Good deal on rats or not?

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Originally Posted by ThyTempest

Simply not true, at least in our colony. We routinely keep 2-3 males in one cement tub, and have had 4 in one tub at times for a day or two at a time with no problems, regardless of if one of them recently bred.

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Didn't you just start breeding rats?

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

I think they were asking about current ASF pricing.

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Yes but she mentioned fancy rats as well, I was just giving my input...

price on the normal rats is a tad on the expensive side and the asf are waay over priced. i dont think they should be that expensive anywhere in the U.S.
i pay 3 dollors for an asf from my breeder. and if i buy a 1.5 group for a new colony he usually throws in the male for free. you can usually get small deals like that from a good breeder, and if your a returning customer. That is just my thought and experience in where i live. hope this helps

I would have to agree with ThyTempest on the male rat issue. I always kept a large cage with 7 males in it, I would remove one or two for breeding and when his job was done he went back in the big cage. I never had male rats kill each other, mice though will.
A male rat kept alone will get depressed (yes depressed) he will stop eating and grooming and slowly fade away.
That is what happened when I left the males alone, together they play and have rattie fun.

And I have had rats for the last 11 years, 6 of those breeding.
If your rats are killing each other there is something wrong, as rats are social and want to be with other rats.


And also for the ASFs I'm not sure how that is for price, but the rats I pay $3.00 each for young breeders.

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Originally Posted by JamieLynn

And I have had rats for the last 11 years, 6 of those breeding.
If your rats are killing each other there is something wrong, as rats are social and want to be with other rats.
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Wow I really must have something wrong with my rats. There is this thing in the animal kingdom called dominance. I think I saw something about it on animal planet once.....:gj:

my regular rat males will fight at first but they settle down pretty fast and ive never had 2 males kill eachother.

with asfs you dont want 2 males together at all.

5$ for an asf is way too high around here they are 2$ tops all day long
regular rats are around 1.50 here also

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Originally Posted by monk90222

Wow I really must have something wrong with my rats. There is this thing in the animal kingdom called dominance. I think I saw something about it on animal planet once.....:gj:

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I dont keep rats anymore myself (i had 2 females) but i do know multiple rat breeders and rescuers.

domestic Norway rats are extremely social. 98% of the time they need the company of other rats. There is the occasional exception (of either sex, not just males) that will not allow a cagemate in their area and they will fight draw blood. Like i said, these are really rare instances. There are hierarchy scuffles (lots of squeeking and boxing but no blood), but once they figure out who is in what place they become complacent and enjoy the company of their cagemates.

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Originally Posted by monk90222

Wow I really must have something wrong with my rats. There is this thing in the animal kingdom called dominance. I think I saw something about it on animal planet once.....:gj:

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Both sides are right. I have lost a male rat when he was introduced back into the males cage, after literally hundreds of introductions and growing up with the same males. We believe it was an accident since there were no real heavy marks on him, but still the same.... he died.

He had just come out of the breeding tub, and in the morning he was dead. I felt terrible, and now I never let the males out of ear shot, and they are closely monitored all day after being reintroduced.

If the reaction is not normal, the males are all bathed and kept by themselves for a few days, then reintroduced into a new cleaned tub.

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Originally Posted by monk90222

Didn't you just start breeding rats?

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We started breeding mice last May, got rid of them by the end of the summer. Started breeding rats by late September, and started ASF's in November.