Breeding Rats

[marisa]

Hi! I can't even bear to think about this coming winter and the fact that I will have to breed stinky mice again. All my snakes are adults, and all can take rat pups or something larger (in the BPs case) so I want to make the switch from mice breeding to rats this up coming fall.

I am having a hard time finding information though. All the webpages I have found speak almost 100% about "the responsibility of breeding rats and finding homes" and all that jazz, which of course for us people is not a concern! I haven't found any really good info....anyone have good links they can share? Info? etc?

Thanks people, I just know I have been looking in all the wrong spots!

Marisa

[jwsporty]

Actually Marisa, Breeding rats is pretty simple. In my opinion probably easier then Mice. I am starting to switch to Rat breeder cages and I run 1.2 colonies, I am feeding a 50/50 mix of Nutriblock and Dog Food, they also get fruits and veggies the day before doing a cage cleaning. Keep fresh water in at all times and keep them in a cool area, (basement, air conditioned room, etc) and you should do fine. I currently have three colonies of rats, all are 1.2 and they are producing about every 3 weeks. My litters are consistantly hitting 18-20 babies with some exceptions. As soon as the offspring are old enough to forage on their own away from mom, is when I take them down, that's about the right size for the type of snakes I keep and the expected size they will reach. Otherwise if I need different sizes between then, I will take what I need. It is presented as F/K and if it is not taken then I simply wash it and put it into the freezer for future use. Most of my babies are getting some rat into them but none of them are exclusively on rats...yet..in the meantime I will stock pile for future use. I still maintain my mouse colonies 1.5 , 2 colonies now, and I am just meeting the current demands. The tough part isn't breeding them, the tough part is killing them,,they are cute and do in fact make great pets.. My wife and I have an agreement, the first litters are kept as pets/breeders...everything else is snake food. I use Hooded and Dumbo Rats and I did introduce a fresh bloodline with the last colony setup. Hope that helps.

Jim

[marisa]

Yes it does help!

So much like mice, you can leave a colony set up togther? No need to remove anyone before a birth?

Marisa

[Linds]

Yup. Exactly like breeding mice, except as Jim mentioned, its a lot easier. Rats are more willing to breed and aren't as easily stressed by external factors. Incidences of cannibalism are far less in rats than in mice as well, and it is almsot unheard of that rats will eat their first litter, unlike mice. YOu jsut leave the colonies in tact, and take out or wean whatever you need ;)

[marisa]

Wow thanks. Reading all these "pet" rat breeding pages really messed me up. They almost all suggest removing the father but don't mention its only because they don't want the mother pregnant again, so I wasn't sure.

I am almost 100% positive I am dumping these stank mice. LOL

thanks people!

Marisa

[Linds]

LOL don't blame ya! I can't stand breeding mice. I only have one colony of 1.3 and thats 4 too many! LOL :p I wish all my animals could feed on rats :rolleyes:

[Lisa]

You don't need to remove the father how ever having your female constantly pregnant can be hard on them. We are running 2.3 colonys and remove the females when they look due to pop. This way the mommies aren't trying to nurse and grow babies inside her at the same time. When the babies are weened @ ~ 4 weekswe seperate them and put the mommies back in the cage to get pregnant again and seperate the children into male and female groups. Production may be a little slower but we feel you get better babies this way.

[WingedWolf]

I've found that you get more variable litter sizes when they are pregnant all the time (if their last litter was huge, the next might be smaller), but overall you still get more offspring...a lot depends on your goals. If your breeders are going to be sold off as food after a year's production anyhow, it's probably more economical to keep them all in a group. If you're going to keep the females until they no longer produce litters at all, then perhaps it'd be better to give them more of a break between litters.
I gave my females calcium chew blocks or cuttlebone, too, to nibble on.

[snake_goth]

well this is my help as ive bred rats in the past (as pets) what u should do is get a 1.2. coloney set up in a cage, tank or evin a ruber maid, next make shure that the rats u are buying are in good shape, i fed mine on the normel rat mix and if u whant slightly biget ad a few sun-flower seed's to the mix, i fed them the mix with a bit of bread and a bit of fruit like a slice of apple and a bit a carrot u can but vitems for there water too, as for the actual breeding bit, take the male out a few week's prior to birth, then put him back after the litter has opend there eyes got fur, and feeding on the mix(evin if there still taking milk frm there mum, just make shure thay will take water from the botle or dish) then u can put the male bak in i think thats it if u whant anny more info on them just pm me