When do you retire moms?

[AHOOD]

I hold back females that produce 12+ a litter. Usually when creeping up on the year mark, I start seeing them produce around litters of 5. They get replaced at that time. How do you guys determine when a female is retired?

[Capray]

I think after 4 litters they should be retired. Five if they are going strong. Back to back constant litters may be convenient, but she will produce healthier, fatter babies and more of them if she gets time to rebuild between litters. And back to back breeding is hardly humane.
They don't even live long enough to produce more than that in the wild, and birthing is very taxing, health wise.
Hold back the babies of the 12+ litters, and your stock will usually have more babies if you treat them right.

[satomi325]

I hold back females that produce 12+ a litter. Usually when creeping up on the year mark, I start seeing them produce around litters of 5. They get replaced at that time. How do you guys determine when a female is retired?

I do the same. When the litter size has dropped significantly.

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[JohnNJ]

And back to back breeding is hardly humane.

Tell that to the Duggar's.

[Infirmary]

We retire Mom's generally after 4 breeding's/44 weeks of age.

[JohnNJ]

We retire Mom's generally after 4 breeding's/44 weeks of age.

Do you keep the females in the same tub for life? How do you track the age or number of breedings for each female?

[Infirmary]

Do you keep the females in the same tub for life? How do you track the age or number of breedings for each female?

We have 12 large breeding tubs. Each breeding tub is marked so that we know what females are inside the tub. Example: We find a pregnant female in the tub marked 1, this means the female has been breed once. We then pull the female and place her in a birthing tub. We then mark the birthing tub with a number 2. Once the babies become weaned we move the female into a breeding tub marked with a 2. Females that are pulled from a breeding tub marked 3 will be retired after the babies are weaned.

[STjepkes]

Ever look at the general recent posts, read something about rats, thinking its about bp's and become very, very, very confused? Hahaha

In my defense, I woke up minutes beforehand

[wolfy-hound]

I retire females that have begun to produce smaller litters.

The females that are the BEST moms, that always have fat babies etc, get "retired" into a breeding bin of young females. The old mom might not produce many babies, or not as often, but they DO teach the young new moms to care for babies properly.

Occasionally some favorite mom might retire into a pet situation. Mostly they "retire" into the freezer zoo.

[satomi325]

How do you track the age or number of breedings for each female?

Personally, I keep track of my rats and their info with cage cards. Each rat gets their own card. I also keep track of their pedigrees and genes.

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