Cannibalistic Rats

[user 16446]

How much do people feed their rats? I've been feeding mine daily with a cube each, and a few more thrown in for the hungry ones. Yet if I'm an hour or two late feeding them, I'll find they've already started on one of their other housemates.

If I feed them too much then they just fill the tub with faecies and get fat. I've lost about 4 of them that way now.

Suggestions welcome.

 

[No-two]

A cube each? As in say you're feeding barristock you're giving them a cube each of barristock?

 

[user 16446]

I don't know exactly what the brand is but the cubes are about 1cm square and 2cm long

not enough daily?

 

[sevrum]

wat the?they need access to food all of the time

 

[No-two]

As sevrum said, they need access to a constant food supply. Ours are fed twice daily about half a cup at a time (or whatever seems adequate for the amount in the tub).

 

[user 16446]

I try not to put too much in there to stop it spoiling in their mess, they're in 50L containers but I can't figure out a way to leave food without them spreading it from one end to the other.

 

[Snake_Whisperer]

Mate, if they are eating each other, I'd say you are not feeding them enough. By cube do you mean 1 rat pellet? I have about 50 on the go in the garage and that is not a problem I have encountered. I find if you give them a regular food source, they don't seem to make pigs of themselves like say dogs or snakes will. Good luck with it.

 

[GSXR_Boy]

I try not to put too much in there to stop it spoiling in their mess, they're in 50L containers but I can't figure out a way to leave food without them spreading it from one end to the other.

I cut a hole in the wire lid and made a circular "tube" and fitted it into the hole and closed of the bottom of the tube.
That way you can pour the cubes in the hole and the rats can feed at lib.

They need alot more food than one cube

 

[JasonL]

I feed mine a constant supply of cubes (which generally rats don't get too excited about) and wild bird seed mix, I also throw in all the house scraps plus extra vegies like carrots..... today they got the cabbage my daughter bought when I sent her into Coles to get a lettuce :shock: ..... yep, make some guy a fine wife one day..

 

[wranga]

your kidding arent you? 1 cube? i have 4 breeders per tub and each tub get a large coffee mug of dry food each day, plus breed and veggies some days. it works out at about 1kg of dry food per week per tub. up that amount of food your feeding, i think you will find the food is cheaper than replacing the eaten rats

 

[No-two]

today they got the cabbage my daughter bought when I sent her into Coles to get a lettuce :shock: ..... yep, make some guy a fine wife one day..

HAHAHA, that's gold Jason.

 

[JasonL]

HAHAHA, that's gold Jason.

Thats not even the best bit, the dopey pimpled faced git behind the register didn't know what it was and asked her what it was, so she got charged for a lettuce even. Worlds heaviest lettuce.

 

[ReptilianGuy]

i found i had to euthanaise and feed to my snakes when some of mine canibalised.... and they had constant food supply, once they killed they seemed to just keep doin it on me so they got eaten in the end as well after 6 weeks in the freezer

 

[Chrisreptile]

Just throw the food on top of the mesh, the rats will reach/jump up when they please.
This will also avoid wastage.

 

[beeman]

I don't know exactly what the brand is but the cubes are about 1cm square and 2cm long

not enough daily?

Thats no where near enough! Basically could you live on 1 mintie per day:shock:

 

[diprotodon]

Thats no where near enough! Basically could you live on 1 mintie per day:shock:

I like minties ,can i have one with my rat pellet please im hungry!!:lol:

 

[Lewy]

Man set up you rat enclosures properly then so they have full time food and water

If you can see in the pic s in mine the way I have a full time food supply
http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/chit-chat-39/new-rat-room-hehehe-102320

 

[anntay]

cut up fruit and veg plus rat food each day they wont over eat. if they are attacking eachother then get ride of the ones eating the others as they will not stop doing it. and if your breeding them seperate the preganent ones from the males as they will eat the babies.

 

[Vixen]

cut up fruit and veg plus rat food each day they wont over eat. if they are attacking eachother then get ride of the ones eating the others as they will not stop doing it. and if your breeding them seperate the preganent ones from the males as they will eat the babies.

If you've read the thread youd realise they are attacking each other out of starvation, if given more food they will probably stop the cannabilising. :lol: Also the males will not eat the babies, they might if there is another male in the tub but generally if a male is housed with a group of females he will live peacefully with them.

 

[mysnakesau]

I have a canabalistic female. Stupid me threw her back with the 'herd' but next time I find her she is history, as will any other rat-eating rat I have.

I separate my females to be on their own with their babies. They are well fed. Unlimited pellets and food scraps collected from our house so hunger is not her excuse. Either is thirst. We treat our rats like pets. She only had 5 with her as I culled the rest at fuzzy age, letting her rear 5. The babies were almost ready to open their eyes, two went missing, I found one dead in the cage and the legs of one. No sign of the others, no blood anywhere, and nothing can get in to them. So she has to be the culprit. The last living one I fostered to another rat and chucked her back in with the male but now have her mixed up with others that look the same. I should have culled her, will next time. Least she'll be bigger next time, nice size for my olives.