Whats wrong with my ASF's?

[Mochelem]

I had 3 females and 1 male breeders, all of the females had a litter of 10+ and then all 3 of the females had litters of 4-5.

There was a break in the litters and all of the adults started picking on one of the females... She spent over a week sitting on top of the block hopper and any time she came down for food or water the other adults would attack her... She had a gash on her side, I fed her off so she would have a quick death instead of a slow painfull one...

Now the 2 females that are left just had litters tonight and each had 4-5 babies...

The breeders are only 6 months old.... I just dont understand what happened to them? Can anyone shed some light on this?

[Mike Cavanaugh]

IMHO, you MUST keep the male and female weanlings seperated until they are put together in a breeding group. My best guess is the person you got them from must not have done this. They only time they fight like that is when an outsider is introduced into an established breeding group.

As far as the only 4 or 5 babies.... IMHO, it is only one of three things.... 1.) They are a lot older then you think. 2.) They are not being fed correctly. 3.) Same problem as described above, there was breeding goin on with the rats in question BEFORE they were put together in this group.

[littleindiangirl]

Did the breeder tell you they were so many months old when you got them?

It's been observed that ASF's have around 10 litters before the numbers drop off sharply and stop producing, we're these ones very small and just weanlings when you got them, or were they just about the same size as they are now? I ask because like Mike, you may have not gotten fresh ones if the production suddenly fell.

What are you feeding them, and how is the protein and fat percentage? Is it a standard diet and do you give them anything extra?

[Mochelem]

The rats were weaners when I got them, they were smaller then an adult mouse. And I have seperated all of the babies, this was my origional breeding group

[littleindiangirl]

Ok, so what are you kind of food are you feeding them, fat and protein percentages as well?

[broadude]

Did the breeder tell you they were so many months old when you got them?

It's been observed that ASF's have around 10 litters before the numbers drop off sharply and stop producing, we're these ones very small and just weanlings when you got them, or were they just about the same size as they are now? I ask because like Mike, you may have not gotten fresh ones if the production suddenly fell.
What are you feeding them, and how is the protein and fat percentage? Is it a standard diet and do you give them anything extra?

Good observation. I have also noticed that some breeders seem to be selling their worn out girls and instead of fresh breeders as we thought we were getting...(you do the math).

I will be buying BABIES from now on!

[Mochelem]

Ok, so what are you kind of food are you feeding them, fat and protein percentages as well?

Mazuri 9f is the food, its around 23% protien

[Mochelem]

Good observation. I have also noticed that some breeders seem to be selling their worn out girls and instead of fresh breeders as we thought we were getting...(you do the math).

I will be buying BABIES from now on!

I bought my breeders as babies.... Just weaned.... The rats have never been seperated and all of a sudden the other breeders just turned on one of the female breeders....

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Hold back a trio of babies... as soon as they are prego, feed off the parents. Regardless of what caused the problem origionally, this is what you need to do to fix it. (unless of course it is a food issue. I don't know anything about 9f for asf's, I have never had an isssue using 6f)