ASF trio

I bought 1.3 ASFs today. One female is obviously preggers :) Here is a pic.. they are settling in nicely. They don't seem as fearful as untamed rats, and more "ballsy" but not too aggressive.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...es/ASFtrio.jpg

congrats,i'm sure you'll like them.i don't attempt to free hand them,hemos with rubber tips.the only weaned ones i have i pick up but not the breeders.have fun !

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I bought 1.3 ASFs today. One female is obviously preggers :) Here is a pic.. they are settling in nicely. They don't seem as fearful as untamed rats, and more "ballsy" but not too aggressive.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...es/ASFtrio.jpg

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I picked them up very fast by the tail to move them. They are weird little boogers!

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I picked them up very fast by the tail to move them.

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That's the way I do it, but be quick or they'll either climb their own tail to bite you, or spin and potentially break it off.

They're also good jumpers, and will be out of a bin, on to the floor, and gone in an instant if you give them the chance.

They're low-odor, great breeders, and most of my snakes LOVE them. I think you'll be very happy with the large colony you'll find yourself with pretty soon.

I use gloves and have a small ventilated container/carrier always handy when I move ASF's. They will quick as lightning turn and climb their own tail to nip you if they've a mind to. Good luck on your first ASF litter. :)

I don't know if i'm reading this right, but is everybody keeping the male with the females after the babies are born? Are there any problems doing it this way? If so how do you keep the male from mating to early after the female gives birth.


hope this makes sense? :confused:

I believe they thrive when kept in harem breeding, and that the females will kill the male if you try to reintroduce him. (?)

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

I believe they thrive when kept in harem breeding, and that the females will kill the male if you try to reintroduce him. (?)

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interesting! i might have to pick some of these guys up!

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Originally Posted by reediculous

I don't know if i'm reading this right, but is everybody keeping the male with the females after the babies are born? Are there any problems doing it this way? If so how do you keep the male from mating to early after the female gives birth.


hope this makes sense? :confused:

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No need to remove him he helps raise the babies. Hes as good as dead if you remove him from the females and try to but him back with them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reediculous

I don't know if i'm reading this right, but is everybody keeping the male with the females after the babies are born? Are there any problems doing it this way? If so how do you keep the male from mating to early after the female gives birth.

hope this makes sense? :confused:

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With my regular rats I don't allow the males to stay with the females but with the ASF's everything I've read or been told is to leave them in their family group. From what I've seen in my original trio the females handle the litters communally and the male is a very good parent, often helping with keeping the smaller ones warm and licking them clean while the females are off feeding and resting. The females give birth regularily but seem to regulate both frequency of litters and size of litters so they don't lose condition at all from what I've seen. They are very quick to toss big daddy ASF off them if they don't want to bother with him LOL.

I do find the ASF's really like multiple hides in the large 30 gallon I keep them in, seems to make them more relaxed and less aggressive to have somewhere to stash their babies and retreat into. I also provide multiple small feeding dishes rather than one large one so everyone can easily access food without any crowding or tussles for something to nibble on. The females love to use these same dishes to park babies in (handy dandy ASF baby rat playpens apparently LOL). I actually had one smart mama who emptied out the food dish last month and very neatly delivered her litter into the now empty dish.