Her Fate is Sealed

[Jay_Bunny]

I've been trying to figure out which of my rats to CO2 and with Noel, I was going to wait to see if she did well with this litter. So far the babies are doing well so I figured I'd give her a chance. If this litter did well, she could live and continue to breed for me.

This morning I went to check on her and the babies and she gave me this little gift. I guess you can say her fate is sealed now.


I get it, she was defending her babies and was only doing what came naturally, but aggression to that degree is not something I will tolerate. You draw blood, you die. Simple. I've had rat mommas give me warning nips before. Didn't draw blood or even hurt but I knew they wanted me to back off. This rat flew across the tub and latched on. I can honestly say now that I would MUCH rather get bitten by a snake than a rat any day. Noel will be CO2ed as soon as I get dry ice tomorrow and her babies will be fed off.

[twistedtails]

Ouch!! Rats bites SUCK! I vote for the gas chamber.

[iCandiBallPythons]

You prob should remind yourself that they are animals and have instincts, and you were seen as a threat.

[wilomn]

You prob should remind yourself that they are animals and have instincts, and you were seen as a threat.

Then remind yourself that this is not the wild and her sole, only, singular as it were, reason for being, was to be and create food. In order for you to get that food you need without injury to yourself you must cull any animals that show aggression. Them and their offspring. You create the environment, you allow them to breed, you use them as food. You owe them good care and housing and a good death, but you do not owe them the right to bite.

I can reach in any tub any time and move moms, dads or babies and, knock on wood, not get bit. When I first started I fed off any rat that bit. All its offspring went as well. I can't remember the last time I got bit. Knocking again.

[twistedtails]

Then remind yourself that this is not the wild and her sole, only, singular as it were, reason for being, was to be and create food. In order for you to get that food you need without injury to yourself you must cull any animals that show aggression. Them and their offspring. You create the environment, you allow them to breed, you use them as food. You owe them good care and housing and a good death, but you do not owe them the right to bite.

I can reach in any tub any time and move moms, dads or babies and, knock on wood, not get bit. When I first started I fed off any rat that bit. All its offspring went as well. I can't remember the last time I got bit. Knocking again.

To add to that, you can actually get really sick from rat bites if I'm not mistaken.

[Jay_Bunny]

Well it stings like heck! I've washed it 3 times now. With any of my hand tame rats, I have been able to go into a tub/enclosure and mess with the babies with no problem. The most the mom will do if she is tired of me being there is come over and ever so gently put her teeth on my hand as if to say "Ok, I'm getting annoyed now" but it was never hard enough to hurt or draw blood.

Noel is not hand tame but her and another female (who I CO2ed just last week) have always been very aggressive(the first time they had their litters they were housed together and they fought over the babies so fiercely, some of the babies had to be culled due to huge gashes in their bodies or missing limbs). I also have to say that the offspring of those two females are very flighty and while not aggressive, show no interest in becoming friends with me.

I'm really starting to realize that starting over from scratch might just be the best idea. Get some young, newly weaned rats and raise them up myself instead of jumping in with some 6-8 week old flighty rats that I've never been able to hand tame.

[wilomn]

I'm really starting to realize that starting over from scratch might just be the best idea. Get some young, newly weaned rats and raise them up myself instead of jumping in with some 6-8 week old flighty rats that I've never been able to hand tame.

Good thinking.

[Jay_Bunny]

I just need to find someone near me who is selling rats. I don't want to get them from a store but instead someone who breeds their own feeders. I've put up an ad, but no hits.

[GameBred]

Keep the best, cull the rest...
Sorry to hear about your bite

[WingedWolfPsion]

I do the same thing--a rat that bites doesn't live. I don't need their genes in my breeder colony.

I will forgive a light nip from a mom defending her pups--but not a 'nip' that draws blood.