ASF Rats

[Ginevive]

I agree Mine run boldly up to the front of their tank whenever I refill their food bowl. They are bold little boogers.

[Emilio]

I'm going to try them out as soon as I find some down here in miami.

[frankykeno]

Too bad you aren't closer Emilio, I've got loads of ready to wean ASF's just sitting around.

The only problem I'm having right now with mine is the darn momma ASF's parking their litters in the empty food bowls. Then I go to feed them and have to scoot away the protective adults and gently dump their babies out of the "asf playpens". LOL

[OhBalls]

Too bad you aren't closer Emilio, I've got loads of ready to wean ASF's just sitting around.

The only problem I'm having right now with mine is the darn momma ASF's parking their litters in the empty food bowls. Then I go to feed them and have to scoot away the protective adults and gently dump their babies out of the "asf playpens". LOL

asf playpen...that is just too funny!

we had a nice surprise when we checked on them today....babies!!! not sure how many, I didn't want to chance another finger.....we have another mother-to-be...hopefully she'll deliver soon too

cure little buggars too!

[frankykeno]

ASF rat babies = world's oooooogliest baby animal LOL

[Gib]

I got my first ASFs last winter and i LOVE them ...got 3 trios kept one gave one Larry and one to a buddy of mine that runs a local pet store becuase im HORRIBLE with rodents LOL but atleast i always know where i can get some when im out !!
Larry is a rodent god and he i know back in summer and fall everytime i would go over he would literally have 100s of them weaned out...and its also neat watching the different type of animals that will pop out from time to time Ive got a small grp of albinos im keeping atm
And I love starting babys on ASFs whenever i can because ive noticed they will generally switch directly over to normal rats with no hesitation
And for the bitiness...if you want some tame ASFs take babies and put them with a mother rat...its amazin how different they turn out!
They also tame down somewhat with a few genrerations of breeding.

[OhBalls]

The morning after I posted this, one of the females dropped a litter of 7 (from what i could count without being nicknamed "stubby")....next day another female dropped

they put ALL the babies together and moms take turns feeding....when they leave the nest box to eat, the rest of the colony goes into the hide and sits on the babies and protects them....I'm in awe of these little guys....something tells me I'm going to be bitten more than once HA!

The thing that really impresses me is...we've have them for several days now....12 in one VERY large tank...they've had 2 litters so far and there is absolutely NO STINK....nothing!

I do think we have too many for the BP's we have.....something tells me I'll need more snakes to keep up...

[frankykeno]

And for the bitiness...if you want some tame ASFs take babies and put them with a mother rat...its amazin how different they turn out!

What an interesting idea, Gib. When do you foster them over to the regular rat female? Does she need to be lactating? I assume you wouldn't want any of her own litter in there with the fostered ASF's. What age for the ASF's for foster works best? Can it just be an old retired female that sort of just acts as an "auntie" rat to them or do you need that mothering bond with a nursing female?

Okay can you tell yet I'm a bit excited about this idea!

[twh]

ASF rat babies = world's oooooogliest baby animal LOL

the way the new babies hair stands straight up,reminds me of don king.

[JeffFlanagan]

the way the new babies hair stands straight up,reminds me of don king.

I like the babies with the thin, stand-up hair the best. So ugly they're cute.