Rats are fighting!!!

[Jessica Loesch]

I'm a little sad for this post but mainly frustrated!
I have 2 female rats and one male. He knocked them both up and are going to have their first litters in a couple weeks. However, I found bite marks on the beige female and moved her out separately.
A couple days later, I found a large bite out of the back of the black female's back. Ugh... So I moved her to a hospital tank and she healed just fine.
Last night I put the females together, and I went to check on them this morning and the black rat had been nipping at the beige female quite a bit.
They are separated completely now but I really wanted to keep them in a group and am highly frustrated that I am wasting 3 cage spaces for what should have only been one main tub and one birthing tub.

Any suggestions?

[jasbus]

Start over. I don't tolerate biting or fighting rats...

[PitOnTheProwl]

I have lost 3 females in 3 different tubs, at least you know they are fighting. I still dont know what happened

[Jessica Loesch]

It's not so easy to start over here in Nebraska I have a hard time finding rats anywhere other than petco/petsmart. I did find a rat from a lady that lives an hour away and she delivered, but no such luck.

Maybe I can hold back their babies??? The one female I have is really sweet and isn't fighting back. I'm definitely keeping her. The poor thing. Maybe she'll produce a nice stud.

[SourDeez]

It might be a bit different but I used to Breed Lab mice for my highschool when i was a kid, that happened too when the females got pregnant. i usually took out the females and didnt have any problems i know its a waste of space but you have a lot of offspring coming and most likely the other female rat would kill the litter of babies from the other. =( sorry to hear about that. sometimes its the complete opposite and they will help take care of the other babies. sounds like hes right start over, or kill the one thats doing it.

[Jessica Loesch]

Hum I will probably have to keep a baby from beige mom's litter and a baby from black mom's litter and keep beige mom ... Hope for the best. .. Maybe I'll have beige mom raise my picks from black mom's litter since she is so sweet. Black mom would probably kill beige mom's babies but doubtful vise versa. Of course I'll have to monitor closely to find out. I think I'll have much more luck doing that. Black mom will probably have to find a new home so I better get some sweet black babies from her.

[Rhasputin]

Either replace her, or try adding more rats. The more rats, the less likely one rat is to be very dominant over the other.

[PitOnTheProwl]

I held back a bunch, looks like I am going to have to hold back another litter or two for picks

[RichsBallPythons]

Hold back 1.2 from each females litters and start new groups with their young. And use 2 more females one from each females litter and put them with the Other breeding male.

The 3 might not like one another so best start them off young again

[ScubaDiver007]

I'm a little sad for this post but mainly frustrated!
I have 2 female rats and one male. He knocked them both up and are going to have their first litters in a couple weeks. However, I found bite marks on the beige female and moved her out separately.
A couple days later, I found a large bite out of the back of the black female's back. Ugh... So I moved her to a hospital tank and she healed just fine.
Last night I put the females together, and I went to check on them this morning and the black rat had been nipping at the beige female quite a bit.
They are separated completely now but I really wanted to keep them in a group and am highly frustrated that I am wasting 3 cage spaces for what should have only been one main tub and one birthing tub.

Any suggestions?

Jess,

Try keeping an extra female from each of the litters and let them grow up with mom.. Cycle the male through when its time for breeding again.

Worth a shot and you will end up with two more breeding females..

Rich