Can I move a momma/litter to a new tank?

[Montessa Python]

I have a breeding trio that I want to move to a larger tank, but the girls have gotten nippy lately and have a new litter to care for.

What are my odds that they will eat the babies? For whatever reason when one had hers about a week ago, they had eaten the brain/eyes of two of the babies. And I had NOT disturbed them.

Ideas?

[littleindiangirl]

I'd do it. I have a really calm mellow girl, and a nutso skiddish girl. I moved them and they did fine.

[panthercz]

They should be just fine.

I've moved trios with newborns to new tub setups and move them all the time for cleaning without any problems.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I have never had a parent eat just the eyes and brain... That makes me guess that either you are not providing good enough feed, they are overcrouded, something is wrong with your husbandry, or their is just a brain eating zombe in the group that needs to be found and fed off.

Moms will cull off unhealthy or undersized babies, but when this happens, they make the whole bably dissapear. The ones that got killed how old were they?

Tell us more about your setup. what size tank, how many rats, what exactly is kept in the tank, and what you are feeding so we can better assist you.

Mike

[Montessa Python]

I keep one set of a trio in a 20 gallon screen topped aquarium. I am moving them into a 29 gallon long.
They have two hides, a large wheel, and have had 3-4 litters a piece before this posting.
They have been sweet and biddable rodents. And only two of the babies had been partially canabilized. No other offspring have been bitten or eaten.
I feed sun seed mouse/rat, it comes with lab blocks and other food.
http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/p...5Fid=102&Page=
This is similar to the type I feed, i get the 25 pound bags. I have raised mice, rats, degu, and have raised three litters from the ASF's as well as raising this trio from 2 month old babies to the breeders they are now.
I will get them moved then today. Thanks
I can add dog food, and do give rice krispies and fresh fruit to them as well.

Carol

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Someone else will have to speak on the food you are using as I am not familiar with it. I use Mazuri 6f.

One trio has more then enough room in a normal 20 gallon tank. I have my 1.3's and 1.4's set up in 10 gallon tanks!!! However, you mention that the females have had 3 or 4 litters of babies each... that is 80 babies. where do those babies reside???

I pull the babies from the breeding group as soon as their eyes are fully open. Yes you can keep the babies in... but that is only if the colony does not feel overcrouded... If they feel overcrouded they will fix the problems themselves by reducing their numbers. Also a male breeder can kill a son when he starts getting to a breeding age. I am not saying it will happen in every instance, but I can tell you from my experience that it does happen.

What are you providing for them to chew on?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

The food is low in protein this could be your problem, try to shoot for food containing at least 16% protein (Mazuri 6 F does)

[Argentra]

Yep. With the exception of Mazuri, 99% of store 'pet foods' for rodents are crap. They have hardly any protein and are mostly junky seeds and corn fillers.

Try using Becky's Rodent Mix! It really works wonders. There's a sticky on it in the Feeder forum. I use it, plus Science Diet senior dog kibble and a staple of Mazuri, and my rodents are plump and active...AND I haven't had an act of cannibalism since except for the culling of weak ones (and, as was said, in that case the whole baby disappears).

[littleindiangirl]

We use primarily Mazuri 6F, and give treats of seeds and hay once in a while