Breeding rats for feeders

I currently put a males in with my females for a few weeks and then remove them. I was told I could leave the males in with the females after the pups are born without problems.

Anyone do this while breeding, I have searched google and I see alot of "males will eat the babies" comments, is this true? If possible I would like to hear from people who have actually or are currently breeding rats

Thank you

I have a very specific system when it comes to breeding

I house 1.4 rats and pull the pregnant females each week to put them in a birthing tub.

This way no back to back breeding

No fighting over babies which can lead to severe injuries/death

Once the babies are 10 days females go back in communal housing to raise their babies together.

Once weaned they go back in breeding rotation.

Works for me.

Now to the question can you leave the male in? Sure you can it's up to YOU to see what works for you and your colony.

Breeding takes trying things around I did and my method is what works for me.

So you Isolate the females and babies for 10 days plus birthing and then put them back in with other females? or are there males in the colony

I have been using a 1.3 ratio and removing male, my females have been together as long as I have had them, I have had some baby thieving from time to time maybe I will try the birthing tubs

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Originally Posted by krmn22

So you Isolate the females and babies for 10 days plus birthing and then put them back in with other females? or are there males in the colony

I have been using a 1.3 ratio and removing male, my females have been together as long as I have had them, I have had some baby thieving from time to time maybe I will try the birthing tubs

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I pull the females and they go in individual tubs and stay there until the babies are about 10 days.

After that they go in communal housing (Females only communal housing) where they raise their babies together.

They are only in presence of a male when back in breeding rotation and until visibly pregnant again.

I pull mommas to their own tubs as soon as they are plump.
When the babies are 3 weeks old then momma and babies go into their own large tub to tame them for pets.
The non-sellable ones become food, the tamest food you've ever seen, lol.

When I wean the babies momma goes back to her colony.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by krmn22

I currently put a males in with my females for a few weeks and then remove them. I was told I could leave the males in with the females after the pups are born without problems.

Anyone do this while breeding, I have searched google and I see alot of "males will eat the babies" comments, is this true? If possible I would like to hear from people who have actually or are currently breeding rats

Thank you

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I leave my male in with the females and have never had a male cannibalise his own offspring. In fact, I have withnessed the males cleaning the pups and also sleeping with them keeping them warm.

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Originally Posted by PghBall

I leave my male in with the females and have never had a male cannibalise his own offspring. In fact, I have withnessed the males cleaning the pups and also sleeping with them keeping them warm.

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I've done the same when all my momma tubs are full, my males are wonderful with their babies.

thank you for the comments its good to know males are good with the babies

My males will kill the babies if they are left in with them. I have had it happen 100% of the time. I no longer leave them in. It happened to me twice and that was enough. I have a friend who breeds also and he has had the exact same luck with males.

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Originally Posted by Clint Bundy

My males will kill the babies if they are left in with them. I have had it happen 100% of the time. I no longer leave them in. It happened to me twice and that was enough. I have a friend who breeds also and he has had the exact same luck with males.

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Then I would feed him and start over and find better stock to breed, which admittedly isn't easy.

I don't keep them together when females drop babies because I don't want my females pregnant while they are nursing.

My males are pretty indifferent to the babies. They tolerate them, but don't really care for them. They walk on them and pretty much act like the babies aren't even there. I haven't ever had a male kill and eat babies.

I am producing a few hundred rats per week now and I have some colonized racks set up and this has been my experience.

I used to separate my moms and let them raise the babies up in their own tubs, but it is way way way too time consuming and it takes up way way way too much space when you start producing larger numbers of rodents.

Im new to rat breeding and been reading some here and there. I currently have soft furs that i breed which there easy to breed btw. Just leave the male and females in and let them do there thing. But domestic rats seem different from what ive been reading. To get started, my idea is a 1.3 ratio. Now should i keep all 4 together till they are pregnant and then remove the male? Or do i remove each female into there own containers till birth? Or can all 4 stay together all the time? Ive heard rats are very social animals and like having a companion which makes me think that pulling the male and leaving him alone would be a bad idea. Ive heard mixed answers which is why im asking.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PghBall

I leave my male in with the females and have never had a male cannibalise his own offspring. In fact, I have withnessed the males cleaning the pups and also sleeping with them keeping them warm.

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same here, havnt ever seen a male mess with the pups in a negative way. only clean them and help keep them warm while mom eat/drinks/sleeps

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clint Bundy

My males will kill the babies if they are left in with them. I have had it happen 100% of the time. I no longer leave them in. It happened to me twice and that was enough. I have a friend who breeds also and he has had the exact same luck with males.

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id think either something is wrong with both of you guys males and/or setup. might be time to recheck it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SnakeKB

To get started, my idea is a 1.3 ratio. Now should i keep all 4 together till they are pregnant and then remove the male? Or do i remove each female into there own containers till birth? Or can all 4 stay together all the time? Ive heard rats are very social animals and like having a companion which makes me think that pulling the male and leaving him alone would be a bad idea. Ive heard mixed answers which is why im asking.

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from the earlier posts it seems that either way you asked about will work I guess it is really up to trial and error for you

Currently I use a 1.3 ratio and pull my males I have 3 groups set up like this for now so all my males end up in a holding tub together I am trying to work it out where the males can just go from female tub to female tub every few weeks so I don't need to keep an empty tub for them. I keep my females together all the time and have not seen any problems with baby stealing or fighting over babies. I give them all a 2-3 week break between litters after weaning and that's about it

I just bought three females and I'm looking for a male to breed them with. My question is this, how do I prevent inbreeding? My first thought is to keep breeding the parents but after some reading, it seems like I can breed the mother 3, maybe 4 times if I'm lucky. Suggestions?

I remove my pregnant girls as soon as I can visibly tell they are pregnant or have just laid their litter of pups. I do not leave it to chance on whether or not the males will eat them. I have a birthing rack setup so that I can leave each mother to raise here pups until they are weaned and then return them to the breeding rotation.

Omg a zombie thread! Quick, shoot it before it infects the other threads! Don't forget the double tap!

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