so my daughter comes out of her room crying... one of our breeders is dead.

she was a store bought... very very thin rattie. i'm actually surprised she's done as well as she has since it took forever to get some meat on her.

but all the babies in the cage were dead as well except one... and that one was very thin, normal size head and weak. i put it in with another mama.

there was another mom in there and she looks pretty thin as well... although very active. i have her alone in that cage now... not sure what happened. they are fed well, watered like usual... although these two mom's were bred back to back... by accident. they birthed before i got them out of the 'holding tank' and into a maternity tank so they got pregnant within those first hours before i moved them.

i took most of their pups and put them with another pair of mom's (as i keep two females together in a maternity cage) to give these two ladies a lighter load since they were bred so soon. (i give them 2 weeks off approx between weaning and re-introduction with our male)

so... any ideas? i checked the rest of the ratties and everyone looks okay.

we had a burial in the garden... poor little ashley and her pups

and my poor little daughter. she hates to loose her 'pets' as the breeders are her pets as well.