Back in the Game

So after about a 6 year hiatus...I'm breeding rats again. Feeder prices at Big Cheese and Perfect Prey are going up every week, and neither supplier has had the sizes I need, so I got a little colony together. 4 females and one male. So far, I've bred two of the females and one of them has had her babies. 10 of them! Not bad for a 200 gram first time mom. I'm hoping to get another rack together and make some space for it so I can have 2 litters going at the same time. Atm I only have places for 2 litters at a time, so I'm going to have to stagger them out so just as the rats are culled the new ones are being born.

Last time I bred, I had nothing but normal white rats, this time I wanted to get a bit more interesting stuff. :P But a lot of it is over my head, so if anyone can lend a hand that would be great. XD The breeder told me in person, but I didn't catch everything.

These pictures are a month or two old.

(Male - silvermane)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/qyIewj9.jpg

(Female - marten?)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/J9UaFnv.jpg

(Female - marten?)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Kaijwp4.jpg

(Female - double rex, possible marten? She has pink eyes, too.)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/oKzWwLy.jpg

(Female - my mom seems to think the breeder said she's silvermane, and one of the gray/white females are supposedly possible silvermane)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/u5FGvrD.jpg

I used to breed rats but they've come a long way in a few years, lol...I had hooded rats mostly, agouti, & black w/ white markings, & later a few dumbos, but fancy
types were never my focus. I've always raised fancy mice though, & when I used to sell my surplus, it makes them more salable too, just in case wanted as pets.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I used to breed rats but they've come a long way in a few years, lol...I had hooded rats mostly, agouti, & black w/ white markings, & later a few dumbos, but fancy
types were never my focus. I've always raised fancy mice though, & when I used to sell my surplus, it makes them more salable too, just in case wanted as pets.

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Yup that was part of it, too. I’m probably going to add more in time, but for now I’m starting with this at least long enough to build my freezer up before I even think of selling beyond friends.

I had a few mice a couple years ago, and I plan on starting another colony of those, too, for when my boa breeding starts. I had a couple of black/white mice, a gray mouse, and a belted male with one pink and one black eye. Almost all the babies were always black and white, but one ended up a pretty lavender color with pink eyes and another looked kinda like a perle merle rat. Only two unique ones I got from several litters. The mice also ate way more food than rats, and were not as placid. The two adult females and the male were sweet, but the one female and all the babies were always quick to resort to flightiness and biting.


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Rats are much smarter than mice...which is why I am happy I no longer need to raise any for food. I had pet rats long ago, before I ever got into snakes, & they're
trainable & affectionate. Mice are pretty & cute, but have nothing like the personality that rats do, & rats are better parents also. All my mice are fancy...white ones
are rare here, lol. I used to have silky & satin mice but while pretty, they just didn't breed as well. I got into breeding my own feeders shortly after getting my first
snake, as the size feeders I needed were generally not available...plus I know they're healthy & fed well. (they get bits of kale & such things for extra nutrition)

Well both females had their litter last week. The first one, named Calypso (she's the g/w one above with more gray) had 10, and Misery (the g/w one with less gray) had 13!! Not bad at all. They've all since gained their pigmentation, and should be growing fuzz in the next few days. :) I caught both of them mid-birth and was able to watch part of the process, and interact with little stress from the females. Calypso was the nervous one, but not too nervous, and has settled down as her babies have aged.

I'm in the process of getting a new rack built so I can have all 4 females breeding at the same time, and I'm looking to add a hairless male rat to the colony!

You're off & running with a great start. Congrats to you & your little momma-ratties.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

You're off & running with a great start. Congrats to you & your little momma-ratties.

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I was worried they’d have small litters because everything online said 250-300 grams, but the breeder said 200 grams was fine. Seems they’re doing just fine, and keeping weight on no problem.

I’m thinking I’ll keep 4 rats from these litters back to grow to large adult size, and the rest will be grown as close to half/half small and medium. I’ll be able to keep more back for larges once I have all 4 breeding.

Very excited to have a full freezer again. XD The initial set up cost was about what I’d spend on feeders, but after that, their food and bedding is covered for just about the next year for only ~$60-70. I might have to buy another bag of pellets before then, but that bedding isn’t going anywhere any time soon.


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Nothing better than the feeling you get with a secure & healthy food supply for your snake-family. ;) Rats are good parents too.

Babies!

Calypso's older litter from yesterday. We have 3 hoodeds and one pale hooded here. I have no clue on the rest. lol This pic was taken in the holding bucket, a little messy as I clean the other tubs first.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ur.com/CpKtWPxhttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ur.com/CpKtWPxhttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/CpKtWPx.jpg

Plus one with a random little white strip.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Gw3dcKw.jpg

Two of the hoodeds, 2 are dark, and one is pale.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/ofP0aph.jpg

Then there's Misery's younger litter. Only 2 hooded in this litter, and a lot more dark babies.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/oemhSrR.jpg

The two hoodeds from her litter. One is dark and one is pale.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/WioErqS.jpg

Cute babies!

I don't think thsoe 3 are technically hooded rats. The way it was explained to me by my mentor, hooded rats have to have the hood and a solid stripe from the hood to the base of the tail without break in the color down its back. Anything that has breaks or lacks the stripe is technically variegated (or possibly DWS I think).

AFRMA describes them that way too:
http://www.afrma.org/ratmkd.htm

To be honest though, I prefer the variegated look over hooded, so what you've got is my preference in pattern between the 2. :)
And the terminology is probably not super important unless you show rats, but I think it's interesting to learn it and wanted to share.

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