Starting a rat colony, a few questions!

I worked in an animal lab for years.

Standard breeding practice is to keep housed males alone, and keep 2 females together. When you want to breed them, put females into males tank one at a time for a week or so. If the male lives with the females they will not breed as eagerly.

Once bred, females can be housed together again and will have their litters together usually without a problem as long as the cage is big enough that they can make nests in different corners.

However, as you currently have two litters in two different tanks, I would not put the two families together at this point - I'd leave them apart and find a third tub for the male. Once the babies are weaned you can put the mothers together.

Originally Posted by AdamR

I checked Mazuri's website and there is a feed store near me that carries that kind so I'll go ASAP! I live in an apartment so I'd like to keep my colony in 2 maybe 3 tubs so what would be the max amount of adults per tub? And do I need to move those with babies to another tub?

I'd have:
1 breeder male in small tub, alone.
2 females in 1 tub, together, and allow them to have their litter there
3rd tub to put weaned young in until they reach the size you want to use

The answer solely depends on your opinions and needs.


Harem style breeding produces more young per year but they tend to grow much slower than allowing mothers to dedicate nursing time. Keeping mothers single with their young "normally" reduces the chance of them killing the litter.

My racks use large(3'x2') and small mortar tubs. I use harem style breeding. I have for many many years with GREAT SUCCESS.

Small mortar pans I run 1.4 large 1.8.
With good food, proper temps and humidity and a constant supply of clean water you should yield a average of 10+ young per female per month when averaged over a year time frame.

I use doggy bag dog food for my rats. I have 6F on hand for my ASF and will use it formy rats if in a pinch. My rats choose the doggie bag over the mazuri 99 out of 100 times.

i get mazuri 21 a 50lb bag. i cant find 50 lb dog food for cheaper. red dye in dog food is no good for ball pythons can cause problems and most dog food has it

My feed store is having to order the Mazurri (which worked out bc I just had them order some Mazurri tortoise food too!) so I got a 40lb bag of "dye-free" dog food. I now have 2 small mortar tubs and 2 large lab rat tubs. What would be the best way to arrange my rats? I have 1.2 adult breeders, 5 pups that are weaned now, and a litter of pinks. I'm hoping to grow the weaned rats up and use the females.

Originally Posted by pmp187

red dye in dog food is no good for ball pythons can cause problems and most dog food has it

Please show evidence or proof of this statement please.
I have seen statements online that claim the red dye causes rats to develop tumors. However, I have never seen a shred of evidence to support the claim that it has ill effects on any snakes in second hand form.

Originally Posted by AdamR

My feed store is having to order the Mazurri (which worked out bc I just had them order some Mazurri tortoise food too!) so I got a 40lb bag of "dye-free" dog food. I now have 2 small mortar tubs and 2 large lab rat tubs. What would be the best way to arrange my rats? I have 1.2 adult breeders, 5 pups that are weaned now, and a litter of pinks. I'm hoping to grow the weaned rats up and use the females.

Depends on what you hope to accomplish.

I would have the 1.2+ pinks in a mortar tub. The weaned rats in the other mortar tub.

I keep 0.2 in 12 different racks and rotate the male to a new tub every week. I've also kept 0.1 in 6 different racks and rotate the male every two weeks. I'm sure I'm going against the grain here, but to keep any animal constantly pregnant is not humane. I give the females 12 weeks in between births to rebuild fat deposits and put weight back on. Weanlings are pulled in between 3-4 weeks and develop fine.

Originally Posted by Focal X

I keep 0.2 in 12 different racks and rotate the male to a new tub every week. I've also kept 0.1 in 6 different racks and rotate the male every two weeks. I'm sure I'm going against the grain here, but to keep any animal constantly pregnant is not humane. I give the females 12 weeks in between births to rebuild fat deposits and put weight back on. Weanlings are pulled in between 3-4 weeks and develop fine.

areas where rats colonize in large numbers, the females will breed in the same/timeframe in the wild. So I can't see how doing what they do naturally is "not humane". The only problem I see with your technique is that you have reduced you amount of litters drastically. Breeding rats beyond their optimal breeding time and causing health problems would be by far less humane than breeding them back to back. With that said, rats really shouldn't be bred past 2 years of age ( mine are only alive 19 months max). Limits your rats to less than 5litters in their life "humanely".(I get 12+)

Originally Posted by suzuki4life

areas where rats colonize in large numbers, the females will breed in the same/timeframe in the wild. So I can't see how doing what they do naturally is "not humane".

And they live short lives, die from breeding underage, and once carried bubonic plague. Just because "it happens" doesn't make it right. Ball pythons can also breed at 700-800 grams in the wild and can become eggbound and die. Should we do it?

If they do it in the wild, it can't be considered humane:

hu·mane (hy-mn)
adj.
1. Characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion: a humane judge.
2. Marked by an emphasis on humanistic values and concerns: a humane education

Originally Posted by suzuki4life

The only problem I see with your technique is that you have reduced you amount of litters drastically.

No, I have increased the amount of work, retain the same amount of litters but have a higher output of babies because my females are larger, healthier, and have a better way of life. Not sure if you missed it, but I breed MORE rats so they can have a LONGER period in between birthing.

Originally Posted by suzuki4life

Breeding rats beyond their optimal breeding time and causing health problems would be by far less humane than breeding them back to back. With that said, rats really shouldn't be bred past 2 years of age ( mine are only alive 19 months max)

Nobody said that was fine and actually, they shouldn't be bred past 18 months since this is the prime period for menopause and if yours only live 19 months, I think that should say something. My females are retired at 12 months so I guess I have even less litters

http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatYears.htm

Originally Posted by suzuki4life

Limits your rats to less than 5litters in their life "humanely".(I get 12+)

I think that statement proves my point. Being humane isn't squeezing as many rats out as possible in their lifetime. Yes, my rats will have less litters, but will live longer and have a better way of life at the expense of what? More work on my part?