Don't Really know what I am doing yet........

You don't need to take out any bedding. I've noticed my mother rats stacking up the bedding around the babies, building a fortress around them all. The moms will pick them up and move them around as she sees fit...

Yep, they'll bury the babies to keep them warm when they're not sitting on them. No worries.

One note about setting up permanent groups--I've never tried adding a new male to an existing group of females with young, but I would urge caution with it. Things might go wrong...the male might kill babies, or the females might kill him.

I definitely recommend AGAINST swapping out females in existing groups. If you have to break up a group and create a new one, then don't put any of them with another animal that they already know. They will gang up on and often kill the newcomer.

A group of 2 females with a male will very often kill any new female you introduce. It's best to put them all with new animals--they are generally fine if you do that way.

:(:(:( by day four all are died!!! so

Should I let the mom and dad breed again??

Is this normal for a first litter??

Was there something I can learn for next time??

9 put.of 13 of.my.first litter died. It happens sadly.. remember.not all.mothers are.good. just keep at it" if you have to get another female. You'll get IR down and have a.colony soon enough!

the moms are poping now 2 litter in 2 weeks and should have more in another 2 weeks :):):banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:


http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/...g/DSC_0013.jpg

certain bucks will kill a litter if its not theirs but usually the dad wont eat his own young unless there is a shortage on food or water they will thin out to make sure they themselves get enough to eat and drink as for pregnant the top one looks like she might be the second is in heat right now and the third she not either you can tell if a rat is in heat very very easily its weird and some people may find it gross but if you really want to guarentee a litter every time you put that male in that cage i would suggest it its how i do it because if she is in heat you only have to leave him in there for 2-3 days and his job will be done but if not and she not in heat you are just waisting him and his special little soldiers cause he will hump her even if she not in heat so what you do is everyday when you feed and water the females make it a habit to grab them nicely by the tail and look at there crotch area all you have to do is look if they are starting to open up they are in heat if not they not but that secong one by what i can tell she looks open a bit you can tell the difference between open and closed on them trust me when they closed they are closed it just looks like a tiny paper cut but when they open it looks like a wider deeper cut hope this help if you have anymore rat questions let me know i have been nreeding for 5-6 years:)