Breedin Rats

[midnite_316]

Hello everyone I went to the pet store to get rats to breed..This is my First time breedin them so wish me luck.. When I went to go buy them today I was look at them I was like damn they r big! I wanted to ask you do I have to pick them up to get use to me or I don't have to? all so I want to ask you when the female have baby I have to take the male out right?

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

If you don't take the male out the female can get re-impregnated immediately.

The handling is up to you. I have 200+ breeders, and I handle them a few times a week when cleaning and checking them over, but they arent pets.

[frankykeno]

You don't have to handle them if you don't want to though it makes it easier if you only have a small breeding colony to manage them if they aren't freaking out everytime you deal with them. I have some though that think I'm the spawn of Satan and I've raised the darn things from the day they popped outta their momma. Rats are just wierd LOL (or they are psychic and have figured out where those other rats went to).

Male rats won't generally hurt their babies but they sometimes will re-breed the female while she's nursing a litter, or sometimes not, the female may reject his advances. Really up to you if you want to remove the male or not, lots here have success both ways. Do make sure though that the offspring are seperated by sex by age 5 weeks or they will start jumping each other.

There's a ton of great rat breeding threads in the Feeder Forum but just holler if you have any questions along the way. Usually rats breed pretty easily and most females make excellent mothers.

[Sevo]

I just started about a month ago .. Now i have 30 babies and more on the way all becasue of the help on here. .. this forum is full of info and anything you dont understand just ask.

have fun
chris

[midnite_316]

alright thx everyone..

[midnite_316]

Hey everyone mine rats Have Baby!! I just wake up and I wnet to check on them I was like aww look a baby! so I just take out the male and put him in a diff tank..

[pslsnakes]

How old do a male and female rats have to be, before they can successfully reproduce?



I was told that a female has to be 9 months old, I dont think thats true, is it?

[Bdadawg]

Rats can successfully mate at 5 weeks old ... Which is why its suggested to seperate them at 4 weeks.

If a rat hasnt been bred by 9 months stay away from it for a breeder. Around 9 months the pelvis fuses, if they havent had a litter this can lead to complications and even the death of the animal.

Normally its suggested to breed them at about 3-4 months. I personally go by weight ... once they hit 160 grams (large) they are good to go.

Bryan