rat help

[ashley_morris22]

im thing of getting a very small rat col.
now when the female is preg. do i remove the male or just do it when she has the babies?


thanks
ashley

 

[Retic]

You can leave the male in all the time, they don't generally eat the babies especially if there is plenty of food.

 

[dee4]

They generally only eat the young when the young aren't their own, they may just eat the males for a dominance thing, but not sure on that bit. Leave him in and let them multiply.

 

[spooky]

You can leave the male in with her. Rats and Mice eat their young when there is not enough protein in their diet. Mice will not foster other mice young but rats will. We had some rat parents die in the hot weather that had babies and we fostered them out to other tubs and the rat parents brought them all up. Rats are much nicer to each other than mice are!

 

[Retic]

Yes I agree totally, rats are a far better animal all round. Friendlier, better parents and they don't smell as much.

 

[danep]

Ive never had a problem with mice fostering other mice. I always move the first littler (when it is 2 or 3 mice) to another female to raise. Also FAYSMITH, just wondering would your protein comment relate to eating larger rats also? I have got around 100 mice breeding no dramas however just starting to get the rats going and have been finding that there are several larger ones that have been killed by another one. Not sure why... if so what should i give them to increase the protein. I currently feed them dried dog food any help appreciated. thanks..

 

[rodentrancher]

Quackenbush female mice will feed other Quack females babies even when they are not lactating. Strange but true! Cheers Cheryl

 

[ashley_morris22]

thanks everyone

 

[rockman]

danep , try feeding proper rat and mice pellets . I don't know why anyone would feed dog food because ultimatly that is what you are feeding your snake .It has everything in it to make your rats and mice healty ansd taste better . Also try getting day old bread from your local baker and feed that as a treat , great for pregnant females .

 

[rodentrancher]

Yeah rockman, I agree re the proper rodent pellets. they would have all the right ingredients in them for nice healthy rats. Cheryl

 

[spooky]

We feed our rats and mice the proper rat & mice pellets also! Make sure they have a decent protein content!Some times we cook them up vanilla cakes and the eggs that are in that is more protein, this is used as a treat!I don't know about rats killing other adult rats as we haven't had that problem and we have about twenty five tubs of rats and have had them for a few years now. Mice fostering other mice as with everything there are always exceptions!

 

[Scale_Addiction]

none of my rats or mice would eat the pellets, they now get 'hobby farm mix' from the produce shop, and they love it! $20 for a 30 kg bag...
and i'm tellin ya, the last few litters we've had are really fat lil buggers, and their mums are really healthy too.

 

[hugsta]

I feed my rats and mice the proper rat/mice pellets. Had no problems with them at all. I had a couple of males attack another male while I was sorting out tubs and sexes etc. Two males ripped the balls of the third one, don't know why either. He was quickly euthenaised and fed to one of my diamonds. I now grow up the weaners in groups of four ,1m and 3f, and they all get along great, not deaths, no dead pinkies, mothers will share the feeding duties etc. I also do the same for my mice and they are the same. I think growing them all up together helps as the males are the first to breed with the females. It is like their own little harem....LOL