Are My Rats Prego?

[Bellabob]

I have had them for..ehh...maybe 2 and a half weeks? The females are starting to dig around in their bedding and making these little nests, their sleeping a LOT more often, and eating a lot too. They are getting a little chubby but not too chubby. This is the first time breeding rats for me (got tired of buying food..5 dollars just for a feeder rat?!) and I really need food for the snakes (don't worry I'm not starving them until they give birth).

Any answers would be awesome.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Sure wish I had more experience to help you
I bought 2 pregos and they really built up nests about 3 days before delivery.
Now I have 4 sets of 1.2 but no action yet.

[Amon Ra Reptiles]

Just keep watching them they will look like they swallowed a baseball before they birth it's impossible to miss

[Chuckels]

Usually them making a nest that early signifies they are not getting sufficient heat. Reading that you've only had them 2 1/2 weeks, you would already not miss that they are pregnant. A rat's gestation period is 21-23 days. If they looked like they swallowed a tennis ball, and are making a nest, that pretty much tells you that you're about to get some pinks. Since you are uncertain, continue to feed them as normal, when they give birth, you'll need to feed a little extra because they have to produce milk, or they will eat their young due to lack of milk production. Rats are very interesting, if the mother doesnt feel that she can raise her young, they wont survive, or threatened, she will usually eat them. When or If she does give birth, don't touch them or stress her for the first 3-4 days unless your feeding. I don't know how you feed your rats, or what you house them in, but you want to make it as stress free as possible for her. If you see her swelling as said before, move her to her own tub/enclosure, or move the male. If I have more than 1 prego, I will put them all in a tub together. If I have 1 out of my 5 females pregnant, she gets her own tub. Ive been breeding rats for about 1 1/2 years, so I have a pretty good idea of the behavior a prego rat shows. Im not by all means an expert, just figured I'd give you what Ive learned over the time Ive been doing it. Anymore questions, let me know.

Good Luck!

Trey

[SlitherinSisters]

Patience my friend, patience

Until you have been breeding for awhile it may not be till a day or two before they give birth that you know for sure if they are pregnant. I can pick mine out about a week before they give birth, but before that, there's no way to know. Building nests can be a good sign though

[D&J Reptiles]

Well i have been breeding my own feeders for a few years now and the sounds of it they are starting to settle in to the new location. You can tell when you bring in new breeders compared to older. After time they calm down and dont get as excited everytime you open the tub or clean. But as far as them showing signs of being prego.. believe me you will know when they look like they swallowed 2 golf balls. Just give it some time and it will happen. you will soon master it..

[jasbus]

I disagree with the "not messing with them" advice. You'll have better breeders in the long run if they are used to you. I can pick up pinks a day old, and not have any problems with the mom eating them. I don't "stress" them, but they should be able to accept you handling their young. If you plan on breeding for any period of time, you need to have rats that aren't shy.
That being said, unless you keep them for pets as well, if a momma rat eats her young more than once, she should be replaced. She's just not gonna be a good breeder. There will always be a sickly one here or there eaten, but you shouldn't breed a rat that you can't handle or handle her offspring. I breed on a very large scale, and all of my rats accept me handling their young.
I'm constantly adopting babies from a larger litter to a small litter to equal out as much as I can.

As for the nest building, that's a good sign that a litter is coming. You'll know when she's prego, they look like they're gonna explode...

[Chuckels]

Just because you can't handle your rats doesn't really mean they'll be bad breeders. Also, even a mother rat that eats her first 1-2 litters isn't necessarily a bad breeder. It can take up to their third litter before they settle down and produce good sized and healthy litters. Now if a mother over 6-9 months old is producing litters and eating them, that qualifies to ME as a bad breeder and will be replaced. The reason I said not to 'stress' them is because when a litter is first born, the mothers maternal instinct are at is peak compared to a litter that is a week old. I choose not to touch them for a few days because of the 7 stitches I received when I first started out. The way anyone handles their breeders is completely up to them, but I don't handle mine everyday, and I still can pick any of them up and be fine. It's all about the person and how they feel with their rats, I love my rats, but I also understand theyre animals, and unless there's a secret language that I don't know, we can never FULLY understand them. We can gain experience, but were not rats and will never know exactly what they want at the current time! :-)

Forgive any typos or auto-corrects, it was typed with my phone.

Trey

[PghBall]

You'll definitely be able to tell when your female is going to give birth (picture a large pear with legs and a tail). When she stands up her baby belly will def show. As far as seperating pregnant females etc, that is up to you. I don't separate mine and even leave my males in with the females. Most males will not hurt their own young (none of mine have). I have had first time mothers eat their young though. These same mothers now produce nice sized litters and are really good moms to the pups. Don't be alarmed if they eat their babies the first time around. That being said, not all first time mothers will eat their young either, it is just a possibility. I have also been able to pick up pinks and fuzzies from a litter without any ill effects. I only breed to feed my BP collection and am not a large scale breeder, but when it's time to clean out the tubs I have to move the pinks etc regardless of what momma rat thinks. Anyhow, good luck and I hope they produce for you.

[jasbus]

Just because you can't handle your rats doesn't really mean they'll be bad breeders. Also, even a mother rat that eats her first 1-2 litters isn't necessarily a bad breeder. It can take up to their third litter before they settle down and produce good sized and healthy litters. Now if a mother over 6-9 months old is producing litters and eating them, that qualifies to ME as a bad breeder and will be replaced. The reason I said not to 'stress' them is because when a litter is first born, the mothers maternal instinct are at is peak compared to a litter that is a week old. I choose not to touch them for a few days because of the 7 stitches I received when I first started out. The way anyone handles their breeders is completely up to them, but I don't handle mine everyday, and I still can pick any of them up and be fine. It's all about the person and how they feel with their rats, I love my rats, but I also understand theyre animals, and unless there's a secret language that I don't know, we can never FULLY understand them. We can gain experience, but were not rats and will never know exactly what they want at the current time! :-)
Trey

It's like you said, every one can do what they want... But, in my opinion, if a rat is still eating her young on the second litter, toss her and replace. it's just a waste of space, food and time to keep trying.
And, no, just because you can't handle them, doesn't make them bad breeders. Most large scale breeders don't handle their rats. I was just stating, that unless you handle them and get them used to be handled, they will stress easier when you mess with their young. My personal way of doing it, handle them often, and their young, I find works great. They are used to me going through the cage, pulling pups, cleaning, or whatever.
If you are planning on raising rodents for any length of time, and you don't like getting bit, then this is the best way. Why waste your time trying to raise pups out of a nasty or bad producing mother, when you don't have to? Especially when you have replacements already on hand? Just feed off the bad apples...
Not trying to step on your toes, just trying to give my advice. I've been doing this for a long time, with great success in the way I do it.