Does anyone here breed rats???

[pimp_n_python]

If so could you tell me how much it cost's to feed and buy substrate for rats per month.

(1)how many breeder rats must you have in order to provide 3 subadult BP's their meals??

(2)In the long run would you say it saves you money by breeding them or is it cheaper just to buy in bulk over the internet??

(3)if i had two pairs of breeding rats how many rats would be produced in a month??

(4)how long does it take for a rat to grow to a medium size?

(5) how long is the mother rat pregnant for b4 she gives birth?


(6) when must i seperate the young from they're mothers or do I even have to? i'm just guessing that she'll eat her babies??

any advice would be appreciated

[Hoomi]

Well, I don't breed rats, but I do like Google.

http://www.ratbreeding.com/

http://vets-unleashed.falikshow.com/...atbreeders.asp

http://www.agrogea.com/search/rats.htm

http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/breeding.html

Some of those are links on breeding pet rats, but the general info is going to remain the same. The link second from the bottom is a list of other links, so somewhere in all that should be more information than you probably will ever need (I noticed some genetics information on one of the pages. For feeder rats, I don't think most of us would be too worried about trying to breed special color varieties or whathaveyou...).

Hope that helps!

[Jeanne]

I use to breed rats for the pet trade, so this is one subject I know very well.

(1)how many breeder rats must you have in order to provide 3 subadult BP's their meals??

**you are going to need at least 1 or 2 males to 3 or 5 females.

(2)In the long run would you say it saves you money by breeding them or is it cheaper just to buy in bulk over the internet??

**in the long run, yes it saves you money if you under stand the animal you are breeding

(3)if i had two pairs of breeding rats how many rats would be produced in a month??


**you would only produce 2 litter2 every 7-9 weeks, depending on several things

(4)how long does it take for a rat to grow to a medium size?


**it takes about 8-12 weeks, depending on litter size, mothers care etc.

(5) how long is the mother rat pregnant for b4 she gives birth?


**21-28 days

(6) when must i seperate the young from they're mothers or do I even have to? i'm just guessing that she'll eat her babies??

**babies are separated from thier mothers when weaned (no longer being fed by mom and you can see them eating and drinking on thier own), and really the only reason you separate is to control over breeding and unplanned litters, otherwise you will find yourself with too many rats..LOL just be sure how to tell the girls from the boys



I got to thinking about this... give me until the end of this week, I will write a page on it with better info and post it. There is really not enough in what I have told you to be of any real help- at least thats my thought, but I LOVE to know everything there is about things like this so I took alot of time reading up and got years of experience with this. OK..I am weird..I admit it! But I will get a page up for this if you'd like,just let me know.

[pimp_n_python]

ya sounds great
thanks alot

just another Q i have
how can you keep the nasty smell down to a min.???

[emroul]

You can't.

LOL j/k all I know is I attempted to breed mice and maybe mice have a stronger smell than rats, but man, I couldn't do it anymore. There are probably ways of doing it (i.e keep them outside) or something, I don't know. Sorry I couldn't be of much help, but someone else probably can.

[pimp_n_python]

ya i've been really trying to find away around this issue but i just don't see any real way around it except for keeping them outside wich isn't an option. I live in canada so its starting to get damn cold!
there must be a way that i just haven't thought of.
any ideas

[Ironhead]

hmmmmmmm.......dont understand why....I raise feeder mice and have very little smell with them......All i do for thier bedding is use a mixture of cedar and pine. I do change the bedding every other week or so. Same thing with the rat's, but they are'nt for feeding. My daughter would have my head if I attempted to use her rat's as food.

[Ironhead]

By the way....it could get costly for the bedding, but luckily I live 4 blocks from a lumber mill and get all the shavings I want for free.

[pimp_n_python]

i'm a 1st year aprentice so i can get free shavings from the rouder or plainer if i wanted.
i don't know though we work with treated oak and maple would that be bad for rats

couldn't i just shred newspaper and use that for a substrate??
so your solution for the smell is to change there substrate frequently???
are u sure this will work?
smell is an issue because i will be keeping them in my basement (where I live)

[RPlank]

I keep my 1.4 breeders, and the other 20 or so feeders, in the bathroom attached to my bedroom in my apt. The smell doesn't get bad as long as I change bedding (aspen) once a week. I use more bedding than the pet stores do, which helps absorb odors, plus the ratties love to make huge nests in it!
My wife despises the rat smell, and she hasn't slept on the couch yet, so it must not be too bad! I had some mice for a while. They smelled MUCH worse than the rats ever have.