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  1. #1
    Registered User HIGHMAINTENANCE's Avatar
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    i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    Well I am at 3 BP's now and 2 MORE on the way, so my hubby said enough of this $20 a feeding day, figure it out So I did and here is what I have come up with

    I went to go get 1 Male and 2 Females, but there were 2 Males that were a rescue and had to go together - they are attached

    I think they are what is called a "blue"? (Frank and George)


    and here are the girls Anyone know what you call them? There names are Mocha and Latte (she is a black eyed Ruby (?)) one black eye and one red eye.


    And here is their temporary housing, I am picking up a larger cage off of Craigs list on Thursday and then I am setting up a tub for the babies as seen on the sticky here But they all seem happy in this cage so far


    Now its time to wait for them to make some babies In the meantime my boys (5 and 8) are loving hanging out with their ratties
    Now that I'm hooked, who's gonna buy me shoes???
    1.1 Ball Python "Normal" (Columbus and Pocahontas)
    1.1 Ball Python "100% Het Albino" (Baby) (on the way)
    1.0 Ball Python "DH Snow Joliff / Albino" (on the way)
    0.1 Black Long Haired Cat (Sheba 4)
    0.2 Austrailian Shepherds (Dixie 17, Jesse 1)
    2.2 Rats (Frank, George, Mocha and Latte)

  2. #2
    BPnet Senior Member jglass38's Avatar
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    Re: i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    Careful, rats are addictive! I started out with a male and a couple females and now I have around 50 and 3 more litters on the way this month (hopefully!). They breed like crazy and are just fun to have around.

  3. #3
    Registered User HIGHMAINTENANCE's Avatar
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    Re: i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    Well so far the only one that loves people and has a great personality is Latte - the black eyed ruby The two brothers are completely attached to eachother - hate to be apart! And then Mocha - she's kind of a scaredy cat so far

    But Latte definately has my heart
    Now that I'm hooked, who's gonna buy me shoes???
    1.1 Ball Python "Normal" (Columbus and Pocahontas)
    1.1 Ball Python "100% Het Albino" (Baby) (on the way)
    1.0 Ball Python "DH Snow Joliff / Albino" (on the way)
    0.1 Black Long Haired Cat (Sheba 4)
    0.2 Austrailian Shepherds (Dixie 17, Jesse 1)
    2.2 Rats (Frank, George, Mocha and Latte)

  4. #4
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    Re: i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    cage seems kind of small. don't expect to have a litter in there
    lots of snakes

  5. #5
    Registered User HIGHMAINTENANCE's Avatar
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    Re: i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    Quote Originally Posted by tmlowe5704
    cage seems kind of small. don't expect to have a litter in there
    Yes I know thats why in my post it says temporary cage and I am picking up a LARGER one on Thursday......

    Thanks for the kind advice
    Now that I'm hooked, who's gonna buy me shoes???
    1.1 Ball Python "Normal" (Columbus and Pocahontas)
    1.1 Ball Python "100% Het Albino" (Baby) (on the way)
    1.0 Ball Python "DH Snow Joliff / Albino" (on the way)
    0.1 Black Long Haired Cat (Sheba 4)
    0.2 Austrailian Shepherds (Dixie 17, Jesse 1)
    2.2 Rats (Frank, George, Mocha and Latte)

  6. #6
    Steel Magnolia rabernet's Avatar
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    Re: i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    Very adorable, and the boys are handsome! The only concern I would have - do you know much the girls weigh? I raised my girls up to 250 grams before introducing a male to them.

  7. #7
    BPnet Veteran Kizerk's Avatar
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    Re: i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    good luck with the colony

    i've never seen a rat with two different colors before
    -Maple

    1.1 ball python
    0.1 shepard mix
    1.0 rabbit
    1.0 hamster
    0.0.3 horned frog

  8. #8
    BPnet Veteran SatanicIntention's Avatar
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    Re: i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    Please don't breed those girls... They are much too small and couldn't possibly produce a healthy litter yet. Like a 12 year old getting pregnant... She CAN, but is it a good thing?

    Separate them before they get pregnant. They only look to be around 2-3 months old, maybe.

