To Feed or not to Feed?

[kc261]

N/Y/N/N/N/N/N/N/N/N
Basically I say that under most broad and worst case scenario. I have always raised my own feeders. Mice,Rats,Gerbils, and now ASF's. I have mainly ASF's now I bought from someone who had 4 different lines and I have added another genetic line.I can honestly say I have some of the most healthy feeders I have ever had. Feed and treat them right, be very careful of line-breeding and you will have less problems down the road.

This brings up a very good point that should be obvious but it is worth addressing.

If you are breeding your own feeders, you should not be experiencing most of the listed problems except on rare occasion. I'll comment on each one individually.

1. Large Wound or Abscess on the rat, obviously infected?
Should only happen extremely rarely if at all; has never happened in my colony.

2. Small wounds, various scabs from fighting?
Unavoidable on a small scale, but if it is happening a lot, or any of your rodents gets a serious injury from fighting, it is probably an indication you are doing something wrong (overcrowding, underfeeding, etc.)

3. Stillborn?
Unavoidable, but most babies should be born live & healthy. If not, something is wrong.

4. Birth Defects?
Unavoidable, but most babies should be born live & healthy. If not, something is wrong.

5. Dead in cage (still warm and floppy)
Occasional unexpected & unexplained deaths will probably occur, but if it happens more often, something is wrong (an exception would be if you allow your retired breeders or other favorites to reach old age).

6. Dead in cage (cold and stiff)
Occasional unexpected & unexplained deaths will probably occur, but if it happens more often, something is wrong (an exception would be if you allow your retired breeders or other favorites to reach old age).

7. Respiratory Infection (rat, not the snake)?
Myco is present in most rats & mice. However, healthy ones show few if any symptoms. If you are getting myco flare-ups, you either have animals with weak systems (selectively breed to improve your stock) or an enviromental issue causing it.

8. Mammary Tumors?
I get these in my mice occasionally, but usually only in ones that were close to retiring anyway.


9. Other tumors, growths?
I get what I believe are lipomas occasionally, but usually only in ones that were close to retiring anyway.

10. Unexplained illness?
Occasional unexplained illnesses will probably occur, but if it happens more often, something is wrong.

It can be hard to get a healthy rodent colony going. Mice tend to be a little harder than rats because they have roughly the same health issues, but also a much bigger tendency to eat their babies due to stress issues. However, once you get over the initial hurdles of finding some healthy stock and getting them producing, you should have very few issues. If you are having consistent problems, you should examine everything to try to identify and eliminate the source of the issues.