Breeding rat questions

[rhsm]

Hello all
I wanted to ask about keeping two breeder males in one pan.
I had understood I should do this so that there is company for them and they are not alone.
But in another post I put I planned on doing this and was told I shouldn't due to the fact that they would fight.
So now I am a little confused about the whole thing.

Also the only rats I can get my hands on right now are all kind of related.
They have the same father but different mothers so could I or should I breed these together or should I try to find other males?

Thanks
rhsm

[Wh00h0069]

You should not keep two breeder males in one pan. They will fight.

I wouldn't worry too much about inbreeding with rats unless you start to see issues; such as, deformities.

[rhsm]

So you guys just keep one male by his self?
Or do you keep him in with females?
I was planning having two males and putting them in with females 3 to 4 per pan and then having them a pan to stay in while they birth but it doesn't sound like I can do that so how do you guys do it?

I guess I got a little confused on how things work would appreciate any help you all can give me on this.
Thanks
rhsm

[Wh00h0069]

I suggest splitting them up. Put one male with a few females and the other male with a few. You can even switch the males around every now and then to excite them with different females.

Good luck!

[rhsm]

But what do I do with them after they have ummm done their job so to speak?
I mean I can't leave them in with the moms when there babies can I?
Or would it work to rotate them from one pan to another by taking them out just before babies are born and putting in with other pan females and just keep doing that.
Is there enough time between getting pg and having and weening to do this?
I think I just got my self confused as to how to do the whole breeding thing for some reason.
I guess cause I have been reading pet stuff too.
Thank you all soooooo very much for having the patients with me to help with all this.
rhsm

[Jenn]

Most people remove the male before the babies are born. The female will get pregnant again instantly. I like to let her rest up a bit. I have two males that I use for breeding and then put them back together again. I didn't even know you couldn't do this. They seem to get along fine!

[Wh00h0069]

Most people remove the male before the babies are born. The female will get pregnant again instantly. I like to let her rest up a bit. I have two males that I use for breeding and then put them back together again. I didn't even know you couldn't do this. They seem to get along fine!

I agree, I actually have a rat birthing rack. Each prego female gets her own tub to give birth in. I leave her in her tub until she weans her babies, then she goes back into breeding circulation.

[littleindiangirl]

We do it this way:

Female goes into males tub, she stays there for 3 weeks.

After the three weeks, she is pulled and put by herself into a maternity bin. She births the litter and raises them for 4 weeks.

Then she gets 4 weeks of vacation to put back on weight and mass.

[Clear]

The way I do mine is rotate the male between tubs of females. My females do not move. The male stays in for 2 weeks and then is moved to the next tub. If my males do not have a tub to go to they go to one tub by themselves for a day and then moved to a communal tub of males, I do not do more than 3 males per communal tub. You will have fighting for the leadership in the tub but not something horribly bad (from my experience but some males will fight more aggressively than others do)