Rat size for breeding?

[Paleosuchus]

I have decided to get a pair of rats to produce pinkies on a small scale. But what kind of rats do i get? The smalls, mediums, large, or jumbo's? Aswell as, How long do rats live, average? Thanks for any help, jason

[beanersmysav]

I've read that they are ready for breed at 200-300 grams, mine are all over 300 though when I got them. They live anywhere from 3-5 years.

[sapphire_moon]

get the small/medium, preferably the medium so you "know" they are old enough to breed, and it won't shorten their life span by breeding to early. And if they are to old, they either won't produce, take a long long time to produce, or produce small/weak litters.

The actual life span of rats live an average of 1.5-2.5 years depending on if you get them medical attention when needed.

Not alot of rats actually live to 3 years old, most people that buy them for pets usually expect there to be all sorts of medical problems once they hit one, tumors, myco, and secondary infectiosn of myco.

[Mark]

I gwt all my breeders a young as possible and thewn I set them up into there future breeding groups and let them do their thing. I just wait for the babies to appear in a set period of time (depending on how old they are).

Mark

[CamHanna]

A rats life span and it's breeding life are two very different things. Rats may live to be five but female breeders are normally not worth breeding for much more than a year or so.

[sapphire_moon]

And if you over breed a female it can reduce her life span.

[mykee]

What Mark said.