Tricks to produce more rats?

[tomfromtheshade]

Well, Tom and I seem to be alot alike, but at the same time, alot different...

Well, I have found that females in a tub alone with "play" with the food by chewing it and pulling it through the hardware cloth. Once you put a male in the tub he won't tolerate that type of BS. That is when the girls stop pulling the food through.

I have no idea why adding a male to the tub stops them from pulling the food through, but it works every time for me.

As far as them eating MORE food goes I want them to eat as fast as possible. My rats produce constantly so I want them to eat as much as they can. They stay in better condition and the young grow faster when they eat more. I don't have a single fat rat in my whole colony. They are all in good condition.