# Breeding bigger rats



## timmy (May 12, 2006)

I have bred a couple of litters of fuzzie rats and they seem tiny compared to the ones that you would buy frozen form the shop. Is there some trick to get them bigger?


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## Sdaji (May 12, 2006)

Leave them with their mothers for a few days, that's the trick. They'll actually continue to grow even after they're beyond the "fuzzie" stage; they'll become "weaners", and then if you feed them dry food, even away from the mother, they'll continue to get even larger!


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## marty (May 12, 2006)

untill they get sssoooooooooo big they out grow their cage then they out grow the land they r on.....they they get even gigga and out grow the state they r in......then the country..........then the planet... then aaaahhhhhhhh............. kill em as fuzzies


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## Spike14 (May 12, 2006)

lol maybe you have mice and you just dont know it timmy


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## timmy (May 12, 2006)

Seriously these rats are tiny compaired to other fuzzies.


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## Spike14 (May 12, 2006)

how old are they?


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## OdessaStud (May 12, 2006)

how many in the litter and what are you feeding the mum?


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## hugsta (May 12, 2006)

Can you put any pics up? There is a fair bit of difference in size from 'just a fuzzie'to 'almost a weaner fuzzie'. Maybe yours are just early stage fuzzies. Leave them for a few more days.


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## timmy (May 12, 2006)

There was 12 in the litter and they are 17 days old there eyses have just opened and they are heaps smaller then the fuzzies i got in a packet


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## hugsta (May 12, 2006)

Next time remove a few of the pups, they will grow a bit bigger when there are a few less on the female. Try leaving her with only 6 and they will be bigger.


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## centralian11 (May 13, 2006)

i would be looking at the food you are using.at 17 days they should be a lot larger than fuzzies. i feed a mix of mare and foal pellets, workhorse mix a little dry dog food and greens [ carrots pumpkin any other cheap veg.]and my rodents average 10 -12 a litter.
as i breed rodents for my living they must produce quality reptile food.i don't sell any that my reptiles wouldn't eat. my method is to progressively cull. pinkies at 3/4 days .fuzzies at 8/10 days weaners at 21 days.
timmy what do you feed . we may be able to help 
barry


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## rodentrancher (May 13, 2006)

If they have just got their eyes open, I would still class em as Velvets. Fuzzies are nearly weaners. But as Hugsta suggests, seeing there are so many in the litter, it would be a good idea to take away some of the pinkies and freeze them, so the others get a chance to develop properly. Cheers Cheryl


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## Nagraj (May 13, 2006)

"it would be a good idea to take away some of the pinkies and freeze them"

After you've killed humanely them please.


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## timmy (May 14, 2006)

Thanks i will give that a go for the next litter.


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## pugsly (May 14, 2006)

Yeah i have found if they have 7-8 they grow quicker and bigger. If there are two clutches some get alot less than others and they are a hell of a lot smaller.


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## timmy (May 14, 2006)

This is the best photo out of about fifty. This one is 19 days old


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## Ramsayi (May 14, 2006)

bonsai rats lol


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## pugsly (May 14, 2006)

I had a clutch like that but only because there was a clutch from another female who had hers a week earlier so would always get priority! But they catch up and be the same size, just take a little longer.


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## cris (May 15, 2006)

yeah that is small, maybe its some type of mourat hybrid :lol:


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## Glimmerman (May 16, 2006)

Maybe, if they continue to breed and produce rats this size, you can market them as miniture rats :wink: :lol:


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