Non Albino rats...

[jglass38]

So I decided to start a small breeding colony for my picky feeders and in preparation for hatchlings. Thanks to Jo for helping me out when I couldn't find what I needed at Home Depot! So I've been told that Albino rats, while prolific breeders are not too friendly. I went out on a search for 1.2 non Albinos and found....NOTHING! Obviously the big pet stores have only Albinos because of their breeding prowess. If anyone has any idea of places to find non Albino rats in North or Central Jersey, let me know! I called a place in Central Jersey that supposedly has a few hooded and my fiance is going to stop there tomorrow and see how they look and maybe pick up a few. I called about 10 pet stores (most of which seemed disgusted that I would even ask if they sold rats) and went into 4 and nothing.

[Bdadawg]

Each individual rat is different, has a different personality. 2 of my worst are a tan hooded, and a black with white stomach.

My black line has an average of 14 pups per litter. My tan/Cinnamon line has an average of 12 ... it throws jumbos and dwarfs. My gray/blue line has an avearge of 16. So just being an albino line doesnt mean alot, it really comes down to genetics.

The only reason I can see albino lines being referred to as un-friendly is that people mainly see them as just feeders and arent too gentle while handling them.

Bryan

[jglass38]

Each individual rat is different, has a different personality. 2 of my worst are a tan hooded, and a black with white stomach.

My black line has an average of 14 pups per litter. My tan/Cinnamon line has an average of 12 ... it throws jumbos and dwarfs. My gray/blue line has an avearge of 16. So just being an albino line doesnt mean alot, it really comes down to genetics.

The only reason I can see albino lines being referred to as un-friendly is that people mainly see them as just feeders and arent too gentle while handling them.

Bryan

Interesting stuff Bryan! I am hoping I can pick up a couple friendly girls and guy. I am not worried about litter size but I would like to have handleable rats that don't give me a hard time when I need to clean or remove babies.

[mlededee]

all of the breeders that i have now are tame and friendly, but i bought them when they were just weaned and raised them with a lot of handling in attempt to assure that they would be that way. i used to have one female that was originally purchased as food and wasn't eaten before she got too big and i ended up keeping her and breeding her. i never really handled her so she was very skittish. right before she gave birth to her first litter she turned mean on me and took every opportunity to bite the living crap outta me. i understand being protective of her babies and all but she was a little much! she gave me the worst bites i've ever had from any animal. needless to say she is no longer with us...

[Shelby]

I also have had wonderful friendly albinos. My worst tempered breeder is an apricot dumbo female. She's a biter!

[frankykeno]

I was always warned that albino's coming down from the lab rat strain tend to be overly protective mothers and biters. My only albino female breeder rat proved that out. As much as she was a good breeder, she was aggressive with me and overly dominant with other female rats. Since I prefer my breeders to be easy to handle I tend to go with hooded, berkshire or self colored rats and avoid albinos (something about those glowing red eyes sort of creeps me out as well lol).

That's odd that you are having trouble finding nice hooded rats Jamie. Most pet stores I go to tend to have a lot of those vs albino's since they are a very popular coat marking in pet rats.

Dang it wish you were closer bud. I've got a lot of really lovely weaned rats of various coat coloring and markings. I just pulled an almost pure black female out of my feeder tub. She's a Berkshire but her belly marking is almost non-existant and she's such a lovely shiney black I had to keep her back for future breeding (her name is now Jet).

[jglass38]

I was always warned that albino's coming down from the lab rat strain tend to be overly protective mothers and biters. My only albino female breeder rat proved that out. As much as she was a good breeder, she was aggressive with me and overly dominant with other female rats. Since I prefer my breeders to be easy to handle I tend to go with hooded, berkshire or self colored rats and avoid albinos (something about those glowing red eyes sort of creeps me out as well lol).

That's odd that you are having trouble finding nice hooded rats Jamie. Most pet stores I go to tend to have a lot of those vs albino's since they are a very popular coat marking in pet rats.

Dang it wish you were closer bud. I've got a lot of really lovely weaned rats of various coat coloring and markings. I just pulled an almost pure black female out of my feeder tub. She's a Berkshire but her belly marking is almost non-existant and she's such a lovely shiney black I had to keep her back for future breeding (her name is now Jet).

The red eyes creep me out as well! Its weird but it I havent found a pet store that has any pet rats. Only feeders. As I mentioned, Shannon is stopping at a place today to see what they have. He told me on the phone that he had 3 non Albino medium sized rats (not sure of the sex yet). We'll see what we come up with!

[frankykeno]

Just watch the size and age of those mediums. Some can be young and just big or some will be older. Female rats need to deliver their first litter before 9 months of age or their pelvis area begins to fuse and they can't deliver easily or at all. It's always hard to know when it comes to size as one person's medium might be another person's small.

You city folks don't like pet rats or what LOL.

[Emilio]

I think you guy's are right , I just got my two pair's and one of them is an albino tan.She's very aggresive she hasn't bit me or anything but I can just tell by the way she act's around the male.In the other pairing I've noticed that the male is dominant.Let's see which pairing yield's the best result's.

[frankykeno]

My best two female breeders so far are a beige hooded and a chocolate/white husky. Both regularily produce 15+ big healthy pinks with no losses at birth or thereafter but are nice friendly females that have never bitten. My male is a black hooded and has been a spectacular breeder....never mean with his females, very easy to handle for a large male (course he has a pretty good deal....all the food he can eat, willing female rats cycling in and out of his main cage and only one job in life LOL)