Mom's a biter, what to do?

I've got a female rat that's a biter. Not your typical biter though.

You see her problem is she is a little over zealous about treats. Today I was taking the babies about and looking them over when I reached in she flipped out thinking I was handing out treats and ran over like a white blur, sank her teeth into the tip of my finger and started trying to pull it into her corner where she always goes to eat her treats.

My verdit is out on her, she is gone once she finishes nursing. But my question is: Should I cull all her babies? Is this behavior genetic or learned? She doesn't bite defensively, just gets confused about what is a treat and what is my freaking hand.

I bought her from a large rattery when she was already and adult, so she was never handled growing up. Should I blame it on that and give the babies a shot or cull them all?

I have a ZERO tolerance policy for bitters, the babies are not held back they are fed off so is the mother.

Ultimately it is your decision however you definitely want to build your colony and hold back your breeders based on their temperament as well as production.

I certainly wouldn't hold her back or any of the offspring. Feed feed feed.


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she mistook you for a treat, I wouldn't rush to feed off.

You have two goals when breeding rats. 1) Produce food and 2) produce replacement breeders.

If this rat is a good producer but has a trait you don't want to pass on (can't tell it's a finger) then just use her offspring for food and don't stick your fingers in the tub.

I had a great producer that turned out to be a shark. She's in the freezer.

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Originally Posted by llovelace

she mistook you for a treat, I wouldn't rush to feed off.

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Yeah, she doesn't bite out of aggression or defense, but confusion about what's food. Is this a genetic trait that could be passed or is it learned, because she never had any human interaction until she was an adult?

have you tried squeaking at her? Every time she getsclose to your finger, squeal at her in the highest pitch you can manage...seriously. it's their way of saying "no!" Or "I'm uncomfortable". If she still doesn't change any... then do what you want with her. I've had rats that bit and after just a couple squeaks to let them know I can hurt, stopped biting. Obviously it is different if she is protecting babies.

I too have a zero tolerance policy for biters. They bite, they die. It's that simple. All of their offspring too become feeders. Rat bites hurt too much to keep the biters... even if the bites are accidental.

I have the friendliest rats bite me now and when then giving them treats, I wouldn't rush to feed off.
Good moms are too valuable in the rat room to just feed off because you got bit offering a treat.
If the momma bites defending her babies she's gone but killer her for biting you while trying to take food away from you? I wouldn't

Def not something to rush and feed off. When I Give all 50+ breeding rats pizza crust, Id swear their snakes lunging out to get it. Ive been bit from them getting over excited for a treat, but wont feed off.

My breeders are High producers so id never feed off for anything.