Don't Really know what I am doing yet........

Ok so I have been trying to breed rats for about 4 weeks now with no luck...(the last time i had a litter it was so fast and by accident so i thought it would be fast also)... so I know how to tell if ball pythons are gravid but how do you tell if a rat is... i have pic below to see if you guys can tell me if they are pregnant?


Also when do you think they will give birth??

any help appreciated.

Rat #1

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSC_0006.jpg

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSC_0005.jpg

Rat #2

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSC_0003.jpg
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSC_0002.jpg

Rat #3

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSC_0001.jpg

Dont think so. When they are pregnant , they look like a pear. Sometimes they dont even look pregnant and just give you 3-5 pups. Just keep trying. They will do their business.

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Originally Posted by inca666

Dont think so. When they are pregnant , they look like a pear. Sometimes they dont even look pregnant and just give you 3-5 pups. Just keep trying. They will do their business.

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yea i am pairing my females with only one male so he is in each cage for about a week. is that long enough or should i keep him in longer?

can anyone tell me how long it takes to produce a litter? am i doing something wrong? can't find a step by step to rat breeding i am keeping 2:1 ratio but besides that i dont know what i am doing

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Originally Posted by Steven Raymer

can anyone tell me how long it takes to produce a litter? am i doing something wrong? can't find a step by step to rat breeding i am keeping 2:1 ratio but besides that i dont know what i am doing

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first off, i've been doing this a month.. I "had" 4 females pregnant. one passed last night while giving birth..

From my research I came across they become fertile every 4 to 5 days. So how I do mine is I leave the male in with a female for 5 to 7 days, and then alternate between them. You really can;t see signs of pregnancy early on till about day 15-19? (IMO so far) so i continue to alternate the male until i visibly see the female become "fatter" It's easier then what you're trying to make it. Trust me, I started like that but just did some research and watched and now i feel okay. Am I saying I'm a expert? no. :o but i can help you with what i've learned.

just dont stress it to much. just let them do there thing and you'll be fine and hopefully have some babies soon enough!

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Originally Posted by zeion97

first off, i've been doing this a month.. I "had" 4 females pregnant. one passed last night while giving birth..

From my research I came across they become fertile every 4 to 5 days. So how I do mine is I leave the male in with a female for 5 to 7 days, and then alternate between them. You really can;t see signs of pregnancy early on till about day 15-19? (IMO so far) so i continue to alternate the male until i visibly see the female become "fatter" It's easier then what you're trying to make it. Trust me, I started like that but just did some research and watched and now i feel okay. Am I saying I'm a expert? no. :o but i can help you with what i've learned.

just dont stress it to much. just let them do there thing and you'll be fine and hopefully have some babies soon enough!

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Thank you for all your help!!

This is what I do to tell if they are pregnant. It's easier for me to tell this way.

Pick the rat up by the tail, belly facing you. If the belly is ROUNDER or PLUMP, odds are, she's pregnant. If it's really plump, she's very pregnant.

The nipples will also start to become more prominent when they are pregnant.

:-D

My females stay with my males all the time, even with litters ;)

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Originally Posted by reptilegirl07

This is what I do to tell if they are pregnant. It's easier for me to tell this way.

Pick the rat up by the tail, belly facing you. If the belly is ROUNDER or PLUMP, odds are, she's pregnant. If it's really plump, she's very pregnant.

The nipples will also start to become more prominent when they are pregnant.

:-D

My females stay with my males all the time, even with litters ;)

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I will try that!! thanks!!!

my females will stay with my males when i have enough males to go around lol

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Originally Posted by Steven Raymer

I will try that!! thanks!!!

my females will stay with my males when i have enough males to go around lol

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that is your best and I plan on doing that as well..

BUT. not trying to start a fight, SOME male rats will eat there babies, I haven't had the mis-fortune yet of seeing this (knocks on wood) but it is possible. If this happens make sure you separate them!

If this happens, I suggest culling your buck.

I've been breeding rats for a few years now and have not had this happen... yet. I suppose anything is possible and I would personally cull the buck that does this to ensure you don't pass that on, and you get rid of a buck that doesn't fit your breeding plans (if you want to keep the buck with the does).

Moms will cull if they are stressed, tubs are over crowded, they run out of food/water, you bug them (if they aren't used to it) or if the babies have something wrong with them.

I've heard bucks will cull the litter if it's not theirs. I have no first hand experience with that.


:-D