seperating rats

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Originally Posted by crazyj83

Are you guys seriously telling someone to gra a momma rat by the tail?? You can cause serious damage to them by grabbing by the tail. Plus if the rats are not used to being handled thats asking for a bite..

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The safest way to pick up a rat is by the base of the tail or by supporting the main body. If one picks up a rat below the base, the tail and/or skin has the potential to come off.

I work in a research lab and this is one of the national protocol methods to holding a rat.

I personally hold my rats with their bodies due to them being pet friendly. However, I would get the occasional nippy rat from outside sources and I would use the tail hold. And its required for me to tail hold at work. Plus they don't freak out when being held by the base of the tail compared to the end.

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Picking them up by the base of the tail is how youre supposed to pickup a rat. Thats the way i have always picked them up. Same for mice and gerbils. I you grab them by the base the dont really fuss alot.

Ok rereading my post i see the issue...lol.. Grabbing rats by the base of the tail is fine, but not preggy rats... If you look it up many sites say it can cause injury to the momma rat and unborn babies...i'll try to locate the site i read from..

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Originally Posted by crazyj83

Ok, big issues and not just with the op.. Are you guys seriously telling someone to gra a momma rat by the tail?? You can cause serious damage to them by grabbing by the tail. Plus if the rats are not used to being handled thats asking for a bite.. Now my other issue is how are you going to breed or own something you seem to have issues in caring for? I run numberous 1.4 colonies and even a single 1.4 with proper rat block feed and bedding materials, your still gonna be spending as much as just buying feeders from someone or a petstore. Sorry to come off harsh but its a simple fact, you own animals that eat rats.. Kinda gotta step up and roll with the punches...

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Never had an injury to any rat I have picked up by the tail. I should have been clearer I guess. I grab the tail as close to the base or thick end as possible. Mine don't even as much as squeek. You'll note I did say not to grab them towards the end of the tail, yes that will cause injury :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crazyj83

Ok, big issues and not just with the op.. Are you guys seriously telling someone to gra a momma rat by the tail?? You can cause serious damage to them by grabbing by the tail. Plus if the rats are not used to being handled thats asking for a bite.. I run numberous 1.4 colonies and even a single 1.4 with proper rat block feed and bedding materials, your still gonna be spending as much as just buying feeders from someone or a petstore.

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We pick up and move all of our rats by the base of the tail and have never had any issues.
Also, you state that it cost as much to raise and breed your own feeders as it does to purchase them from someone else or a petstore. This is not true at all! We spend roughly $80-$100 a month on our rats(3 racks and 18 tubs) to feed our collection of 27 snakes. It would cost us more than that each week to buy from a petstore and just alittle less each week if and when we were buying from a local feeder breeder.

I pick up the babies by the tail when I am taking them from the momma tub and putting them into the gen pop tub, but the rest of the rats I pick them up by grasping them around their bellies. Once they're up, I put my hand under them so their feet have something to rest on while they are transported between tubs. Never been bit yet!!

ASFs on the other hand, are a whole 'nother nightmare. Those buggers I needed a glove for, even when picking them up by the tail.

If you are really really adamant on not touching them ever, you could get a feed scoop, like so:

http://www.horsenation.com/wp-conten...coop_Full9.jpg

and shoo them into it. But unfortunately I think if you're going to make the decision to breed rats, you're going to have to touch them, one day. What will you do when one escapes and you have to catch it quickly? You'll pick it up any way you can!

Also, breeding your own rats is DEFINITELY cheaper than buying, at least in our case. If you're willing to put in the time, that is.

I had 1 chew out sadly, I tried grabbing it but it was a fast bugger. It started to chew stuff so I sadly had to shoot it, my mom was furious lol. Another jumped out, I lured it into a humane rat trap with a water bottle and then it became snake food. You would think I'm more scared of snakes? Nope. Small little things... idk. They spook me..

I much rather get bit by my dog than a rat. Rat bites feel like a really bad pinch... which hurts, I rather take punches than pinches. lol. damn my sensitive skin.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crazyj83

Ok, big issues and not just with the op.. Are you guys seriously telling someone to gra a momma rat by the tail?? You can cause serious damage to them by grabbing by the tail. Plus if the rats are not used to being handled thats asking for a bite.. Now my other issue is how are you going to breed or own something you seem to have issues in caring for? I run numberous 1.4 colonies and even a single 1.4 with proper rat block feed and bedding materials, your still gonna be spending as much as just buying feeders from someone or a petstore. Sorry to come off harsh but its a simple fact, you own animals that eat rats.. Kinda gotta step up and roll with the punches...

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you couldnt be more wrong addressing me. I take care of the rats, I clean one side, close the tub, open reverse end, clean that one. I just dont touch the adult rats.