    You also really shouldn't breed the fawn colored girl. She is an odd-eye, she has a wedge-blaze, and she's also a husky. She's a high-white marked rat that could possibly be carrying megacolon. All of those color patterns/markings are a very high risk.

    The hooded is fine, but too young. Stick with self(one solid color), berkshires(white feet and white tummy), irish(white marking on chest), or hooded. You won't have problems when breeding those. Megacolon babies rarely pop up in litters from rats with those markings, unless the line carries it anyway.

    So please, separate them immediately, and don't let that fawn girl get pregnant.
    --Becky--
    ?.? Normals, 1.0 100% Het Pied Classic Jungle, 1.0 Yellow Hypo, 0.1 100% Het Butterscotch Hypo, 0.1 100% Het VPI Hypo, 0.1 100% Het Yellow Hypo, 1.0 Enchi, 1.1 Yellowbellies, 0.1 YB Granite, 1.0 Black Pastel, 1.0 Lemon Pastel, 0.1 50% Possible Het Banded Albino, 0.1 Spider, 1.0 Fire, 0.2 Granite

  9. #9
    Registered User HIGHMAINTENANCE's Avatar
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    Re: i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    Hi Becky - Thanks for the info. I thought I had read everything and had it all covered

    So I separated them first thing this morning. Good thing is I dont think the boys had anything to do with the girls anyways. The boys dont leave eachothers side and want not much to do with the girls.

    I don't know how old they are, this is my first time with rats and when I was at the petstore talking to them about what I was going to do they said they were fine to breed

    How do I know if she is carrying megacolon? Can I have her tested? She is my favorite out of all of them

    I weighed them both this morning and they were around 165 - 175G, so I will wait for them to grow.


    Quote Originally Posted by SatanicIntention
    Please don't breed those girls... They are much too small and couldn't possibly produce a healthy litter yet. Like a 12 year old getting pregnant... She CAN, but is it a good thing?

    Separate them before they get pregnant. They only look to be around 2-3 months old, maybe.

    You also really shouldn't breed the fawn colored girl. She is an odd-eye, she has a wedge-blaze, and she's also a husky. She's a high-white marked rat that could possibly be carrying megacolon. All of those color patterns/markings are a very high risk.

    The hooded is fine, but too young. Stick with self(one solid color), berkshires(white feet and white tummy), irish(white marking on chest), or hooded. You won't have problems when breeding those. Megacolon babies rarely pop up in litters from rats with those markings, unless the line carries it anyway.

    So please, separate them immediately, and don't let that fawn girl get pregnant.
    Now that I'm hooked, who's gonna buy me shoes???
    1.1 Ball Python "Normal" (Columbus and Pocahontas)
    1.1 Ball Python "100% Het Albino" (Baby) (on the way)
    1.0 Ball Python "DH Snow Joliff / Albino" (on the way)
    0.1 Black Long Haired Cat (Sheba 4)
    0.2 Austrailian Shepherds (Dixie 17, Jesse 1)
    2.2 Rats (Frank, George, Mocha and Latte)

  10. #10
    BPnet Veteran frankykeno's Avatar
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    Re: i'm starting my colony (pics:))

    As far as I know you can't test for megacolon. If you want to breed her just make sure she breeds to a self (all one color) dark rat (not any white on it). That would lessen your chances for megacolon I would assume...not being a rat genetics expert. I've bred my husky female and I've bred blazed females with no incidents of megacolon in my colony but had I seen even one indication of it I'd have just retired those breeders from the colony. If you are concerned about using her you could just keep her as a pet basically, replace her with another female and she can just keep female feeders company or your other breeder females when they are between litters (that's what I do with my older retired female breeders).

    You might want to be very careful about introducing a female in with two mature males even though they are bonded (likely brothers by their looks). I recently had a male rat turn on another when I stupidly and temporarily let both adult males in the very large breeder tank with some females (I was reorganizing the colony and just popped one in for a few minutes with the other and the females). In a flash one male nearly killed the other and these were males that knew each other and normally are fine together. The males may fight each other, or may bite the female arguing over who gets to breed her. Just a thought and something to watch out for with two males in with some females.
    ~~Joanna~~

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