Holly had her first litter

[rabernet]

And it was a rough labor for her. I woke up and heard baby squeeks and went to see if Holly or Mrs. Snuggles had their babies, or both (both were expecting any day).

Holly had 10 babies out, and she was clearly having trouble delivering another one. I had no clue what to do, other than to monitor her every 15 minutes, and eventually the BIG baby passed, but still born. She went on to have another and it was also still born.

During her labor, she sort of laid across the already born babies and two more died, probably from suffocation.

I was prepared to pull Foxy's 3 week old babies from her and transfer the litter over to her, as the last thing on Holly's mind was nursing or mothering the ones already born.

After she passed the difficult one, she was eating and cleaning herself up and had the second still-born.

I continued to monitor her for another 1/2 hour and she started to mother the surviving 8 babies and they now have really nice milk bands and she's being very attentive to them.

I was beginning to think that blue hoodeds were bad luck for me, but after the morning scare, mom and babies are doing well! I suspect, they'll all be black hoodeds, as Caesar doesn't seem to have any other color gene in him but black, every litter has been black berkies or black hooded, no matter how the mom is colored.

[xdeus]

Congrats on the first litter, but I'm sorry about the stillborns. Hopefully the next litter will be much better. It sounds like you have a great group of rats, and they have a great caretaker.

[stangs13]

Congrats!! I want to get my own rats to breed. I need some!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

How about some pictures?

[rabernet]

Congrats on the first litter, but I'm sorry about the stillborns. Hopefully the next litter will be much better. It sounds like you have a great group of rats, and they have a great caretaker.

Awww, thank you Lawrence - I was so worried I was going to lose her and wondered if I should give up rat breeding. Thankfully she did fine without any intervention, although I did check to see if I could see a stuck baby to try to assist her, but I think it was stuck in her birth canal. I'm just really glad that momma's ok. The babies would have been if Foxy had to foster them, but I really didn't want to lose her.

[rabernet]

How about some pictures?

Maybe in a few days! LOL

They just look like any other pinks, and I'm trying not to disturb her too much this evening.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Maybe in a few days! LOL

They just look like any other pinks, and I'm trying not to disturb her too much this evening.

Well you know how it is if you brag about new additions you MUST show pictures

[lillyorchid]

Oh man what a scare! Hopefully her next litter will go a little smoother and with out any complications. Best of luck to her and the 8 little pink beans.

[xdeus]

I'm just really glad that momma's ok. The babies would have been if Foxy had to foster them, but I really didn't want to lose her.

I know what you mean... I get pretty attached to my breeders as well. They really won me over when I saw what great parents they are compared to the mice I kept. Sometimes I take their gentle behavior for granted, though. This weekend when I was cleaning cages I placed a small male that I'm raising up with a mother and her week old babies. He's still too young to breed, but I didn't think there would be a problem. Within minutes she started fighting with him and left a sizeable gash in his side. I quickly placed him in a different cage and he's doing much better, but I learned that even the gentlest mothers are not to be reckoned with when it comes to protecting their young.

[rabernet]

I know what you mean... I get pretty attached to my breeders as well. They really won me over when I saw what great parents they are compared to the mice I kept. Sometimes I take their gentle behavior for granted, though. This weekend when I was cleaning cages I placed a small male that I'm raising up with a mother and her week old babies. He's still too young to breed, but I didn't think there would be a problem. Within minutes she started fighting with him and left a sizeable gash in his side. I quickly placed him in a different cage and he's doing much better, but I learned that even the gentlest mothers are not to be reckoned with when it comes to protecting their young.

Ohhh, sorry for the little guy! It just so happened, when I got the leo yesterday, I purchased a 10 gallon and a screen top, but am using a 12 quart tub for the leo instead, so the 3 week olds were going to go in that spare tank. I know it's not ideal, but they're eating and drinking water, so if it was needed to save the pinks and let Foxy foster them, that was my back-up plan.

Thankfully everyone is doing well now. I know what you mean about getting attached to them. I love all my momma rats and the big stud, Caesar!