# Hairless Rats



## OdessaStud (Oct 29, 2009)

Heres a picture of my latest bunch of hairless ratties. These guys range in age from 4 weeks to 6 weeks of age and are still losing their hair.No fur balls here people.
Odie


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

Very cute! How long do they stay hairless for? I have a patchwork hairless girl. She gets some pretty crazy hairdos as she continually moults!


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## j.kcustoms (Oct 29, 2009)

They are some pretty wierd looking rats.. I like them shaved lol


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## kupper (Oct 29, 2009)

Saz are you selling any of these


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## gman78 (Oct 29, 2009)

does anyone have these in Victoria?


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

I only breed ratties as pets, so although I plan to breed her they will only be available to pet homes. 

It isn't entirely understood how the patchwork gene works yet either, so although I will breed her with a rex male (patchwork ratties have only been bred so far by breeding two rex or double rex together) it isn't necessarily the case that any of the babies will be patchwork. 

Double rex moult completely between 6 and 8 weeks to be entirely naked, then grow their coat back into frizzy curls. Patchworks continue to moult their entire lives in patches, she looked completely different two weeks ago! 

If you are looking for one as a pet, I can point you to a breeder in Melbourne if you like?


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## Jay84 (Oct 29, 2009)

OMG i love them!!


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## j.kcustoms (Oct 29, 2009)

can anyone tell me how much hairless rats are worth? they would have to be able to handle the summer alot better and wouldn't have to worry about lice,mites,louse ect..


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## OdessaStud (Oct 29, 2009)

I breed them and actually introduced them to qld over 5 years ago.Gman my partner is coming to vic if you are interested he could bring some down with him.


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

Unfortunately you can't get totally hairless rats here. There was a strain that was apparently leaked out of a lab many years back, but as they were bred for a certain type of medical research they were made to have no immunity and did not survive. The downunders are from the same strain, and have problems with their eyes (no eyes, small eyes one eye etc) although this has largely been bred out (or rather covered up by outcrossing).

I don't think they would be any better with the heat than furred rats, and they do not tolerate cold well either.


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

Here's some info, mainly on the dowununder marking, but also a little on the hairless that it originated from down the left hand side of the page

FEATURE PAGE


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## OdessaStud (Oct 29, 2009)

The double rex genetically stands alone from the other breeds of rats. They have curly whiskers and a very soft fine down instead of the usual ratty coat. I have to disagree with you Saz the downunders I have bred do not have any problems with eyes or anything else. I have varigated downunders, silks, rex's and downunders and silky's also a few velvets. There are no truely hairless rats in australia, they are not aloud to be imported so the closest we can get to hairless is these line bred double rex's wich if bred correctly will stay 50% hairless for most of their lives.
Odie


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## kupper (Oct 29, 2009)

That would be greatly appreciated saz


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

Great to hear that you haven't had any problems with yours Odessa, a friend of mine rescued three DU females, one had no eyes, one had one eye smaller than the other and one had normal eyes.

The girl with one eye smaller than the other managed to get out and breed with one of her males. She actually got a manx in that litter!


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## OdessaStud (Oct 29, 2009)

Ive managed to bred about 6 manx over the years but unfortunatly they only live about 12months.My foundation double rex came from Cindy.


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## Hsut77 (Oct 29, 2009)

Here is my first double rex. Will be working on these from now on.


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

She's eight month at the moment, I'll cross fingers she lasts longer than 12 months! 

I've got two rex lines going at the moment, a silk line, a blazed line and a blue line. I gave Yvette (Carawatha rodents) my BEW's and DU's to work with as I just don't have enough time and space to breed too many litters.


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

Basically the rex gene is co-dominant. One copy of the rex gene and you get a slightly wavy fur and slighty wavy whiskers (the curlier the better, I've come across a few single rex that have been fantastically curly), two copies of the rex gene and you get tightly curled and brittle whiskers, densely curled fur. Double rex are often not as robust.


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## OdessaStud (Oct 29, 2009)

I agree with you saying that the double rex arnt as robust.If anyone is going to get sick it will be one of them but in saying that they have monsterous size litters, my girls produce a minimum of 14 pups per litter, needless to say they only breed 5 times a year.Blazed and head spots are one color I have had little if no luck breeding, and although I had a great run with my blues they too have become a rareity now but coat is more my passion than color.


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## Hetty (Oct 29, 2009)

Can you post some pics of your blues Odessa? Blues are around, but healthy ones are a rarity. If they're not dropping dead then you've done very well with them. Lots of pet breeders would be keen on getting some from you.

