Need advise.

Need some advise. This is my first attempt breeding rats. Got pups earlier today (sooner than expected) and the cage needs cleaned real bad. How soon is too soon to move mama and the babies to clean?

I've cleaned hours after a birth. If they drop on cleaning days, so be it. I haven't had any of the mamas kill them out of stress or anything. Then again I can pretty much do anything to my rats and they don't care, as long as I'm armed with cheerios :) What's the personality of yours like?

I would say wait til tomorrow, and then just make sure you transport some of the nesting material over with the babies. How are you doing your setup?? Harem style or monogamous?? And are you leaving the male in with the babies??



Like your sig quote btw:rofl:

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Originally Posted by MootWorm

I've cleaned hours after a birth. If they drop on cleaning days, so be it. I haven't had any of the mamas kill them out of stress or anything. Then again I can pretty much do anything to my rats and they don't care, as long as I'm armed with cheerios :) What's the personality of yours like?

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She is terrified of me. I wear gloves when moving her cause she bites.

Sounds like you need some different rats.....

Even though my mice are food items I only keep the nice friendly ones. That way I don't have to worry about getting bit, and neither do the reptiles they get fed to.

Agreed! I'd say keep her until her babies are up to size, then replace. Just make sure you handle the babies, so you don't run into that problem :) I've got a pair like that, I really like their genes but they're impossible to handle. Just waiting on a litter from them lol

Be careful.....temperament issues like that can be hereditary

I had a harem. I peeked in there about an hour ago and found another girl who is pregnant was stealing her babies and they were fighting. So to avoid moving the mama and babies I moved the rest of the harem to a clean tub. I think I will give mama till tomorrow then move her to a clean tub.

I always wait a day or two before bothering or moving mom and pups.
I like to give them the first 24 hours to bond and give mom some rest.
When you move them, I suggest moving the entire nest or some of the bedding the babies are on into the new tub. It helps mom be less stressed when part of the new tub smells like the old one.

Also, I've found this handy (not sure if anyone else does this), but I have a 'rat dustpan' that I use to scoop up all the babies at once, then place them in a container with mom. Much quicker than picking up a few at a time :)