Being hated?

Oliverian · 01-24-04, 01:28 AM

I have a 1.2 rat trio for breeding. Well, this has been my first time breeding my own food rats, and one of my girls gave birth a few days ago. These guys are pet rats, and I'm quite fond of them. I've just decided to breed them every so often when I need snake food. (I know, sounds kind of mean!) So yesterday I had my dad hold the mother in the bathroom, while I took two pinks to feed to the snakes. What I'm wondering is, should I take all of the rat babies exept one (as I'm planning on keeping one male anyways) or should I take them gradually, a few every night? These are my pets, so I don't want her to hate me for life when she realises her babies are missing. Should I mabye have taken them all but one a little while after she had them?

Whats the best way to get her babies away without her hating me? :S

-TammyR

Pirranha · 01-24-04, 01:31 AM

good question,im going to be doing the same thing.
I didnt think they could really count.They might notice your smell around,but would they miss a few babies at a time?

Oliverian · 01-24-04, 01:54 AM

I took two yesterday, and she didn't seem to notice. But I don't know if she would continue not to notice if I kept it up. Does anyone know?

-TammyR

reptile boi · 01-24-04, 02:01 AM

i used to breed mice and i took the babies out a few every couple of day and the mice never really seemed to care.

Thanks,
Ben

sapphire_moon · 01-24-04, 08:59 AM

My rat had 10, then 6 now 4 ( I feed my male bp 2 rat pups). I now have to pick the mother up by the tail as I don't trust her, and I do this as little as possible because she is very clearly pregnant again! (yay!

) I use the feeding tongs to move her away and as soon as she "turns tail" I grab it, and as gently as possible I lift her out and put her into a bucket.

I don't think she hates me. I think it is just the protecting instinct that she has. She has already bit the crap outta me two times. And when she is done breeding, she is done breeding. She will be put to the snakes cages.
I am hoping to be able to socialise some of the babies to be able to keep as "pet breeders".
But the mothers attitude will change when she becomes pregnant.....they usually get mean.

Oliverian · 01-24-04, 02:03 PM

So, I figure if you (sapphire) take the babies a few at a time while she's watching, I don't think my girl's gonna care if I take them a few at a time while she's not watching. We'll just have to try it and see. Thanks.

-TammyR

Pixie · 01-24-04, 07:41 PM

You can do either with pretty much the same results. Wether you take them out a little at a time or all at once, she will realise that she went from mothering some young ones to none at all.

At first she might seem as if she's looking for them, but she will forget quickly and wont associate you with it.

My suggestion to you is to not have the mom see you take the babies away (take her out first) and after, YOU stay away from the rat cage for a full day. It will make it easier on you not to see her right away when the babies are just gone.

I consider my breeder rats pets too so I don't like watching the mom looking for her babies, even if it's not for very long. I come back a few hours later with treats and it's all cool!

Pixie

sapphire_moon · 01-24-04, 10:07 PM

ya, I found a baby today. It was always smaller. It had a clean bite mark right under it's eye, only one line (bite mark) though. Not like a bottom teeth/top teeth thing. And it was pushed outta the nest.

I fed it to my male, it was just getting cold (and we all know how quick they loose body heat.) So now she is down to 3. But one of the females of my trio looks like her nipples are becoming very noticable when I pick her up, as is her belly. Maybe I'll get lucky and she will have her litter soon.

The way I see it, in another week-week and a half the one with babies will be getting ready to give birth again.

hmmmm maybe they will give birth on the same day or within days of each other.......would be nice.

Auskan · 01-25-04, 12:59 AM

I figure its maybe easier on the mother to take them one (or a few) at a time because it must be uncomfortable to be full of milk and no one to feed it to. If you take them slowly, their milk slowly dries up as well.

Oliverian · 01-25-04, 01:24 AM

Thanks pixie. Thats pretty much how it's been so far. I suppose I'll coninue taking them slowly, because I really do think its easier to lose them a few at a time until one is left, instead of having the trauma of taking them all at once. Even if it means they get a little bigger in the meantime. My snakes will be able to handle it soon!
Auskan, thanks.

Thats what I figured, too, that it would be better to let it dry up slowly.

-TammyR

sapphire_moon · 01-25-04, 09:03 AM

oh one more thing. if you take them all at once and leave only 1 or 2, that won't be enough to stimulate the mother to lactate........and the babies will basicly starve (unless you want to hand feed them)

Auskan · 01-25-04, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sapphire_moon
oh one more thing. if you take them all at once and leave only 1 or 2, that won't be enough to stimulate the mother to lactate........and the babies will basicly starve (unless you want to hand feed them)

That's not really correct. Milk is stimulated by suckling and the supply meets the demand - no matter how high or low it is. One of my mice killed 5 out of 8 or her first litter so I removed the other three from her. One I fed, one died but the third lived so at the end of the day, I gave the survivor back to her mother and the mother accepted it back and decided to be a good mum after all. Now, a week and a half later, I have one very healthy fuzzy who is getting all of her mother's milk.

marisa · 01-25-04, 11:53 AM

I don't do rats yet but when it comes to taking away mouse babies you can run into trouble taking them all away at once. But leaving just one pinky has worked perfectly for me.

Marisa

Oliverian · 01-25-04, 05:30 PM

Alright, thanks guys. I've taken away all exept three now (as of yesterday) and she's doing fine. The last two will come probably today. My other girl is going to have hers pretty soon too, I would guess within 2-3 days. We probably aren't going to keep any of hers, though.
Again, thanks for all the help.
-TammyR