I've had no eye problems with my DUs either. I know it happens, but I think that problem has been for the most part, bred out.


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

Thankfully Carawatha has a line of blues that so far haven't had any problems although they are only at T2 stage. One of her boys was bred to a double rex of mine (supposedly blue carrier but there weren't any blue in the litter). I kept a doe from that pairing and will be putting her brother over her around Christmas time. Fingers crossed for healthy blue double rex!


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## OdessaStud (Oct 29, 2009)

There a couple of blues in this picture 





downunder baby




one of the manx babies


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

Did your manx also come from DU lines? Here's my friends manx.


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## OdessaStud (Oct 29, 2009)

The manx did come from downunder lines hes was a verigated I dont know if you have the same colors or not but most of my downunders are verigated and very heavily so.Your friends manx is lovely and i would be very very interested in a blue or two if and when you have a spare.
Cheers Odie


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

Mum was a spotty DU, Dad was a self so all the bubs were berks and DU berks. Have attached a pic of mum, you can just see that one eye is smaller than the other. I can't find a pic showing her head on unfortunately. Her mum was the DU with no eyes.

I had a gorgeous black DU berk which has gone to Carawatha to breed with, and an agouti spotty hooded DU who has gone to Mischief. Hoping toget a bub back from their litters eventually. I wish I had the time to breed everything I want to!

The Christmas litter will be between two blue carriers, so only 25% statistically speaking should be blue. I will probably end up keeping the one or two blues from that litter, but when I do the T3 breeding there should be some blues to go around. Its my favourite colour, at least I have plenty of blue mice in the meantime!


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## Saz (Oct 29, 2009)

Here's the blue carrier girl I will be breeding (SUN Autumn) and the buck she will be bred to (SUN Sunny). They are both single rex, but you can hardly tell. Hopefully the coat will improve with time. To be honest though, I'm more going for colour than coat with this litter. I'm more interested in the silk coat. I do have a silk rex, I've just mated her so I'm interested to see what happens in that litter. 

Sunny





Autumn


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## Sdaji (Oct 30, 2009)

gman78 said:


> does anyone have these in Victoria?



Heaps of Victorians do  

We have some, but don't particularly like them and only keep single rexes (I suppose you would call them 'het for hairless'). Last year we made some double rexes ("hairless") ones. They were sort interesting and a bit of a novelty, but after a while we just couldn't stand them, and fed them off.

We had some single rexes (hets) do the 'patchwork' hair loss thing, but they just looked so ugly and I culled them. I can't understand their appeal, they look just like they have mange, but each to their own I suppose!

Odessa: Those blue rats are incredible! They make the whole shot look blue! :lol:


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## craig.a.c (Oct 30, 2009)

They are cute in a strange way.

I do miss keeping rats as pets, they are very friendly, smart animals. I always enjoyed it when thay would curl up on my shoulder while watching tv and fall asleep.


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## LullabyLizard (Oct 30, 2009)

I love rats  But hairless rats just don't do it for me....


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## Chris1 (Oct 30, 2009)

haha, cute cute cute cute cute!
i've really gotta stop looking at rats that way, i'm on the verge of getting some as pets!


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## Wild~Touch (Oct 30, 2009)

I don't have hairless rats but lots of Down Unders and Agoutis some with a few white hairs on the forehead

sometimes when I find something unusual I send it over to a rat fancier friend and she is always delighted

My original rat breeding lines come from Diana Hockley of Lacock 

If anyone needs something special let me know via PM and I will keep it for you

Not all my rats are snake food

Cheers
Sandee


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## Taria (Feb 2, 2011)

Hello, 
My name is Taria and I am desperately desperately after some Hairless rats, Patch work or double rex. I live in victoria and was wondering if anyone can ship for me - expenses paid of course. I'm after two females and one male - unrelated if possible. Please email: [email protected]

Thankyou =)

Do you still have semi-hairless rats? I've been looking everywhere - all over the net. I live in Victoria.

Thanks Saz. I'm looking for pets ..If you can point me to a breeder, that would be good. 
Cheers.


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## Taria (Feb 16, 2011)

Hi, I was just wondering does anyone have any patchwork or double rex's. I would like some as pets if possible and I live in Victoria. I'm desperate. My email address is [email protected]. Please contact me there if you can help me. Thank you )


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## WISSY (Dec 14, 2011)

awww they are so cute! i was just wondering if you sell them at all? Sorry im soo nosey


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