Rat Breeding

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Originally Posted by banished

They stink a lot.... but every two weeks you have small ones ... sacrifice of 8 days old baby rat to small BP... PRICELESS!!! :)

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Every 2 weeks? lol your answer is priceless :rofl:

If you want better rats than you find at most pet stores then craigslist is the place.
I sell my pet quality rats on CL and have set many a person up with groups to start out with.
Find one person with females and get a male elsewhere and your off and breeding, that is if you've got your racks put together first ;)

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

Every 2 weeks? lol your answer is priceless :rofl:

If you want better rats than you find at most pet stores then craigslist is the place.
I sell my pet quality rats on CL and have set many a person up with groups to start out with.
Find one person with females and get a male elsewhere and your off and breeding, that is if you've got your racks put together first ;)

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I wonder if those females that are gravid for 2 weeks only nurse for 2 weeks too.

That would be awesome. Just think how many more babies you could get cutting normal gestation and nursing time.

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Originally Posted by wilomn

I wonder if those females that are gravid for 2 weeks only nurse for 2 weeks too.

That would be awesome. Just think how many more babies you could get cutting normal gestation and nursing time.

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My thoughts exactly, man I could pump out the babies if they had them every 2 weeks

Honestly, most breeders don't mind selling to people who want to breed their own. At least everyone I know, including myself don't mind..
Most people who need a relatively large amount of rats breed their own. People with a smaller collection usually start their own colony, but find it very expensive to start and maintain over a few months, compared to the actual amount of rodents they need. In my case, they buy everything from me from rodent blocks to lab cages. I like to see people do well with their rodents.
The cost of breeding on a small scale usually doesn't pan out.
If you can find a breeder close to you, you can usually pick up rats dirt cheap. And maybe even hurt Petco/Petsmart a bit..:D
Support local breeders and mom and pop pet shops, the quality is usually better anyway!

Agreed, I just found a local breeder who hooked me up with a nice started colony and they are always willing to lend advice. He was able to point me where I can get some lablock locally :)