Random rat deaths

[John chandor]

Ok so I started breeding rats around 5 months ago and during that time every rat has seemed healthy. Now the one problem is my breeder rats die. It's not like all of a sudden they start dying, but over this five month period they sort of just die. I was wondering if there is any reason behind it. I would love any help because I am really struggling to figure out what's wrong

[cchardwick]

How old are your rats? They only live about 2 years, then all bets are off especially if you are breeding them like crazy.

I also suspect my water bottles and I always have at least two per cage. Sometimes I see my mice / rats / ASF desperately trying to get water out of a stuck bottle that is full but won't release any water, especially with glass bottles, I don't trust them at all anymore.

[Sirrush]

From what I have read, could also be what you are feeding them if it isn't well balanced...

[JoshSloane]

From what I have read, could also be what you are feeding them if it isn't well balanced...

If you are feeding anything other than lab block I would switch to that ASAP. I had the same issues breeding rats years ago when I was feeding dog food. I tried all different brands and levels of quality, but would have random rats die. I even had a pathologist at a top ranked vet school do a necropsy to confirm the absence of transferable diseases.

In research labs we feed rats traditional lab chow and very rarely if ever have spontaneous deaths.

[Marrissa]

If you are feeding anything other than lab block I would switch to that ASAP. I had the same issues breeding rats years ago when I was feeding dog food. I tried all different brands and levels of quality, but would have random rats die. I even had a pathologist at a top ranked vet school do a necropsy to confirm the absence of transferable diseases.

In research labs we feed rats traditional lab chow and very rarely if ever have spontaneous deaths.

Are you paying the $1 a pound price for NE still? I'm making my own mix now. Mazuri and NE are now both too expensive for my numbers. I really wish NE hadn't been taken over.

[JoshSloane]

I actually dont breed rats anymore. I spent way more time maintaining the rats than I did the actual snakes. Decided it was best just to buy frozen.

[Kitsune]

From what I have read, could also be what you are feeding them if it isn't well balanced...

Unrelated, but your ferrets are gorgeous