Starting small breeding colony???

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

Hmmm, I thought I said that I did indeed agree with the certain factors. Such as I am breeding as pet only and you are breeding for strictly feeders.

That being said, most of my rats throw more than 15 young (more like 22 is an average) and all (with limited exception) reach weaned and past.

As far as giving them breaks, it depends on the break you give them. I'm sorry, but I don't agree with letting a male breed a female right after giving birth to a litter. I've seen breeders that give them 2 weeks and then breed them again.

And I said feeder breeder produce 12-15 months. With the breeders I know that give females breaks, I've seen these females produce large litters at 18 months and over.

But again, whatever works for you.

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wow 22 is an average....you should write a book

That is a sincere statement especially since you are claiming that all survive.

I have been doing this for a very long time and never ever seen a litter of 22.

Congrats to you.

ok why is every thread im reading lately turning into an arguement.... this guy is considering doing small time breeding suzuki. so i believe the information that michelle is giving is good for the OP. plus i am a small time rat breeder myself (food for 6 snakes). and i see it adequate to give my females breaks and not leave the male with them. my male i salways breeding and i havbe more females then i need to keep the supply comng, but that in turn gives my females more time to recoup and they do in turn throw big clutches. i had one clutch of 21 the other day... i know what you do works and it works quite qell, but you are also a big breeder. were just the little people doing out thing.

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Originally Posted by het.pied

ok why is every thread im reading lately turning into an arguement.... this guy is considering doing small time breeding suzuki. so i believe the information that michelle is giving is good for the OP. plus i am a small time rat breeder myself (food for 6 snakes). and i see it adequate to give my females breaks and not leave the male with them. my male i salways breeding and i havbe more females then i need to keep the supply comng, but that in turn gives my females more time to recoup and they do in turn throw big clutches. i had one clutch of 21 the other day... i know what you do works and it works quite qell, but you are also a big breeder. were just the little people doing out thing.

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Difference between argument and a discussion is when people lose respect. I asked questions and made sincere statements in reply. I have many breeders and I am still a very small scaled guy compared to others in the country.

If you agree with "Michelle", then congrats. You affirm and convey her beliefs. I do not. I have replied and asked questions. No argument here....

I believe anyone who is producing rats who can and will on a consistent basis, produce 20+ offspring should document and prove their procedure. It is not a normal occurrence. However I would like to see a true case study done with documentation. Might sound overboard but the efforts could be fianancially rewarding if done properly. Just think what such information or maybe a bloodline could be worth to a breeder if they could double their output per rat.

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Originally Posted by suzuki4life

Difference between argument and a discussion is when people lose respect. I asked questions and made sincere statements in reply. I have many breeders and I am still a very small scaled guy compared to others in the country.

If you agree with "Michelle", then congrats. You affirm and convey her beliefs. I do not. I have replied and asked questions. No argument here....

I believe anyone who is producing rats who can and will on a consistent basis, produce 20+ offspring should document and prove their procedure. It is not a normal occurrence. However I would like to see a true case study done with documentation. Might sound overboard but the efforts could be fianancially rewarding if done properly. Just think what such information or maybe a bloodline could be worth to a breeder if they could double their output per rat.

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I can assure you, there was no respect lost on my side. I've watched you post on several threads and you give top quality information. I just disagreed. And as I said in my other post, we all have our own methods and not everyone is going to agree with how I'm doing things, but it works for me and it was simply advice. Furthermore, I think it's why I like this site so much, people aren't afraid to give their opinions and it gives advice seekers several options to choose from.

As far as my litter sizes, as stated, I'm not even a breeder who gives 3-4 months off. I give 6-7 months off, as my rats are pets and I only breed to preserve genetics and improve pet quality.

Concerning my litter sizes, just a few months ago, I had a female throw 30 kittens (pups) and another 16. I will start documenting my litter sizes and maybe make a post on it. I planned on making a post on here about growth (taking picture of the pups every day) and weight. So, that will fall in line. the female I'm fixing to breed has over 20 pups every time so I know it will be a nice experiment.

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Originally Posted by xxxxdopeyxxxx

I currently became the owner of 2 female rats (one fancy rat and one dumbo). I have them housed in cage 17" x 30" and 17" high. I would like to start breeding to sustain my collection of 2 bps and help out my buddies with any extra. I have a few questions about it tho.

1. What type of male rat would be best
2. Should I separate the females with some wire running down the center of the cage?
3. Can I just put the male in the the females and remove him when they are pregnant?

Thank you in advance for all of your help.

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1. i would get one that i like but remember hes gonna produce babies you like also that you may not want to feed off.

2. i used to separate females untill my last breeding because they helped each other so much that i wont separate females any more.

3. yes you can separate him and i would because i have a problem with the males eating the young.

also make sure you have a good rodent food source, and i would start to get some more caging because before you know it you will have matureing males fighting over females and such, check out the diy section and pick a way to best suite you for caging to separate the young by sex. and then also think about how you are going to euthanize your rats when they are of size you need. oh and there is also the bedding thing, breeding rats will take lots of bedding so find something good and cheap no cedar or pine. hope this helps a little. and remember that everyone has their own way of doing things and you need to find the way that works best for you. also look into rodent racks, they are amazing! oh and do the math first on breeding vs. buying f/t in bulk. good luck and happy herping:gj:

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

I can assure you, there was no respect lost on my side. I've watched you post on several threads and you give top quality information. I just disagreed. And as I said in my other post, we all have our own methods and not everyone is going to agree with how I'm doing things, but it works for me and it was simply advice. Furthermore, I think it's why I like this site so much, people aren't afraid to give their opinions and it gives advice seekers several options to choose from.

As far as my litter sizes, as stated, I'm not even a breeder who gives 3-4 months off. I give 6-7 months off, as my rats are pets and I only breed to preserve genetics and improve pet quality.

Concerning my litter sizes, just a few months ago, I had a female throw 30 kittens (pups) and another 16. I will start documenting my litter sizes and maybe make a post on it. I planned on making a post on here about growth (taking picture of the pups every day) and weight. So, that will fall in line. the female I'm fixing to breed has over 20 pups every time so I know it will be a nice experiment.

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you figure the secret out to throwing 20-30 per litter and keeping them alive and I will be one of your top supporters. That would be doubling to tripling my current output per rat.
However, my rats do not get those types of breaks and a down time of 6-7 months would not pay off. /in seven months, my mothers would have already produced 60+ offspring....some would be in the 80 range.

difference strokes....

i am just contribution to what the OP was questioning. i think i remember suzuki saying that one week you produced 1200+ more rats then you needed, now that is a big breeder in my opinion. the OP is someone who is only trying to breed a few rats.

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Originally Posted by het.pied

i am just contribution to what the OP was questioning. i think i remember suzuki saying that one week you produced 1200+ more rats then you needed, now that is a big breeder in my opinion. the OP is someone who is only trying to breed a few rats.

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well you are entitled to your opinion....




even when its wrong:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

In reality, if you set your racks up properly, it doesn't take that much to produce big numbers.

In a 1.4 "harem" setup.....you should produce 10 offspring per week average per tub....

The average rack is normally 6 tubs high. So a rack should produce 60 offspring per week. That's only 20 racks to produce 1200.

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Originally Posted by suzuki4life

That's only 20 racks to produce 1200.

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Only 20 *extra* racks.

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Originally Posted by Bobtard

Only 20 *extra* racks.

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:gj:


Yep.