Rat Breeders Help?

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on why this has happened to me twice. about two or three months ago, i had a rat that never made a nest, and had a scattered litter. They appeared to be DOA. Now i have a rat that is doing the same thing. No nest. Scattered litter but they are alive. She is housed with another female that just had her pups and they are being fostered. I have made sure stress levels were down, no additions or anything. Plenty of food and water. Cell-zorb bedding. I dont know what is going on. It is kinda late for an urgent thread, so any info you guys have out there would be awesome. I would like to try to prevent this next time. Thanks guys!

I personally would think they are just lousy moms (especially if you have other females in the same set up that are doing fine with litters). Is she from the same source as the other female, and/or a first time mom?

If its her first litter some would advise to try her one more time.. Now me, I have a zero tolerance policy for females who are bad moms. My recommendation is to hold back daughters from your most successful/highest yield females in the future as your breeding girls.

She actually died this morning. It was her first litter. I thought maybe it is a first time thing. But the last one that did this to me died too. I am definitely going to hold back some of my small females for breeders instead of feeders.

So they both died... that's wierd, perhaps she had a pink get stuck in the birth canal or some other internal issue. Could have just been really bad luck. I've never had an issue with any of my breeders, even with first time moms.

Good luck with future girls!

What are you housing them in?

Any signs of illness previously? Unkempt coat or poryphorin around the eyes or nose?
And how old was she?