so one of my rats is having her babies right beside me...

[ch312]

i get home from work early today and check on my very prego rat and curse when i see a dead baby beside her. so i go to take it out and it moves so i left it there and then it came to me...it just popped out it probably doesnt know it can move yet

so ive been watching her now for about a half hour and i think 5 or 6 have popped out. i even got to see a baby coming out of her from start to finish...very cool. advantage of using a cage instead of tub i guess.

seems like a lot of blood to me though. ive never witnessed a small animal giving birth but i guess they always get the mess cleaned up afterwards?

its her first litter but it appears like she will do ok as she is picking each one up as it pops out and cleaning it up and eating the placenta (i think?) before laying it with the others.

one of the other ones just had a litter 2 days ago so now all i can hear is rat pinks squeaking away beside me

the 3rd is due to drop within a day or 2

[ch312]

i think she is up to 13 now

[littleindiangirl]

very neat! For as many litters as I've had here, i still havent yet seen the birthing. They almost always do it while I'm asleep, or away at work.

[Hotshot]

my female had a litter on the 17th of 4 there are 3 left but I saw them born was pretty cool

[tigerlily]

For shame, for not getting a video clip of that.

Congrats on the first litter though.

[frankykeno]

Normally there isn't a lot of blood but with first time mothers their birthing can be a bit messier than an experienced one who cleans up as she goes. Congrats on the litter.

[ch312]

final count was 13 and none have died yet all of them appear healthy and are quite noisy with nice bright milk bands. it looks like she is still prego but im guessing thats milk?

she wont let the male come near them so she kinda kicked him outta the "bed"...lol

[littleindiangirl]

Yes, I would remove the male unless your doing back to back litters. Which I still don't condone but have come to terms with lol.