? about breeding rats

i was just wondering how long do rats live for ( my breeders) ?

can i inbreed them ?

and how bad will they smell ?

what is the best way to euthanize them when the reach the size's i need ?

also since im asking querstions what is the best substrate to use to kill off most of the smell and best food ?


i am soon to have 7 bp's and most likely 10 b4 the next season (and i will be breeding next season) and there all gonna be on different sized prey so i can no longer buy from .com's and where i live im limited to purchase so i decided to start a new project .

THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!

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Originally Posted by steve_r34

i was just wondering how long do rats live for ( my breeders) ?

can i inbreed them ?

and how bad will they smell ?

what is the best way to euthanize them when the reach the size's i need ?

also since im asking querstions what is the best substrate to use to kill off most of the smell and best food ?


i am soon to have 7 bp's and most likely 10 b4 the next season (and i will be breeding next season) and there all gonna be on different sized prey so i can no longer buy from .com's and where i live im limited to purchase so i decided to start a new project .

THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!

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Not sure on how long they live for, haven't gotten to that point yet :)

Yes you can inbreed, I don't unless I'm trying to prove something out/ have some cool looking babies that I want to reproduce. I also recommend getting 'fresh blood' from time to time.

I don't notice any smell, just the scent of bedding, which I happen to like. Reminds me of a barn lol. But I clean pretty religiously.

I use a CO2 chamber, there's a few DIYs on here to get ya going.

I use regular aspen shavings and feed the rat pellets my local feed store carries. I also supplement with pet store bulk rat or bird feed and fresh/frozen veggies. Not necessary but they love em.

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Originally Posted by steve_r34

i was just wondering how long do rats live for ( my breeders) ?

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Average at 2-3 years

Your females' breeding productivity will probably slow down or end at around 1-1.5 years of age.(2 at the very very best) It varies between individuals, but most of my females have completely stopped breeding at 1.5years. I usually rehome or feed them off at this time because they take up space of younger/more productive breeder girls. (I do still have my first generation of girls, but I was really attached to them so they live their retirement as pets)

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can i inbreed them ?

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Yes.

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and how bad will they smell ?

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They are very clean animals and don't really smell themselves. Their feces, pee, and soiled bedding are what smell bad.

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what is the best way to euthanize them when the reach the size's i need ?

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- Snake
- Co2 Chamber
- Cervical Dislocation

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also since im asking querstions what is the best substrate to use to kill off most of the smell and best food ?

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Kiln Dried Pine bedding is best for absorption and odor control. The pine smells really nice and is cheap.
It's really best to find a cleaning schedule that works for you. I clean 1-2x a week. It gets pretty rank by day 5-6, so I like to clean around then.
Try not to overcrowd your enclosures as well as have really good ventilation. It helps keep the odor down and prevent respiratory infection.

Best food is: Mazuri 6f or Harland Teklad. Both are specially formulated for rodent breeding production. Good diet will also keep odor down compared to low quality food.

lol @ satomi .. snake haha i dont feed live though unless hatchlings .. i got to much heart to break the poor things neck .. guess its co2 .. other then water and food what else can i throw in there tanks ? and how many females can i house together .. i got a 40 gall tank and was gonna seperate it and house 2 females on one side and a male on the other and then i got a 49 gallon tank im gonna split as well to house sex and house the babys ... i only need 2 females for now cause i still got a bag of about 20 f/t in the freezer so i figure this is the cahnce to start and maybe next month ill add 2 more females .. and how deep should i put the bedding also is it smart to line underneith the bedding maybe newspaper or will they tear it up ? o and how long to the babys stay with mom and is it safe to keep babys from a different mom in with another female ?

thanks

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Originally Posted by steve_r34

other then water and food what else can i throw in there tanks ?

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Since you're using tanks, you can throw in hides and a wheel if you want. They like to chew things, so a cardboard box will suffice as a hide. Could even throw in some wood or sticks for them to chew up.

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and how many females can i house together

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As many as you want as long as they are in a reasonable sized space.
Usually people do 4-5 rats in those cement mixing tubs for the rodent racks. So you can probably house a ton of rats in a 40 gal.

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and how deep should i put the bedding

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Enough to cover the bottom of the cage. Maybe around an 3/4-1 inch.

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also is it smart to line underneith the bedding maybe newspaper or will they tear it up ?

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They'll probably tear it up and use it as nesting material.

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how long to the babys stay with mom

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Until they're weaned and eating solid food (around 4 weeks, give or take)

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and is it safe to keep babys from a different mom in with another female ?

thanks

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Yes, in general. Usually if you have multiple females together, they'll take turns caring for the babies.

thanks nikki u helped a lot

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Originally Posted by steve_r34

thanks nikki u helped a lot

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You are welcome.:)
Good luck with the rat breeding.

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