

It might be worth picking one or two related varieties to focus on so that you're not just putting any varieties together as this affects health, size and type along the way if you end up with rats carrying tonnes of recessives. I'm not good on genetics at all but have tried to learn enough to understand the varieties I breed, this has really helped and wasn't quite as scary as I thought it would be lol.

Hope everything works out for you!

this is what im doing now, I was going to try rex on rex to get the double rex (hairless as far as i have researched) but i think only one would be worth breeding from. I know where all the rats came from and one was a breeder, and two from a pet store, How ever i asked all the questions as where they get stock from But the two i got from the pet store, im reluctant to breed from at the moment, as they are very petit compaired to my other rat skye. who is i got to admit very well bred! she has a line of beige, champagne, husky rats in her blood lines (which is what im aiming for)

Im going to see the two new ones, (pic them out) today, and get to meet the parents. So im hoping they turn out how i want them to! as they are Roans! (been after roans for a while!)

you have all been really helpful on helping me decide wether to go back in to breeding, I think i might wait till skye is a little older, And try and find a compatible buck to go with her! the other two, i will go to the vet and see if they pass a proper health check, and see what she advises me with sniffles (my black variegated i wont be breeding as her fur is not up to my personal standard but shes a really good pet )

before any one asks, im more than willing to take back a kit if the new owner cannot keep them, or for any other reason, be it health or temperament

[KathyM]

Yeah I would highly recommend not breeding from petshop rats, regardless of their current health. I know where they come from, had one come here that was bred by Simon's Rodents and arrived here pregnant, all her babies had serious health defects, most died young (including one at 9 weeks old, two from heart attacks at 4-5 months, two were blind and one had a permanent heart problem and eye tumour). Mum was too all intents and purposes a fit and healthy rat, but carried genetic faults and outlived all her children bar one, so she goes to show how even rats that look healthy might be carrying deadly problems. You really need about 5 generations + of history health wise on each rat if you're breeding for health. It's horrible homing rats out for them to die young, you might get lucky but it's really not worth the risk.

[LisaLQ]

Totally agree. And it's just as important to research your breeder. There is a vast difference between a breeder who breeds from pet shop originating rats for feeder - and keeps some as pets to continue breeding from and sell on etc, and someone who breeds solely for health, temperament, show and pet homes. You'll find the average show breeders rats bigger, often healthier (although not always - depending on breeder and their variety/lines), and will also be of a recognised variety if you want to specialise in something. There's nothing wrong with the other kind of breeder if you want pet rats, but you'll find many cant give the health and temperament information you need for breeding, as some of their litter will be inside a snake, and the parents wont have been chosen for their health, temperament and good type. However, this is a massive generalisation and there are shades of grey, there may be those who breed for both (seperate lines). Just IME I've seen many rats carrying just about every variety under the sun + hairless in the feeder circles, there are some regular breeders like this too but if you're starting out and want to specialise in something, you really want the genetics side to be easy for you - and you dont want your whole litter coming back as biters, or dying young because they were poorly etc.

Try popping along to some shows and getting a feel for them, and getting recommendations for breeders in your area who could help you get started. You could email breeders@nfrs.org for a list of NFRS registered breeders, remember though that the NFRS dont vet those on the list, so you still have to be willing to ask questions, get recommendations and make your own decision based on their ethics.

I see you're in Kent, then I can highly recommend Ann Storey at Rivendell Stud, her rats are amazing and she is also an endless source of advice and info for me and other breeders, she's fab. It would also be worth joining the NFRS as they have a members forum which is second to none for advice and help with breeding, health and indeed any rat care. Very much worth the £20 to join (I think?).

[rosie75]

Hi there
I bred my first litter, and they are nearly 5 weeks old, I have had a fair bit of interest in them, but no definate buyers as yet, they will be ready on the 24th
I think blues, siamese, rex's, blue point etc are generally easier to sell.
Mine are hooded, but my main reason for breeding is to make them child friendly and healthy.
Unlike a majority of pet shops that aren't able to handle them frequently.
You say your one rats fur isn't that thick, but I am sure I have read somewhere that there is a certain variety of rat that is quite sparce.