Big Momma Had her babies!

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

One of our pet store rats had her babies, at least 17, but i thought i counted more earlier. We left her alone for a while, and she kinda strewed all the babies around one half of the cage... a few in a almost pile, but she buried others in the pine (looks like a few died that way), and didnt clean them at all, they still had their cords, and werent cleaned up at all. She wanted nothing to do with them, she even found out how to climb up and hang from the wire of the tub basically.

We left her alone a while longer, and she didnt even stay near them, she kept "hopping" on two feet, with two feet up on the side of the tub like she thought she could get out.

We dropped 7 babies in with a mother of 5 from yesterday, she is currently warming them up (the babies were ice cold at that point). We then tossed 4 more in with each of the mothers who had babies about a week old... in with the pile (they each had 6-7). So im hoping that they might pick up where the other mother left off... at worst case scenario, the same thing happens that would have if we had left them be..

The two that died in with the original mother were pink and good looking, not like a still birth.

[xdeus]

Bummer. You might give her another try, and if she does the same thing...

[frankykeno]

I figured from the pics you showed me that she had a big litter in her. Well hopefully the other females will foster this litter...usually they are pretty good that way. Give the female time to get back to normal and then rebreed her. If she rejects her litter again I'd cull her from your breeding group. Being that she came in pregnant from a pet store she may have just been in bad condition for such a big litter or a first time breeder that got overwhelmed with so many popping out at once.

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

Thanks to franky and some sleight of hand.

8 pinkies with one mother, gave her 6 day old babies to the mother with 7 day old babies (so that one has 11), and the other foster mother has 5 of her own 1 day olds, and 7 of the new born pinks.

Bad mommy has none, tsk tsk.

[frankykeno]

Glad to help Bryan. I assume all the foster females are taking care of the young that you moved around? Hopefully the female that had problems with the big first litter will do just fine the second time around.

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

OOps I called you franky, i kinda get stuck on usernames hehe

Joanna helped me . Yes the mothers are all donig great. The little girl who only had 5 babies the first time looks like she is sitting on a mountain now that she has 11 1 week olds underneath her, but they are all doing great, and all appear to be keeping them in the nest and feeding them well.

Woo! saved the pinks!

[Jeanne]

Thats pretty nifty Bryan that you got other mothers to take over the babies and saved them! Congrats!

[frankykeno]

Heck as my grandfather used to say Bryan..."don't care what you call me as long as you don't call me later for dinner!" lol


That's why I always breed my female rats in pairs or trio's. Just in case I need to split a huge litter or have a female unable to mother her pinks I've always got a least one or two other females actively nursing that I can play switch the baby rats with lol.

Glad you saved them...I hate to see waste (bothers my cheap scots soul lol)

[Bdadawg]

Ive had some that just refused to do anything with their first litter. At the time it was ok because i could move some around and some of my boas were on day old rat pinks. The second time around they all took really good care of their litters, but that was also one of the times a rat sunk her teeth all the way to the bone in my finger (it aint even a cool scar i can brag about ... yeah a little rat bit me ... doesnt quite bring up visions of machoism).


Congrats on the litter.

The other Bryan

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

Thanks Bryan.

I dont want to imagine that bite... I had my first bite the other day and it was hard, but somehow just just just barely didnt break the skin. It was a mother with fuzzies, but in defense of her food... didnt expect it as i was just moving her food bowl alone, and she was nearly a foot away chomping on some goodies, but dang did she move fast!