ASF rat new litter of babies.

[wolfy-hound]

Heyo, I got a new litter of babies. Out of all the rat pairings, the one set of 1.1 in a ten gallon seems to be the only breeders.... erg?
I started the new food up(Mazuri) and I know there are more than the five of last litter. It's kind of hard to tell how many since between dodging mom and dad and trying ot count little squirmy things in the shadowy recesses of their box makes it nigh impossible.
I'm going to divide up some more, I just weaned 4 babies off that mom. Maybe with some more 1.1 sets THEY will breed too. Or maybe I will take THAT dad and put in with a diff female, since I'm actually short of adult males. *rolling eyes*
I'm trying to decide what to do with the latest weaned ones. I was going to put them into the 'grow-out' tank with the other 7, but the larger ones began chasing them around mercilessly, so I took them back out. I got another 55 gallon tank with secure lid to set up, so maybe with the new digs, the older rats won't chase them? Maybe the older rats wouldn't have hurt them, but I was headed to bed, and didn't want to take the chance since I wouldn't have beent here to take the babies out if they started doing more than 'chasing'.
I'm also having some serious issues witht hem chewing the darned water bottles. Two cages have tiny water cups, since as soon as a water bottle goes in, they chew a hole in it. I mean within an hour! I even tried the coke can cover... they found a way in and got it anyway. I have to clean and refill the teeny water cups every morning and evening, but it beats replacing a water bottle every day too!
Feeding ONLY the mazuri diet now too. They seem to like the food, and carry it off pretty quick. But instead of burieing it and ignoring it, you see them eating on pieces pretty well. Cleaning out the tank, I found only a few hidden away in the corners.
Wolfy

[J.Vandegrift]

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I'm also having some serious issues witht hem chewing the darned water bottles. Wolfy

If you check petsmart or petco they sell water bottles that are kind of shaped like an egg. They can not chew threw these. If they have no where to get their teeth ino they can't start a hole in the bottle. I have been using these for about a year and have not had any problems.
http://www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Prod...lers2-_-556858