Quote Originally Posted by jasbus View Post
It's like you said, every one can do what they want... But, in my opinion, if a rat is still eating her young on the second litter, toss her and replace. it's just a waste of space, food and time to keep trying.
And, no, just because you can't handle them, doesn't make them bad breeders. Most large scale breeders don't handle their rats. I was just stating, that unless you handle them and get them used to be handled, they will stress easier when you mess with their young. My personal way of doing it, handle them often, and their young, I find works great. They are used to me going through the cage, pulling pups, cleaning, or whatever.
If you are planning on raising rodents for any length of time, and you don't like getting bit, then this is the best way. Why waste your time trying to raise pups out of a nasty or bad producing mother, when you don't have to? Especially when you have replacements already on hand? Just feed off the bad apples...
Not trying to step on your toes, just trying to give my advice. I've been doing this for a long time, with great success in the way I do it.
Definitely did not step on any toes bud, it's just 2 different ways of doing business. Im sure you've been doing it longer than I have, and its completely up to the OP what he takes from our posts/advice. I'll also take a few things from what you said, and apply it to my breeding colonies. I don't have snakes to feed off any of my bad apples though. (Sold my collection).

I apologize if I showed any sort of hostility, I was on my way home from vacation, and 6 hours in a car makes me kinda stressed.