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04-Jul-06, 02:45 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Apr-06 Location: Brisbane | | |
Need some advice on rats please.
I'm currently breeding rats to feed my pythons.
At the moment I'm running 5 x 60litre tubs each containing 1 male & 2 female rats.
I also have a large tank where the heavily pregnant females go to birth & for the pinkies to grow to whatever size I need.
Is this the right way to do things, or should I have 6 x 60litre tubs containing 2F each, and then have 2 males, each one 'living' in a tank for a week at a time, then moving onto the next one, so there is only ever 2 out of 6 tanks with a male in it at any one time.
Is there any benefit to either way?
I'm currently harvesting large pinkies, fuzzys & young rats to be euthanased, vac-packed & stored.
Comments welcome
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04-Jul-06, 02:59 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Dec-04 Location: Somewhere near Brisbane | | | | That's a pretty big cage for 3 rats, I would put 4 females in with a single male at least.
We always leave the male in and they don't seem to bother the young at alland it just makes it easier to deal with them.
So I would double the females and leave the males if I was doing it that way.
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04-Jul-06, 03:07 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: May-05 Location: Sydney Gender:  | | | | i agree, put some more females in each tub it will be fine and you can never have to many rats. as for is it a good way to do it, well that would depend entirely on how well it is working, if your producing enough then its fine and working well |
04-Jul-06, 05:02 PM
| | | | You should leave your males in with the girls during the whole cycle - male rats normally impregnate the females within 18-24 hours of giving birth. This is normal behaviour for domestic rats, and does not signify overbreeding, but you can rest the females after 3 or 4 litters if you want to.
One male to 3-4 females is a good ratio. You can surely breed with many more females to one male, but you need a lot of space otherwise the large number of adults can trample the youngsters.
Jamie. |
04-Jul-06, 05:52 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Apr-06 Location: Brisbane | | | Thanks guys - I'll boost the Breeders to 4F +1M
(at least he'll be happy, if not busy! 
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04-Jul-06, 06:25 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Dec-04 Location: Penrith Gender: | | | | I agree with all the sugestions, as i have 4f to 1m in all my 24 tubs and they cope very well as permanent residents to each tub, but keep records on each tub and weed out the bad breeders and the breeders that tend to eat their young, and enjoy the cheap snake food.
Congo |
04-Jul-06, 06:45 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Dec-04 Location: Somewhere near Brisbane | | | | Yes good advice, we have a whiteboard with all the cages numbered. That way it is easy to cull the bad breeders etc.
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04-Jul-06, 06:58 PM
|  | Seller | Join Date: May-06 Location: Somewhat Ashamed To Say On This Site Now! Age/Gender: 24 | | | | whats the go with temps for breeding rats? or will they thrive in a tub in the shed?
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04-Jul-06, 07:06 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Apr-06 Location: Brisbane | | | | Great ideas & advice guys!
I forked out for a Sunbeam Food Vac-Sealer to do the job properly.
I convinced myself that 'I' would get use out of it too... :roll:
Any other ideas/suggestions/anecdotes/dirty pictures?
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04-Jul-06, 07:07 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Jan-03 Location: Cairns | | | Quote: |
whats the go with temps for breeding rats? or will they thrive in a tub in the shed?
| In winter they will, not in summer though.
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04-Jul-06, 07:21 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Dec-04 Location: Somewhere near Brisbane | | | Is it a Sunbeam VAC420 ? I just bought one and have used it a few times already.
I have insulated my shed and the rats are fine all year round, we have a fan running during hot days and they are OK. Quote: |
Originally Posted by Bigblackdog Great ideas & advice guys!
I forked out for a Sunbeam Food Vac-Sealer to do the job properly.
I convinced myself that 'I' would get use out of it too... :roll:
Any other ideas/suggestions/anecdotes/dirty pictures? |
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"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004
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04-Jul-06, 08:16 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Apr-06 Location: Brisbane | | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by boa Is it a Sunbeam VAC420 ? I just bought one and have used it a few times already. | That's the one!
I use the rolls, not the precut bags so I can adjust the size from Pinkies to Large Adults.
I'm thinking of stocking up on the rolls, should it ever get discontinued.
Money well spent methinks! 
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05-Jul-06, 08:58 PM
|  | Regular Member | | | | How do you go having several females together? I thought they'd run into strife together from pinching each other's young. But I guess, when it comes to snake food, it don't really matter.
Kathy 
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05-Jul-06, 10:03 PM
|  | Sponsor | | | | | they pinch and raise each others young no worries
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05-Jul-06, 10:53 PM
|  | Subscriber | | | | | They are quite maternal. I have had a female die after birth and the young were fed by the other mum in the tub. Quite sweet when you think of it
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