Quote Originally Posted by suzuki4life View Post
Once again, the answer depends if you plan to breed feeders or pets....

for true breeders, "harem style" works fine and the rats will live plenty long enough to be adult feeders at the end of their productive life which btw is the same span as a rats that is given breaks...

All giving breaks does is reduce the number or liters a rats can produce.
I agree, it does come down to pet vs feeder breeder, but isn't there somewhere in the middle? When rodents are used as feeder breeders yet have an excellent quality of life. I know hobbyist that do it both ways, and some in the middle. The rats are kept as borderline pets and the young are used as food.

That being said, a rat that is bred in a harem group will have the same reproductive life span as one that is given breaks. They will generally not have the same lifespan though. While I've only bred pets for most of my rodent owning years, I used to work at a facility who bred rats in mass (strictly feeder purposes). They bred harem and generally, most females had much shorter lifespans than a normal rat. Even once they were retired and no longer producing (or limited production), most didn't make it to this age. I'd guess the average lifespan was around 1 1/2 years and less. Not saying all breeders treated as harem breeders work out this way, but this was just my experience and what several others have relayed to me.

I've also noticed smaller litter sizes from harem groups, but I guess it all works out at around the same numbers, seeing as you are having litters more often with the harem group.

But, I agree. It's all about if the OP is wanting strictly feeders, or borderline pets. There are unlimited ways to accomplish the same goal.