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  1. #1
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    When to put females back in rotation

    Hi,

    Thank you for all of the great help so far. I'm newer to breeding rats for feeders and I just got my 2 racks setup about a month ago. I have a whole colony of 4 females that are all pregnant right now and I had one just drop a litter. About how long after she has her litter should I put the male back in with the females to get her pregnant again? She had a litter of 13 babies which I'm assuming is a decent amount. I've heard putting males back in there right after can decrease their liter sizes which I for sure don't want. Appreciate the help!

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    I do it this way an I have colonies dropping every week. Weaned in 35 days an then I give the girl 2 weeks off or more to put weight on. Then it's in with a male 14/15 days. If your trying to breed as a business you may do it 100% differently.

    Rat info:
    https://www.afrma.org/pdfposters/reprofacts.pdf

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    CRH3012 (07-27-2020)

  4. #3
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    I breed for food and maximum productivity knowing that the female's prime only last so long so once the babies are weaned or taken away the females are back in rotation.

    What you want to avoid is back to back breeding (females being pregnant white nursing) this will definitive affect litter size and babies size as well.
    Deborah Stewart


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    CRH3012 (07-27-2020)

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    Re: When to put females back in rotation

    Sweet thank you! I'm a bit confused on the whole maternity tub idea. I heard that you can put a litter with retired moms and they will nurse them if the actual mom isn't nursing her litter for some reason. I just had a litter of 17 babies drop. She seems to have left a few odd ones out of her nest and I'm wondering if I should move those pinkies in with a different mom or if that will cause some problems. 17 seems like a ton of babies

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    Maternity tubs? Are you putting a single rat in a tub? While that would stop female rats from stealing pups an hurting them. Yes, two/three rats will fight over a pup. That can rip the pup.

    Me, it's three females to a cement tub. As pups will nurse off all of them. I only have 31 female breeder rats at this time. If any of them fight over young they go to another tub. If females eat young they go to a snake. Biggest problem I caused years ago was females in the same tub dropping a week apart.

    Stress leads to small litters an poor moms. If yours are dropping 17 an 13 something is working.

    Good luck!

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    CRH3012 (07-28-2020)

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    Re: When to put females back in rotation

    Quote Originally Posted by 303_enfield View Post
    Maternity tubs? Are you putting a single rat in a tub? While that would stop female rats from stealing pups an hurting them. Yes, two/three rats will fight over a pup. That can rip the pup.

    Me, it's three females to a cement tub. As pups will nurse off all of them. I only have 31 female breeder rats at this time. If any of them fight over young they go to another tub. If females eat young they go to a snake. Biggest problem I caused years ago was females in the same tub dropping a week apart.

    Stress leads to small litters an poor moms. If yours are dropping 17 an 13 something is working.

    Good luck!
    Yes sorry a single rat in a tub where they nurse in private. I’ve heard this can help with monitoring how good the moms are. About how many snakes do you have? My issue is I have a collection of about 40 ball pythons and they eat varying sizes. About half weaned half smalls. I’m just lost as far as how many female rats I’ll need breeding in order to keep up with the size of my collection.
    Last edited by CRH3012; 07-28-2020 at 06:44 PM.

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    Re: When to put females back in rotation

    Quote Originally Posted by CRH3012 View Post
    Yes sorry a single rat in a tub where they nurse in private. I’ve heard this can help with monitoring how good the moms are. About how many snakes do you have? My issue is I have a collection of about 40 ball pythons and they eat varying sizes. About half weaned half smalls. I’m just lost as far as how many female rats I’ll need breeding in order to keep up with the size of my collection.
    A single tub will work fine. Just remember rats are social animals. So that means you have to handle them daily when alone. After the pups are weaned or frozen put mom back with some other females an then introduce your male or males. Pull the females out 5-7 days before she should drop. Your litter sizes will probably do better in a single tub. My litters size average 10-12 in a 3 female tub. I have had females steal babies. An I did mess up years ago by putting one male in with four females. I pulled the male at day 14. The girls dropped pups about a week apart. That caused fights an I lost 20 babies. For feeder rats I'll put three females in with two males. They all drop within a day or two. For fancy blue rats or what ever color is hot this month it's a 1/1 pairing. But that's the difference between a $2 rat an a $10-18 rat.

    As for the number of females you need. Keep some weaned females an breed them. You have an idea what size what snake needs. Weigh an freeze a litter when it hits said size. 10 correct size rats will last said snake # weeks or months. Once the freezer is full then you can down size or sell. If you have BPs hatching have some girl dropping 5-7 days after an another dropping at week two..... I have two new breeders burning my phone up for live pinks an fuzzies. The COVID messed up their supply.


    I posted this before but it's still go info:
    http://www.miceandrats.com/standrat.htm
    https://www.afrma.org/
    https://www.afrma.org/pdfposters/reprofacts.pdf



    An I'm cheap. So I feed TSC Doggy Bag to the rats/ASF an use TSC wood chips.

    Get a Vacuum sealer! I really mess up an used the one my wife had
    https://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sealers/


    I think we have 50 snakes right now. I have six snakes that are mine, I've had them longer then my kids. Number changes as the kids will find more, rescue more an trade. Daughter came home with the teachers BPs last week. Poor things have been taken care of since March.

    As for BP, I raise an feed African Soft Furs. I like them better then rats, well after you cull two/three generations to get rid of the biters. Never had an ASF outgrow a BP. Another reason why I like ASF. Tubs always has babies.

    If you raise rats an BPs you need a rat snake or two for all the refused meals.

    Good luck!

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