Small Litters?

About a week or so ago I had a female drop only 2 babies and overnight she ate them both. Last night I had a female drop 3 plump and healthy babies....both gone this morning?

They always look pretty bulking around the abdomen before they give birth. They always have plenty of food and fresh water available, never without.

All my Rats are over 250g

I bought a Prego Rat last night and this morning shes on 8 pinks...


I don't understand whats going on?

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Originally Posted by ShawnT

About a week or so ago I had a female drop only 2 babies and overnight she ate them both. Last night I had a female drop 3 plump and healthy babies....both gone this morning?

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How old are those females?

Did they mate with the same male?

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Originally Posted by Deborah

How old are those females?

Did they mate with the same male?

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I assume about 4-5 months

and yes I'm pretty sure.

Can be a few thing not all animals are good breeders, it can be the females but it can also be the male having fertility problems.

Diet can also play a part in it!

Was it their first litter?

Yes first litters for both

If this was happening to you, What would you end up doing??

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Originally Posted by ShawnT

If this was happening to you, What would you end up doing??

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I would give those girls another try with a different male and see how it goes and before taking any decision.

I had it happen to one of my girls, she was proper weight and age but only had 3 babies the first time around, I gave her some rest bred her again and now she has litters from 12 to 16 babies.

I agree with what Deb said, rest the female well, try her against another male and see how it goes. In the meantime try the original male against another female and see how that goes. If there's a low fertility issue, you should see it that way. Like Deb, I've had a big healthy female that threw a very small first litter - I was actually quite disappointed but I gave her another try. She turned right around and had 16 the next litter and now regularily produced big litters for me. :)

Ok Sweet, I'll run that male through a different female and the females that gave me small litters with a different male.

Thanks!!

Hmm... ok, but what about when two female mice have big first litters (9 and 11), then the one that had 11 drops only two the second time around, then 6 the third?

My first breeding trio is so off timing I just make note of any new pinks I find when I clean. No way of knowing when or how many...