Holy Moly Guacamole!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by frankykeno

Okay Robin we HAVE TO STOP SHARING A BRAIN! Not only are our fridges now dieing on the same days but what you did with option #2 is exactly what I was going to suggest you do. I call it "rat baby roulette" around here. In other words, wean the ones that can be weaned, put the half raised ones with the mom that's been nursing a long time so she doesn't have so much more to do, put some of the newborns with the mom that was nursing the half raised litter and leave the original mom with not so many. I've done it before myself Robin and it's always worked out fine for our colony females.

I swear I can't remember which of us has custody of the brain some days girl! LOL

Oh and I would definitely keep back her best daughter at some point. Those Black Hooded males, they really have it going on!

---

OMG - Get away from me! This just happens WAY too much to be very comfortable any more! LOL

I think I'll retain custody, if it's ok with you! :P

We'll work out a shared custody arrangement somehow my friend LOL. Congrats on the lovely big litter btw, that's a really nice number. They all doing okay so far with the momma switch? We've got Jet birthing as I type (she's Alita's self black daughter). She doesn't usually birth big numbers but is a really nice solid dependable girl.

Seems to be going well - Scarlett is layed out on her side right now nursing Twix's litter, and Twix is hovering over the babies. I didn't know she had her litter until a few days after she had them, because she stayed so hunched up over them and didn't leave them for two days! So, I'm hoping that maternal instinct tranfers to these.

Usually good momma rats will be good to any nursing baby rat, at least in my experience so far. I've never had one reject fosters. Sometimes they take a bit of time, almost seem a bit confused by the sudden change in "their" babies but eventually everyone gets a teat and the butts get cleaned. :) I swear I had one awhile back that looked like she was counting babies LOL. Kind of "hmm I just had 5 didn't I? 10? Well isn't that odd! Oh well..."...nurse...nurse...lick...lick....

Yeah Jo - it was sort of funny with Twix - "Wait!!! What are you doing with my babies? Wha???? What's this? That was an easy birth!" and picks each one up with her front paws to start cleaning bums and get everyone settled.

Scarlett was "Whew! Damn teat suckers are GONE! Oh crap - there's more of them?" Plop over on side and with a big sigh says "Come on - there's one for each of you!"

i love rat mommas. :)

One of ours is so smart she always sets herself up quite nicely. No matter where I place her food dish she nudges it over right beside the water bottle spigot. Then she flops over on her side, starts nursing and can reach over to sip or grab a snack without disturbing her busy litter. I love the smart ones! LOL

We had a neat experience last night. Jet ended up delivering in the resting adult female enclosure (we had temporarily placed her there while shuffling rats around). Anyways after she was done we removed her to her maternity tub and were going to quickly check her newborn litter of 10, then settle them in with mama. The other females, who obviously saw Jet give birth, all became very agitated and as a group tried to drive Mike and I off the now "motherless" babies. Mike had to put on gloves and hold the other adult females back while I removed the babies and tucked them in with their momma. I just thought it was very neat how the other females (all experienced mothers themselves) immediately tried to protect the babies like that. :)