Rats- cleaning cage with babies.

[damzookeeper]

Sorry if this is the wrong place but I didn't know where to put it. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me at what age I can change the cage and handle the babies to move them for cleaning without the parents eating them. I just pull my mice for cleaning but I want to keep these babies because I have a few friends that want some and some will be breeders and some will be feeders but once they are larger. I can't remember if it is 14 days or is it older? THanks. Deb.

[Thorn07]

I wouldn't clean the cage until after they have fur and begin to walk around and I would handle them either until that time.

[mykee]

Day #1. It's an old wives tale that you can't touch the babies until they are X days old 'cause they'll be eaten by their mothers. Just not true. I clean my rats every three days, and I don't care who's just been born. Never had a problem.

[stha4]

mykee, i agree i clean my rats cage every 3 days also and i put the babies back in with the mother an she has no problems with it.

[asphyxia]

What mykee says :)...same with mice IMO

Cheers
Brian

[Brent Strande]

I reach in right away, no reason not to. The mother simply snatches the babie once replaced and 'grooms them' but I've never had her kill one after returning it...

[damzookeeper]

Thanks. I have had mice do it before, maybe it was just a coinsidence (sp.)but if I need to clean them with babies in there now, I put gloves on and rub the gloves in the aspen to get the scent and then move the babies. lol, that sounds stupid now.
I know for sure that my hedge hogs would eat their babies as well if touched them before they were 14 days old or if housed with the male.
Thanks. They are due for a cleaning so I'm glad, I dont' think I would be able to stand them being in there for another 7 days without cleaning. lol. I guess I'll get to count the babies too. :)

[Linds]

Mice are far more sensitive to everything, and do not hesitate to eat their babies at the drop of a hat. Rats are quite good parents, even if they run out of food and water they will not immediately turn on their litters, unlike mice. They are much more easy going. No special attention needs to be made when breeding them than when keeping them. Just pretend the babies aren't even there :cool:

[justinO]

Originally posted by Thorn07
I wouldn't clean the cage until after they have fur and begin to walk around and I would handle them either until that time.
so wrong, and also EWWWWWWWWWW

my rats would stink SO BAD if i left the mothers till all the babies had fur..... not to mention the mother wouldn't be very comfortable sitting in a pile of pissy shavings!

lol

I clean them as soon as they need to be cleaned, babies or not.

Jessy

[mykee]

Good point Jessy, I clean my colonies every 3 days and even then, on the third day there's a bit of stank in the room. I couldn't even imagine leaving them that long. That's jsut unhealthy for the rats, and for anyone living NEAR the rats.