About to start a rat breeding project, could use some info....

[SinisterSerp]

I'm about to start breeding rats to not just feed my snakes, but I would also like to supply a few friends with their feeders, and have enough left over to sell enough to at least break even. Which means I'm planning on undergoing a relatively large scale project here. Here's what I'm curious about:

1) I'm trying to figure out how many breeders I want. I know, in the beginning, I won't be making any money. My first thought was to get 20 mature females and 4 males. Which would obviously make my bins 1.5 (males to females). Does this sound appropriate? And on average, how many pups could this setup POTENTIALLY produce a week?

2) I'm going to build a nice rack for my rats. I'm curious of what other breeder's systems are as far as how they rotate their rats through their bins. Basically I'm trying to figure out how many bins I want. I was thinking about making a 12 bin rack with the large cement mixing tubs. With my current plans that will give me 4 bins for my breeders and 2 grow out bins for each colony. Again, does this sound appropriate?

I've got a good understanding of everything else I need to know. Created plans for a nice rack with a watering system. I'm just trying to get my numbers straight. I appreciate all of your help. And any other suggestions, if you have any, would be great!

Thanks for your help!

[satomi325]

I'm about to start breeding rats to not just feed my snakes, but I would also like to supply a few friends with their feeders, and have enough left over to sell enough to at least break even. Which means I'm planning on undergoing a relatively large scale project here. Here's what I'm curious about:

1) I'm trying to figure out how many breeders I want. I know, in the beginning, I won't be making any money. My first thought was to get 20 mature females and 4 males. Which would obviously make my bins 1.5 (males to females). Does this sound appropriate? And on average, how many pups could this setup POTENTIALLY produce a week?

2) I'm going to build a nice rack for my rats. I'm curious of what other breeder's systems are as far as how they rotate their rats through their bins. Basically I'm trying to figure out how many bins I want. I was thinking about making a 12 bin rack with the large cement mixing tubs. With my current plans that will give me 4 bins for my breeders and 2 grow out bins for each colony. Again, does this sound appropriate?

I've got a good understanding of everything else I need to know. Created plans for a nice rack with a watering system. I'm just trying to get my numbers straight. I appreciate all of your help. And any other suggestions, if you have any, would be great!

Thanks for your help!

Rule of thumb is having 1 female rat for every snake you have. Keeping 6 rats in a tub is kind of a tight fit. I suggest 4-5. Each litter should average between 8-12(give or take).

Gestation is about 22 days.


You might have to play with the rat numbers and come up with a breeding schedule if you want a litter a week. For example, I rotate males into female tubs ever 2 weeks to get a few litters every 2 weeks. This schedule allows me to have food constantly as well as have females rest after a litter is weaned while other females are breeding or birthing.

Female tub Rotation goes as: Mating>Pregnant>Litter>Resting.

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[Pythonfriend]

yesterday and the day before i watched a bunch of videos about this...

http://www.youtube.com/user/ralphdavis Ralph Davis re-published some older videos showing the really big rat breeding operation they have. they explain it all, their 1.5 breeder rack and the 0.3 or 0.4 preggy rack and the 0.1.X rack where the mothers take care of the babies, and the big tubs where the weenies grow up in big groups. They show the whole weekly cleanup and maintenance cycle.

im not a rat breeder, but it fits your questions so nicely so i had to share