Breeding Rodents?

[KingFfaj]

Hi all! was just wondering about the numbers of pups produced by each rodent?
I know it varies from clutch to clutch depending on the age of the female but want to know if rats and mice produce the same number? Also how many babys do hampsters and gerbills make??
i used to keep all of these at some point and can remeber that my gerbills had around 8-12 pinkies but it was a looong time ago
thanks -Sam ;)

[reptilesalonica]

i have tried hamsters and mice. i kept hamsters only 6 months :)
...
also, clutches are dependable from the seasons.
Rodents don't like it warm and at the autumn they reduce their clutches.
With mice, be careful of jealus females towards to other cagemate that became mothers.
...think i will try rats too...
~Greg~

[KingFfaj]

So Greg, what are the numbers produced by each of them?
I need numbers, I need ruff numbers!
also, any kind of idea who long it takes each animal to complete the cycle?

[Lisa]

Rats 23 days for gestation 28 til weening.
mice 28 days for gestation 28 til weening.

We get an average litter size of 11 from the rats (some more some less) and i haven't really paid attention to the mice.

[Linds]

Gestation:
Mice - 19 days or so
Rats - 21 days or so

Weaning:
Mice- 3-4 weeks
Rats- 3 weeks

Litter sizes:
Mice- 8-18 (fancy mice)
15-20+ (some inbred lab strains such as ICR and Swiss Webster)
Rats- 12-18 (I always hear of people have smaller litters, but those are about what all of mine average around)

Also, since rodents don't hatch from eggs, they come from litters, not clutches ;)

[reptilesalonica]

Linds, thanks for the correction. We must discuss about teaching me english. (No kidding since i live in Greece) :D
~Greg~

[KingFfaj]

yes thanks ;)that is most helpful:)
would you predict hampsters and gerbills have bigger or smaller litters?

[Linds]

I don't know too much about breeding hamsters and gerbils, but I have always been under the impression they had quite small litters??? I know my friends gerbils usually produced 2-4 in a litter... :confused: Also I know with gerbils you cannot run them in a colony as you would with mice or rats, not sure if this applies to hamsters as well. Rats are easy to breed and keep, as well as they are sociable and relatively clean. Mice on the other hand are not as easy, but still easy enough, they stink something feirce, bite, and are filthy animals. :rolleyes:

[KingFfaj]

ok thanks all;) i think i'll most likely by a couple of pet rats and see wot happens, as my reptile collection is quite small at the moment i'm probably not needing to start a large coloney, it would be just to save a scrap of money and so i new where the rodents came from.
I came to this decision because: hampsters eat to much, gerbills are to quick, mice smell and rats are quite brainy:)
thanks again, Sam

[marisa]

Yeah and Linds is right about Gerbils. They can't be set up like other rodents, and litter sizes are small. I normally was getting 4-8 babies from my female every couple months. Thats crap compared to rats (so I have heard) and mice for sure.

But there is ONE advantage to gerbils, they do not stink. Literally. I could neglect my cage (which I dont) for MONTHS and still hardly smell a thing, even with a breeding pair using it. They are quite clean.

Marisa

[Pixie]

I used to breed dwarf hamsters when I was young and they were very productive for me then (too bad I didn't have snakes to feed! lol) having constant litters every 3 weeks of between 6 and 12 each.

I had a terrible time breeding mice. Over a whole year, I had sporadic litters and of very small numbers, many only 3 or 4 and the biggest being 9 once. I tried different males and females and always got the same outcome and gave up.

I love breeding rats! I can't say enough about them!!! Most production I have ever had with breeding rodents. Constant big litters and good mothering. Out of about 10-12 litters so far, my smallest was 13 once. All other litters have been between 15 and 18! Way to go girls!!!

Pixie

[KingFfaj]

well done you two... just when i think i've made my mind up, you go and tell more info to send me off track, lol
shouldnt matter though as i have quite a while to make my mind up.
I hear rats make good pets aswell? ive kept mice (out side, they stunk) mine was called fred (lol) and my brothers was called mufius (from the book redwall) didnt like them much though, so we got a dwarf hampster (which were cool) a few years later i bought some gerbills which i kept in my room and loved dearly, untill i woke up to find loads of little gerbills (and one time i went on holiday and my brothers girl friend was looking after the animals, she wasnt best pleased when she had to set up another tank to put the male in after they had more babys :( oops! lucky the pet shop bought them back off me, hehe. Now i only want to feed them to my snakes:)

[Pixie]

I much prefer rats for many reasons. They do make good pets, they're cute and quirky and have personalities :) I have a ball with mine and am expanding my colonies for the enjoyment of it!

In my experience, they are amazing producers! Like clockwork and huge litters! Me and all my snakes are very happy campers!

They stink a LOT LESS than mice!

Pixie

[Linds]

I have to agree with Pixie. Rats are the best. They make great pets if you're in to that as well. I have one pet rat, soon to be two....lol :p Some don't even need to be tamed... the male I am about to retire in to a pet is a total sweetheart and I've never socialized him to people. My other rat is awesome too. They don't smell as long as you keep them clean, and they are much better breeders. Mice are awful... they are filthy, smelly, spastic little critters that are touchy breeders and they don't hesitate to bite :rolleyes:

[KingFfaj]

Ok then... does any one know what kind of colours produce the widest range of colours? (as in, if you breed a black rat two a white rat, you get somthing like 75% black 20% white and 5% b&w)((thats not accurate)).
I'm thinking of getting a black and white rat and a ginger and white rat, but i'm hoping to get lots of different colourd offspring??