Thinking about breeding

I am seriously thinking about breeding my own rats. The local pet shop is charging $7 a rat and that is too much.

So I have 4 ball pythons and plan on having 6 total. If I breed I am guessing I will need one female for every snake.

So for 6 females and one or two male rats. How many bins and what sizes do I need? I don't think I am going to build a rack because I have shelving to keep the bins on already.

Thanks.


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I keep 1 Male and 2-3 Females together at all times to each bin. After 3 litters from each Female I replace the Females with new ones. I will replace the Male about every 4-6 months. This is what works for me.

So you don't have to remove the male? I thought I may need a bunch of tubs for the females to birth in.


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If you want to you can rotate the females in with the males but I just leave them in. They are a big help to the females and watching them with the babies is adorable. 1.3 or 1.2 is a good set up. I use the home depo concert mixing tub for my 1.3 groups. It is a 10g size that runs 6.5 high. 20 wide and 27 deep.

I keep 4 females per tub and rotate males through, less mouths to feed instead of keeping so many males (I have 24 tubs)
Females stay together all the time.

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Originally Posted by whispersinmyhead

So you don't have to remove the male? I thought I may need a bunch of tubs for the females to birth in.


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Ive never taken the male out of the tub, But ive heard that some people do. Ive only got a 6 tub rack and have a male and 2-3 females in each one. Ive got 6 tanks that I use for growing out the babies.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

I keep 4 females per tub and rotate males through, less mouths to feed instead of keeping so many males (I have 24 tubs)
Females stay together all the time.

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I like this! How often and for how long do you add the Male? Ive never tried this! Also how many Males do you use?

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Originally Posted by ROACH

I like this! How often and for how long do you add the Male? Ive never tried this! Also how many Males do you use?

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2 Weeks, I have 5 to 7 males on hand at all times. I also keep an extra 5 to 7 females just incase.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

2 Weeks, I have 5 to 7 males on hand at all times. I also keep an extra 5 to 7 females just incase.

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So you put the male in for 2 weeks then take him out and put him into another tub? Or you put them all in each tub for 2 weeks? Can you use 1 Male for all the tubs?

My current schedule gets them 2 weeks in a tub with the 4 girls, then at the end of that 2 weeks the male might get 1 or 2 weeks vacation.
After I clear the tub of all the babies I give the girls in that tub a month off before they see another male again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

My current schedule gets them 2 weeks in a tub with the 4 girls, then at the end of that 2 weeks the male might get 1 or 2 weeks vacation.
After I clear the tub of all the babies I give the girls in that tub a month off before they see another male again.

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I need to get some more racks set up. Having only 6 tubs isnt keeping up with as many snakes I have to feed. Ive been having to buy rats at $60 - $70 a week. This weather here has really slowed them down on breeding! Ive only had about 6-7 litters here in the last 3 months and they were small ones.

I am not a fan of back to back breeding so soon as the females are pregnant they are removed (when females are pregnant while nursing it takes it' toll pretty quick, shorter life span as a breeder and smaller babies.)

I like to have my females in individual birthing tub until the babies are 7 days old (less loss) after that it's communal nursing until they are weaned.

I run 1.2 or 1.3 male remains in their own tubs and females rotate 1 female is added to the tub each week and pregnant females are removed each week to.

I produce a few thousands feeder a year, works for me.

Given the number of rats you are planning on and the number of BP to be fed, I would get 1 male and add a new female in each week and remove the females when obviously pregnant that would allow you to produce consistently each week (remember that the cycle, birthing to nursing to weaning is 6 to 7 weeks) - Doing so you should produce 6 to 12 rats a week for each week.

So how many bins/tubs should I plan on? I don't have a ton of room. I like the idea of rotating a new female in each week or having two bins with 1.3 in each and the grow out tubs.

How many bins/runs for grow outs?


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Any idea how many bins I should keep for grow outs? I was thinking at least two more weaned and larger maybe a third for future breeders? I just don't have a ton of room.

Also what size bin to house four adult rats?


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