Fighting rats and chew outs

[Powerspythons]

Do your rats fight a lot? Mine do. It seems like everytime I watch one of the tubs they are just fighting and wrestling and pinning each other down the whole time until they all get tired out and fall asleep on top of each other. Is it normal? a dominance thing? or are these rats aggressive? I've heard that you shouldnt breed aggressive rats...

Also as a side note to this...what do you do to solve your chew outs? I tried putting aluminum foil tape over the hole but thy're already making their way through that now!!...what should I do??...other than use different tubs without edges for them to chew of course!! I already put blocks of wood in there for them to chew on, which lasted for a while..but once they peed on it a couple times they dont chew it anymore, they just stand on it to get to the water easier..

[Shenzi Sixaxis]

Fighting and playing looks a lot a like. Unless blood is being spilled and any rats seem stressed, don't worry too much. If any rats are standing upright with their forelegs held out in front of them and seem antsy when another rat goes by, take out the rat that's not doing anything and put it with another group or cull it. When they do that for more than a day it's showing that one is bullying the others and the ones standing upright are stressed.

There's also dominance between females. If a female goes and acts like a male 100% with another female, take her out right away and do something. I had a very sweet female who was well behaved turn into a total something-you-don't-want that chews everything and screams at the slightest touch because of that. She also seems to have cannibalized two pups from her litter, since I KNOW there were 12, and one day I counted and there was only 10, and I don't think the little 2 month old female she's been with could have eaten two whole 6 day old pups.



As for chew outs, what ventilation do you have? And what kind of bins? I'm using plain ol' sterilite 90qt bins with ventilation hot glued very very well (i.e., glue on the whole perimeter of the screen and with a generous amount) on the side of the bin. I need to reglue it now and then, but it's not like they get out over night for me.

[JD'S Exotics]

Also as a side note to this...what do you do to solve your chew outs? I tried putting aluminum foil tape over the hole but thy're already making their way through that now!!...what should I do??...other than use different tubs without edges for them to chew of course!! I already put blocks of wood in there for them to chew on, which lasted for a while..but once they peed on it a couple times they dont chew it anymore, they just stand on it to get to the water easier..[/QUOTE]

Need to know more info. What kind of tubs are you using? I have used sterelite, mortar and websaraunt bus tubs. I have had chew outs in the sterelites, from ASF's and chew outs in the bus tubs from rats. I made a screen insert to fit in the bottom. Makes for a pain in the butt to clean.I have not had any chew outs in the mortar tubs at all. They haven't even chewed at all.

[snakeman13]

just hot glue some hardware cloth over the hole on the inside of the tub.
this will stop them chewing.

[SlitherinSisters]

I don't keep chewers. My racks aren't very tight and they could easily chew their way out. I had a couple 'new bloods' that were chewing out of my breeding tubs and I fixed the holes by soldering a few little holes around the chewed hole and wired hardwired cloth over the hole. Problem solved! Well, that and getting rid of the chewers!

[jasbus]

Easiest way is to just use tubs they can't chew.
As for repairs, hardware cloth and rivets

[Shenzi Sixaxis]

I don't keep chewers. My racks aren't very tight and they could easily chew their way out. I had a couple 'new bloods' that were chewing out of my breeding tubs and I fixed the holes by soldering a few little holes around the chewed hole and wired hardwired cloth over the hole. Problem solved! Well, that and getting rid of the chewers!

I wish I could do that. ALL my rats chew, related or not. Plus, the female I got and am keeping daughters from is a big chewer, but when she had 19 and a daughter had a FIRST litter of 12... Yeah. ;_;

[Powerspythons]

just hot glue some hardware cloth over the hole on the inside of the tub.
this will stop them chewing.

This has worked really well! Thanks!!