Rats!!!

I've never thought about breeding rats before. But my collection is growing and the price of rats is going threw the roof so i picked up two trios today and i must say these things are cool.

Its going to be hard not to make pets out of them:tears:

I know the feeling... I have a 1.3 group right now cant wait for babies!

I have my breeders as pets. I just know that they are snake food too. Congrats to them! What are you feeding them ? What is there sizes?

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Originally Posted by stangs13

I have my breeders as pets. I just know that they are snake food too. Congrats to them! What are you feeding them ? What is there sizes?

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I'm going with Beckys mix with some regal rat. Their small rats.

Great choice of feeds! They Arne quite ready to breed yet, they ned to be about 250 grams.

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Originally Posted by stangs13

Great choice of feeds! They Arne quite ready to breed yet, they ned to be about 250 grams.

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Yeah i got some time to go. Their fun to watch when they get going.

Just started breeding also. I got a 1.3 set up going right now.

For those of you that have something like 1.3 going on what are you keeping them in. And do you leave them all in together all the time? Or do you take the male out unless you want babies?

Right now I have them in a 96 qt rubbermaid tub(36.5x16x13.5ish) It gives them around 575 sq inches of space. I read on a care site that a momma and a litter need 150 sq in/per and a normal adult rat needs 40 sq inches.

150x3 = 450
450+40= 490sq inches

I don't plan on separating them, unless all 3 females have babies at once. Their purpose is feeders and as larry said, "I have no use for rats that are not producing"

Our males are only in with the females when I want breedings to occur. I like to rest the females between litters as I believe it prolongs their useful and healthy breeding life. My males live in a large bachelor enclosure and get rotated in with 2 to 4 females weekly to produce the litters I need to feed the snakes. Once the females show signs of pregnancy, the male heads back to the bachelor pad.