Small litter

[littleindiangirl]

I think it's a personal choice. My breeders are all my pets, so they will live out their days fat and happy with a lofty bed, and some younger girls to keep her company when they aren't breeding. I dont think I could bring myself to feed them off live, but perhaps put them to sleep if I my sumatran girl was in need of a biggie rat. Some of mine I just know won't ever be food. Just how I feel about my rats.

[PigsnPythons]

I figured that it was up to the individual, I'm with you though. If I raised rats I just don't see myself being able to feed the ones that I'm attached to, actually I think I'd have a hard time feeding the babies if I'd seen them from birth and everything. How do you get big rats for your sumatran? Do you just set aside a few as babies to let grow big?

[Snikt228]

Yeah i'll just turn her into a happy fat rat pet. She's the nicest rat i've ever seen. Never tried to bite, always comes up to me and is happy. Licks my hand up and down like a rabbit.

I guess if one of these 2 survives and is female i'll raise her to be a breeder

[frankykeno]

The nice thing with these older adult females is they can still have a useful life in your rat colony even if not as active, producing breeders. My older females aka granny rats keep the breeder females company when they are resting between litters, they sometimes go in the female feeder/grower bins to settle down an overly active group of feeders and they help me raise up my next generation of female feeders by helping me socialize the new girls. Rats like to stay busy, like to be in their social groups, etc. so I find that these roles for my older females help them stay active and healthy.

[littleindiangirl]

How do you get big rats for your sumatran? Do you just set aside a few as babies to let grow big?

Sumatrans dont get as big as bloods, but they still put on a good size. Really though, she wont need a jumbo size rat (aka adult). She is still young and feeds on weaners, but I have a feeling that a bi-weekly feed will be the way to go with her when she is older. So the rats will never be a full grown adult.
But yes, to answer your question, her food will be put aside to grow up for some weeks with no real interaction from us. They will still be skiddish around people, and not really trust us.
I'm also pretty sure I want her on F/t when she is large.