Growth rates??

[kittycat17]

What's the quickest weight gain seen in yearling carpets.
My 21mth old female has put on 1.8kgs in a year, she put on 900gms in 4 mths!!!
Is that a lot for a coastal? Or average??

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[arevenant]

While it seems a large number, it's not excessive.

 

[pinefamily]

She just looks well fed to me.
If you're worried about weight gain, slow down the frequency of feeds a little.
Very nice looking coastal, btw.

 

[Wokka]

Weight gain is a function of temperature, which influences metabolic rate, and availability of food. I suppose you could throw in the nutritional value of the food but all whole food items have similar values. Smaller food items will digest quicker because there is proportionately more surface area , for the digestive juices to work on , than with larger food items. Ball park at that age a carpet should achieve about a 3 to 1 conversion. ie 3 kilos of food will produce 1 kilo of weight gain, depending upon the environmental factors. I have seen yearling carpets at 2 kilo and yearling olives at 5 kilo and at the other end yearling carpets of 100 grams and olives similar.

 

[kittycat17]

Thanks guys, compared to her brother she's put on heaps of weight, she's getting an xlge rat every week, I want to put her back to 10-14 days but she starts pacing and getting grumpy after about 5 days....
She's in no way fat but I still don't want her getting fat lol


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[Wokka]

You could reduce the food size instead of the frequency if you want to slow her growth.

 

[kittycat17]

I don't mind her growth at all, reducing her food size has the same affect.... A large rat lasts her 3-4 days befor she starts pacing


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[arevenant]

Thats indicative of a higher than average metabolism, what are your temperature ranges?

 

[kittycat17]

31 during the day 26 at night since she was a year old
Before that she was on 32 24/7


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[arevenant]

whats the temp gradient?
Drop the night temp to about 22c and she should level off a little...

 

[pinefamily]

Or even turn the heat off at night altogether.

 

[arevenant]

Yup, which should give an ambient temp of about 18-22c...

 

[twistedFrog]

[MENTION=41835]Wokka[/MENTION] [MENTION=38465]pinefamily[/MENTION] [MENTION=40664]arevenant[/MENTION] it amazes me all the time, I read the threads and learn a little bit more every time thanks guys

 

[kittycat17]

I'll give that ago... My guys are all situated in my garage so the temp may drop lower than that, but all have thermostats to regulate it
I turn it off at night for cooling during winter (that's what I was told to do) but keep day temps around 30.
Most of the time heatings off in summer anyway


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