A Couple of My Favorite Rats

Well I've been promising Robin to get pictures up of these two ever since the little female was born, so finally tonight I got around to it.

This is Rocky, one of my adult male breeder rats, born and bred here. He was one of those nice looking rats that you just can't make yourself feed off so he got promoted to the breeder group. He also stood out due to a fantastic temperment, something I look for when I'm picking future breeder males (who needs a huge male rat with a bad attitude!)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ats/Rocky2.jpg

Recently he fathered an identical looking daughter (the only one ever born in any of his litters that looks like him). She's currently still with her mom but will also end up in the breeder group. The kids have named her Brianna because they think it's a beautiful name for a beautiful rat. :)

Hmmm you're not my mom!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...kyBrianna2.jpg

Rocky and little Brianna....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...kyBrianna4.jpg

View from above.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...kyBrianna3.jpg

Awww how cute is that!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...kyBrianna1.jpg

For those of you that are new to rat breeding, it has to be acknowledged that these are both high white rats. For me that means a very careful selection of their breeding partners to ensure that my rats continue to produce only top quality feeders and future breeders. High whites like this, especially with this sort of head marking can have a tendency to carry genetic issues like megacolon so it's important for me to keep good records and pair them carefully. Feeder rats or not, I won't produce an animal that will suffer from a genetic illness that I could have avoided and be a less than perfect meal for one of our snakes.

Hope you enjoyed seeing two of the rattie crew. :)

Awww, they're both adorable! Great pictures!

Thanks Robin and it only took me about 30 shots or so to get a few good ones to post LOL. Geesh but rats just won't stay still so you end up with one rat nicely framed in the shot and the other one just a messy blur of something in the corner. :rolleyes:

awe, they are really cute! (im a sucker for pet rats anyway) i love their matching markings, how cute. i LOVE the nose to nose pic

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AshleyB

awe, they are really cute! (im a sucker for pet rats anyway) i love their matching markings, how cute. i LOVE the nose to nose pic

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Well these ones aren't pets really, Ashley. Rocky earns his keep fathering loads of lovely feeder rats for me. He was actually hauled out of a breeding tub for the above pictures but Rocky being a very good natured male took it all in stride. He did seem rather pleased to be popped back in with his 4 ladies after the picture session though LOL. Brianna, when she's weaned, will move into the female only enclosure where my old retired females (and the other future momma rats) will socialize her into our rat colony. I'm sure Bri will go on to produce many fine litters of feeders for me. She's already showing signs of having the same calm, friendly temperment as her sire. :)