How many litters can a female rat have before she is done?

Just wondering cause I have 2 females that produced 2 litters they are about a year old and both out of the blue doing terrible. One is falling over. She was fine yesterday. Has red around her eyes

I have one female who's on like litter seven an is still dropping 13 last group. Once mom start dropping smaller litters one of their daughters gets grown out to replace her

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Originally Posted by Dakota11

Just wondering cause I have 2 females that produced 2 litters they are about a year old and both out of the blue doing terrible. One is falling over. She was fine yesterday. Has red around her eyes

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The red is porphyrin. AKA "red tears". They are excreted in times of stress, illness, or irritation.

Females have a prime production period of about a year-year and a half. Then their rates drop.
I retire females once their litter numbers have gone down.
I would say that your girls are past their prime breeding time.

I think 3 litters with at least a week's break in between is maximum. It's just not very nice to force an old lady to exhaust herself more than that.


Your female sounds like she's at the end of the road.. if you have a boa or something larger, I would feed her off and end her suffering.

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Originally Posted by Capray

I think 3 litters with at least a week's break in between is maximum. It's just not very nice to force an old lady to exhaust herself more than that.


Your female sounds like she's at the end of the road.. if you have a boa or something larger, I would feed her off and end her suffering.

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I have had many mothers go more than three litters in fact I don't want a mother that starts slowing down production after three litters. Like I said on of my better moms just dropped litter number 7 of 13 babies. She's a great mom an one of the few females the 1.6 lb male I got can't bully around.

if your feeding alot of snakes then i guess i see the need for some to only give momma rat a week break but for a nice full recovery before being put through that cycle again with the stress of a pregnancy & nursing, its said that they should get up to 8 weeks break.
That'll give the momma time to nurse & wean the litter around (4-4 1/2 weeks) & recover before breeding again.
All my rats are primarily pets but i breed for feeders as my snakes arent big enough to take adult rats & the petstore doesnt always have the young rats i need.
i personally dont breed female rats younger then 5-6 mo. or any older then 1 1/2 yrs.
i have 3.4.12 rats(3 males, 4 females & 12 babies).
1 of the males, my oldest, is just over a year old & he's sired 4 litters. He's retired & is a companion now.
my oldest female has had 2 of those litters + serrogating a 3rd litter that another mom couldnt handle & now at just over a year herself her body condition just isnt favorable for any more babies, which is fine. She's my best female & an awesome Nana so i let her care for the weanling feeders i have to buy from time to time.
Her daughter by my oldest male, just had her 2nd litter & depending on her body condition in 8 weeks, i MIGHT breed her a 3rd time...
my last 2 females are younger & smaller & need to grow some more before i breed them. one of them is the holdback girl from my recent mom's 1st litter.
now, i only have 2 snakes (one is eating mice & needs to be switched to rats soon) so i can get away with only breeding sparingly.
Here's my site that i have just for fun.

http://rattielove247.weebly.com/

Thanks for the info, I think she had a stroke cause her back end went, I don't have anything larger than a ball python but she is no longer suffering. the other seems to be better. I'm wondering if there is genetic going on because in the last couple years I've gotten young rats from a particular breeder, he breeds mainly blues dumbos. I've had them come up with the same symptoms. They are fine one day and half parolized the next and the more I think about it the others were just over a year old. Wow seven litters you must have a great line of rats.

What do you feed them? Maybe try giving some more nutritious treats after litters to help them get their weight and energy back up before breeding again?

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Originally Posted by Dakota11

Thanks for the info, I think she had a stroke cause her back end went, I don't have anything larger than a ball python but she is no longer suffering. the other seems to be better. I'm wondering if there is genetic going on because in the last couple years I've gotten young rats from a particular breeder, he breeds mainly blues dumbos. I've had them come up with the same symptoms. They are fine one day and half parolized the next and the more I think about it the others were just over a year old. Wow seven litters you must have a great line of rats.

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Haha I do have fun with genetics :) I got 12 girls that I've produced an raised to hold backs the oldest around is the one who just dropped her seventh at 13-14 can't tell I don't mess with them till their easier to count. The girls all get a month an a half or so between litters, they get hard boild eggs while in their birthing an nursing tubs, an some veggies if I remember to get them at the store. Once a girl isn't giving many litters or seems tired their pulled but noone is getting tired. Genetics is something I've always liked so i try an get the prettiest and healthiest I can :) seems to be good. Had some failed moms but that breeding

Was feeding Harlan just switched once bags done to Missouri 6f. Eggs hmm interesting worth a try