Average number of litters?

[PigsnPythons]

My girl has had 5 successful litters. I have two trios growing up to size (I'm thinking about another month before I start seeing pregnant bellies). How many more litters do you think I can expect from this female?

[littleindiangirl]

3-4 more. Maybe.

[frankykeno]

Usuall the females drop off their production numbers around 9 to 10 months or so of age. By a year old they really aren't producing much at all anymore (or at least not enough to really be viable in a feeder production setup). I put a label on each breeding group with the date that colony started producing and when they've been at it for that time period and the litter sizes start to drop off, I feed off the whole group.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Still experimenting on this.... Like Jo i keep track and write in the corner of the tank the date they have their first litter.

My results so far show the best time to feed off the breeding group is about 7 months after the day their first litter is born.

[PigsnPythons]

Thanks, she had her first litter in the middle of june, so I should have enough time for my others to get going.

Also, I am completely unattached to these rats, but I feel a little guilty feeding off this momma rat. I mean she has given me like a million babies...I guess it just seems ungrateful. lol But at the same time, she has killed any female that is in her tub, so I dont' really want to keep her. IDK just wondering if you ever feel guilty about it?

[replvr]

I have yet to feed off any of my producers. I think the guilt factor would kick in. HOWEVER, I don't think I would feel extremely guilty if I co2'd them first then froze them for sale to the local petshop as jumbo asf's. That way I can do it slowly and she will just go to sleep.

However, the offspring is no issue to feed off. I mainly feed off males and on the rare occasion a female. Just seems like they spit out 75% males.

[PigsnPythons]

Yeah, I've have no issues feeding off the babies, but mine produce 90% females! In my grow up bins, I have 3 males and 12 females!

[frankykeno]

Thanks, she had her first litter in the middle of june, so I should have enough time for my others to get going.

Also, I am completely unattached to these rats, but I feel a little guilty feeding off this momma rat. I mean she has given me like a million babies...I guess it just seems ungrateful. lol But at the same time, she has killed any female that is in her tub, so I dont' really want to keep her. IDK just wondering if you ever feel guilty about it?

Nope, I'm raising these rats for production breeding so I'm making sure I'm not getting attached to them. We did keep our original breeding trio because stupidly we did name them but it's also interesting to watch 3 ASF's as they mature and then will die their natural deaths here. I always like to see an animals nature life patterns. I think that helps me to understand them fully. That trio is now non-producing. I assume the two females are too old to be fertile and the male isn't even trying to bother them that way anymore.