Smaller litters?

Zoe · 10-12-03, 09:42 PM

I have several 1.1 rat pairs... and usually I get litters of 9-13 pups. However, a couple of my females have given me litters of 2 or 3 babies. Is it because they are burnt out and should be replaced? (I got them as adults). Or is it something I might be doing wrong? They eat a mix of dog food and rodent mix, btw.

Zoe

Linds · 10-13-03, 10:51 AM

How long have they been producing for you? Do you know how old they are or just that they were full grown when you got them? I would definitely feed them off and replace them, regardless of the reason their litter sizes have dropped off. If they were producing fine for you before I doubt it is anything you are doing.

Syst3m · 10-13-03, 11:03 AM

Sounds like they are about done. I agree with Linds, time to feed them and move to another pair.

Usually they will produce good for about a year after their first litter. But that is not set in stone.

Zoe · 10-13-03, 11:42 AM

Unfortunately, I don't know how old they were when I got them. I also have one albino that doesn't seem to be producing ANYTHING. Time to kill some adults

(I hate killing the adults)

Zoe

Syst3m · 10-13-03, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zoe
Unfortunately, I don't know how old they were when I got them. I also have one albino that doesn't seem to be producing ANYTHING. Time to kill some adults (I hate killing the adults)

Zoe

Yea its tougher to kill the breeders. Emotionally and pysically.
The bigger they are the harder they are to kill.

Linds · 10-15-03, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zoe
(I hate killing the adults)

Oh gawd, I have enough time wacking retired breeders. Worse yet, wacking my friends pets!

A friend of mine is getting out of breeding rats as pets and feeders and giving me all of his stock. He knows I can't keep them all and only have interest in keeping the rex rats for breeding. Eep. They are all so socialized and all have names... Penelope, Rustifer, etc..... I tol him I felt too bad taking the ones I couldn't keep, he said he knows I won';t be able to keep them but there fate would probably be the same if he sold them to a store. I've watched him spoil these rats to death for so long and talk about them and there personalities and behaviours just like his kids. Oi... this is gonna be brutal

reptilesalonica · 10-15-03, 05:49 PM

I can understand Linds...

Why don't you use a gas chamber?
Then you don't have to put yourself in a difficult situation like that.
(Not you Linds, everyone who don't use gas chamber and find it hard to whack feeders)
~Greg~

SnowSnake · 10-15-03, 06:18 PM

Can you use carbon monoxide (CO) to kill them? Or carbon dioxide (CO²) is better?

Zoe · 10-15-03, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Why don't you use a gas chamber?

What indicators have I given that I don't?

Zoe

Lisa · 10-15-03, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SnowSnake
Can you use carbon monoxide (CO) to kill them? Or carbon dioxide (CO²) is better?

Carbon monoxide is not good to use. Lots of extra stuff with it. CO2 is also easy to get.