Handling rats

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Originally Posted by John1982

I pity the fool that gains fright from a giant hand they ain't used to.

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Babies can be a bit like that... but most of them go as food any way. That's why they are there!

Though I maybe told a little fib... if there's a baby I especially like and plan to keep, they do get handled a little bit. My breeders get used to handling and aren't skittish. Some don't necessarily like being held, but they aren't afraid (and definitely don't bite! biting is a done deal for that rat). Just the way it works for me. :)

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Originally Posted by Tigerhawk

I have built a rack system to breed rats,my question is how do you remove rats from the tubs. With out them jumping out. Also how do you pick them up with out getting bit. Do you use tongs or some type of thick gloves eg welding gloves. Thanks for your help.

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Grab them by the tail! That's what I do.

I don't have any bitey rats. All aggressive rats are fed off as aggression in rodents is heritable.

And be sure to understand that there is a difference between biting and nibbling. All rats will nibble finger tips. It's their way to feel the world. It doesn't hurt. It's kind of like how gold fish suck on finger tips...

If I'm in no rush, I will grab a rat by the tail to keep them from running, and then scoop them up under the belly into my other palm. If I'm in a rush, I will grab the rats by the base of their tail and hold them up like that.
And depending on the rat, I may scruff them. But that doesn't happen too often.

All of my hold backs are handled regularly as babies to make my job easier when they're adults.

I usually use a tall bucket(looks like a extra tall five gallon bucket) and put a bit of shavings into the bottom(just so they don't have pee to walk in). The rats rarely try to jump out in the couple minutes it takes to clean their bin.

You can also do a round-robin style of cleaning bins, where you remove the first bin of rats into a holding container(I have a large rubbermaid style bin with a partly wire top for ventilation) and then clean that bin(#1). Now instead of putting bin#1 rats back in, open bin#2 and put those rats into bin#1, and then clean bin#2. Now open bin#3 and put those rats into bin#2, and clean bin#3.... so on and so forth. This way you only have to pick up each bin of rats once(except for the first bin of rats that are waiting in the holding container to be put into the last bin you clean).

I pick up most of the rats by scooping them up in my hand like you would any small animal(cat or dog). If they are skittish, I grab them by the base of the tail and then try to support them under the belly. If they really are skittish, just the base of the tail. I don't ever carry them very far like that, because the rat can begin to panic.

You shouldn't need gloves or tongs to pick up rats. If your rats bite, get rid of those and get better rats. Breed only nice rats and don't mistreat them and they shouldn't bite you.

IMO, as soon as we start saying " they're only feeders, so it doesn't matter", we are no better than those who say "oh, it's only a snake, so it doesn't matter"

base of the tail and other hand under they tummy/chest. we swap thousands upon thousands weekly using this handling procedure. We do use thick latex type medical gloves though as this allows us to keep them clean and sterilized and lower the risk of a pathogen making its way into the colony

Thanks for all the comments everyone.

So then, grabbing them by the ears and seeing how many somersaults you can make them do before they hit the bucket isn't the way you guys do it?

LOL

Somersaults? You set your goals too low, my friend. My rats do back flips!!!

I prefer the triple Lindy! Lol. Honestly though, I grab by the base of the tail and use the other hand to support their bodies. Biters are fed off. My kids handle all of the pups so they get used to it fast :thumbup:

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