Should I start?

[littleindiangirl]

I keep 1 male 2 female, the females can be housed together with the babies, they will help each other, this is great, as one of mine consistently has 17-20, and one has about 10, so it helps out the one with all the pups

So is the male alone during the time you have two females together?

Rats need to have partners at all times. They just don't do well by themselves and can become depressed and sick.

If someone is just starting out breeding, it's a good idea to keep them by themselves to nurse to ensure that there is no tug of war between mothers, both are doing their fare share, and if one decides to eat the litter, your not losing all of them. At least until the rats are 2 weeks of age, before then they are very young and fragile and wont live with those kinds of stresses.

[Clear]

I either wrote it wrong or you read it wrong, sorry. I mean after i seperate the females and male babies, then i can put the smaller males in with the larger males and not have a problem or will i need to let them get larger first?

No, that's not what I wrote.

You dont want the females and males together when she has her litter.

Females are with males for 3 weeks.

After 3 weeks with the males, the females are taken away from males.

Females are put into their own tub for each girl. (1 tub per female)

while the females are with their litter, all the males will be together

after the females have their litters, the females can go back together.

[littleindiangirl]

Yes, you can definitely put them together! The only thing to keep in mind is to make sure they have enough room to live in comfortably.

[Clear]

I found some tubs at walmart that are around 24"long 16"wide and about 8.5" tall. Should they work?

[littleindiangirl]

Shorter than most people keep them, it will allow them easy access to the lid and lip of the tub. Better to go taller, like 10-15" tall.

I use the 66 qt tubs, and the 54 qt's for my rats.

[Clear]

Ok, So my last questions is, where is a good place to get some from with different blood lines if possible?

[littleindiangirl]

Ok, So my last questions is, where is a good place to get some from with different blood lines if possible?

I'd check first to see if anyone with an already established colony will sell to you. Generally they are well selected and producing colony, it would give you a great base to start with.

Second, Petco and Petsmart.

Third, small pet stores. But be careful, as always, check the health of each and every animal. If you dont feel comfortable buying there, then dont.

Make sure each animal has clear fur, clean eyes and ears and noses. They dont sneeze, wheeze, cough.

No red staining around the eyes and nose. They have good posture and are excited. Not lethargic, bent over or shy.

Check the fur for fleas, mites, chiggers, lice. (you should treat them all anyways)

Make sure you properly sex them as well!!

Stay away from rats with white head spots, white noses (called a blaze), lighting stripes on their faces, odd eyes, or have high white sides. (Not hooded, hooded are ok)

[Clear]

Great thanks!

[Clear]

A little update, I now have 6:1 ratio of mice. The closest pet shop near me was 35mins away and it was petco. I have 3 browns, 2 blacks and one silver/gray females and one albino male. The male has a bachelor pad for himself but will shortly be introduced to the females that are in a large tub with the sides cut out with 1/4 mesh (Both long sides). They love to climb the sides so I placed my air purifier ontop so no chance of escapees! (The air purifier seems to work great but I will soon be making a carbon filter for it also)

How do you know when they females are ready to mate, they all look like adults? Also can I keep all 6 in the same tub or should i split them up 3/3? The tubs are 24"wide, 15" deep and 12" tall. The males is 12" wide, 11" deep and 12" tall.

My only problem is the water bottles are leaking, I tried to place stuff behind the ball to make it a little tighter and see if that will stop the leaking.

[littleindiangirl]

A little update, I now have 6:1 ratio of mice. The closest pet shop near me was 35mins away and it was petco. I have 3 browns, 2 blacks and one silver/gray females and one albino male. The male has a bachelor pad for himself but will shortly be introduced to the females that are in a large tub with the sides cut out with 1/4 mesh (Both long sides). They love to climb the sides so I placed my air purifier ontop so no chance of escapees! (The air purifier seems to work great but I will soon be making a carbon filter for it also)

How do you know when they females are ready to mate, they all look like adults? Also can I keep all 6 in the same tub or should i split them up 3/3? The tubs are 24"wide, 15" deep and 12" tall. The males is 12" wide, 11" deep and 12" tall.

My only problem is the water bottles are leaking, I tried to place stuff behind the ball to make it a little tighter and see if that will stop the leaking.

If your going with mice, mice can be kept together at all times.


Water bottles take some practice. Don't go sticking things in th nozzle, you may just end up clogging it or grow something in there.

You fill the bottle up to the tippy top, put the cap on very tightly, flip it upright, then push the ball in until you have even suction from the inside of the bottle and it stops leaking when you aren't pushing in the ball.

I use lixit bottles and super pet flat back bottles. I like the flat backs better.