To feed her off or not to feed her off..

[Rikki]

Marisa; I am not even a member of PETA and I wish you would stop judging someone because I dare care for an animal. Second of all MANY rodents eat their first litters, you say they dont? Please see the following links for proof.

http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/s...roduction.html

http://www.petwebsite.com/breedp.htm

reasons which may cause a female to destroy her own litter are ill health of the babies (she will destroy sickly babies rather than waste effort trying to raise them), extremely large litter (she may reduce the litter size and only rear the number she feels she can cope with), <b>disturbance</b> (she may feel threatened by something nearby), poor condition or health of the female and interference (touching the babies and changing their scent may lead her to believe the babies are not her own but intruders to be killed).

If a female is destroying her litter it is best to leave her alone to settle and try not to disturb her too much. Feeding high protein foods such as cheese, scrambled egg, etc may help her to cope with rearing the litter. If she continues to destroy the litter fostering (see below) may have to be considered if possible.

Female rats should not be disturbed for the first few days after delivery because stressed females may destroy their pups. Excessive handling, loud noises, and even insufficient nesting material have all been implicated with this destructive behavior.

I do not like to argue, I love this community and am not trying to start anything though I cant stand it when some people act like they do. I am NOT AGAINST FEEDING RODENTS TO REPTILES, you are making like I am against it, my monitor eats rodents weekly.

[marisa]

No one said they don't. But you said BOTH. We can't even understand your sentences let alone your logic.

I can't argue with someone so totally out of it in relation to what this forum specifically stands for and who missing the point in almost every reply. You TOTALLY missed my point and you made it clear you missed it by again telling us you feed reptiles rodents. Great. Nothing to do with what I was saying. BREEDERS can DEFINITLY be disturbed. I do it every single litter. Rikki just because it's on the internet doesn't make it true.

I am not going to stop replying because I don't like to argue, I am going to stop replying because I simply cannot even understand your sentences in many of your posts, and because you constantly base judgements on "pet care" instead of feeder breeding which is aimed at a totally different purpose, hence the reason you CULL any rodent that doesn't breed, quick. You clean cages regardless of what's going on in them. Always. If a rodent gets sick, you kill it. Period. This is the way you produce FEEDER rodents. And your intial advice to the thread starter was not aimed at this at all. Again you won't comprehend my point here because you refuse too, but that's all I have to say about it.

Marisa

[Rikki]

Just because its on the internet does not make it a lie either. I did not say they do not eat litters.

[Paleosuchus]

I should not have left the fact out that she has had numerous litters before coming into my home as a breeder as the pet store worker told me, at that time i did not consider asking did she eat the litter nor did the pet store employee mention that. I appreciate all the advise and have decided to feed her off.

As for her having a grudge of seeing her babies getting eaten.(?) I do not believe the pet store held her over the cage while feeding off her litter.

Anyway, thanks again for the advise given.

-Jason

[marisa]

That's a important part of the story.

If the female has had previous litters and just now starting eating them, she is worn out and done. It was a good choice to feed her off. Breeding rodents need to be top notch at all times so you get the most from them and the most for your snakes. I have so far found my females are good for between 5-8 litters each. 8 was pushing it though. After 6 I cull them now.

Marisa

[Paleosuchus]

Yeah i apologize for leaving that out. I had one more question, what is the chances of getting another female such as this? Are most good mothers? Thanks

-Jason

[Rikki]

Marisa there is something we agree on! Rats (as most rodents) get to a point where they are no longer able to breed properly and care for the babies, this is more than likley the cause, its best to breed before 5-6 months of age. If you have no other choice; feed her off.

[marisa]

Most rats are good mothers. Get them young. Really young. Breed them for 6 or so litters or until its obvious they are worn.

Marisa

[sapphire_moon]

rikki as much as I would love to agree with you this is a feeder forum.
In reality she probably DID eat her babies because a mother would rather kill and eat the babies then see them get taken away (which may be why mice do it, AKA a nervous mother and will do it till she trusts you.) and I would love nothing more than for the rat to be given more and more chances, but this is NOT a pet rat site/forum and must not lose site of that.

BUT as said, if she is not consistantly producing for Paleo then I would wack her, she is taking up food, space, litter, time and eventually money (For taking up all the litter water, and food). That could be being put into a mother rat that is consistant.

Marisa: Every try to raise hamsters? I find that if you touch them when born they eat the entire nest of them quickly afterwards (unless the mother REALLY trusts you) it is even suggested you don't touch the nest/babies/or clean the cage for 2 wks after they are born.

Only 6 litters? I always got about 10 good litters from my girls, or waited until the litters started getting smaller.(when I was breeding lol)

Paleo, female rats are usually great mothers. A bit "grumpy" at times, but good. lol