African Soft Fur Rats

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Just curious....why African Rats? are they "better" than rats/mice? larger/smaller?

Is 100 gram the largest? What is the largest for a "normal" rat?

Most say they are just better breeders and have less smell. Also they are what a ball may have eaten in the wild and are said to be rarely refused. I have no experience with them so I can't say much.
About the domestic rats though, the maximum size is about 700-900 grams which as we all know is too big for even the largest ball(so you can all send retired breeders my way) while mice only get up to 40+/- grams.

[piranhaking]

I'm not sure, but most people tell you not to breed regular rats till atleast 250 grams. I'll try to remember to weigh some of our bigger breeders tomorrow.

[rabernet]

With all these posts about these little critters, and then that they are ferocious and biters - aren't you guys the least bit worried about them biting your snakes, or are you pre-killing first? Seeing as I'm a live feeder, I'd be concerned about them getting in a good chomp while being constricted just from your guys' description of their temperments.


What's the average sized litter for these buggers?

[TekWarren]

I switched over and it is working for me because I don't keep any "big" snakes. I clean tubs once a week and the af rats don't smell nearly at all like reg. rats/mice and I've bred/raised them all. The af rats reproduce like no tomorrow and with proper care show no ill affect. They are larger than mice but quite a bit smaller than common rats. These af rats are very solid bodied however so I would have no problem feeding 2 maybe 3 to an adult BP.

The smell factor is a big thing for me as well as being able to produce alot with a smaller colony. Maybe its just me but they seem to grow out very quickly for me also.

I have yet to get bitten, and I have fed my snakes live af rats with no bites to the snakes either. The whole aggressive/biting stereotype is starting to sound like the arboreal snake stereotype. Ya they "can" be aggressive but not all of them are.

These rats are designed for large litters hence the name Natal Multimammate. Females have 8-12 teats and can have as many as 16-18 (according to my research). Myself and some others are still collaborating on some aspects of keeping them. They person I got my starting trio from and I do alot of corresponding as to what works and doesn't and things that will better the rodents themselves. If you don't have happy healthy rodents they will not produce well obviously.

My older females are producing around 12 babies or so and that's one of the things I am working on...but I'm not necessarily disappointed with that number.

I posted quite a bit of info on this subject in another thread some of you may find useful and that I should update with some of the things that I and others have learned through experience keeping them.

[Ginevive]

Hm.. I am seriously considering getting some of these.. I too am fed up with the fact that rats get too big to be used as feeders for even my largest BPs; I mostly need midsized rats now, which I guess are roughly the same size as the soft-furreds?
I don't care about temperament; my rats are strictly livestock and I don't handle them.

[TekWarren]

Hm.. I am seriously considering getting some of these.. I too am fed up with the fact that rats get too big to be used as feeders for even my largest BPs; I mostly need midsized rats now, which I guess are roughly the same size as the soft-furreds?
I don't care about temperament; my rats are strictly livestock and I don't handle them.

This is pretty much the way I view my rodents as well. I'll do everything I can to make their lives enjoyable and healthy but I don't usually handle them just for fun. However the af rats are pretty darn cute and I have been known to pause while moving them for cleaning when I find a particular neat looking color/pattern

Another cool thing to me is that I didn't have to alter any of my existing rodent bins. By the time their eyes are open and they start exploring they are already to big to fit through the hardware cloth mesh like hopper mice can.

[KittyJ]

Hm.. I am seriously considering getting some of these.. I too am fed up with the fact that rats get too big to be used as feeders for even my largest BPs; I mostly need midsized rats now, which I guess are roughly the same size as the soft-furreds?
I don't care about temperament; my rats are strictly livestock and I don't handle them.

Shouldnt you care about temperments? A very skittish, biting rat can really do harm to your snake, a more calmer, gentler rat is much better food then one thats scared and very skittish and more willing to nip.

[TekWarren]

Shouldnt you care about temperments? A very skittish, biting rat can really do harm to your snake, a more calmer, gentler rat is much better food then one thats scared and very skittish and more willing to nip.

LOL! do you really think that the prey items in the wild are "calm and gentle"?? Temperment is not going to be that big of a factor in a feeding scenario anyway. You can put the most docile care free rodent in the world in with a snake or other predator and I guarantee you its attitude will change. The most important thing to me in feeding live is just to be there observing. Unless the snake is not interested in feeding, the rodent won't have have enough time to any damage. If the snake is not showing interest the rodent should obviously be removed.

[rabernet]

Hm.. I am seriously considering getting some of these.. I too am fed up with the fact that rats get too big to be used as feeders for even my largest BPs; I mostly need midsized rats now, which I guess are roughly the same size as the soft-furreds?
I don't care about temperament; my rats are strictly livestock and I don't handle them.

Lucky for me that a litter can easily be fed off in one week for me, and I still have to pick up a few extra at the pet store. I'm trying to find just the right balance.

I do enjoy my breeder rats, but I'm following this thread with interest - who knows what I might do in the future?

[wolfy-hound]

I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong with mine since they are not reproducing well at all. They eat rat block, and all sorts of other nibbles, they have lots of room, lots of hiding spots, and are on aspen bedding, and they don't reproduce hardly at all. I don't get it. Maybe I need to change to a pair or trio per ten gallon instead of the big 40 gallon breeder tank.
Oh.. a word of warning for those with these, the babies are VERY fast, and I've seen them out and about running with eyes still closed. They can JUMP like little kangaroos.
I'm going to give these guys another go, and see if set up differently they do better for me.
Since no one bought them. LOL>
Wolfy