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07-Jun-08, 08:56 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Apr-08 Location: Cairns, Queensland Age/Gender: 32  | | |
Well guys, I have finally done it. Today I took the plunge an purchased a male and female rat. No pics required as I am sure you all know what a rat looks like. Just thought I'd touch base with a few of you out there who currently breed them.
I have a good set up for them, currently a 57litre click-clack, small hide box and water drip. As a substrate I am using wood shavings.
What I was wondering was whether or not to keep the wood shavings in the hide as well (or would this affect the babies)?
Also what do you feed them? I am currently feeding them fruit, vegetables and mixed seeds.
I have had rats before; however, have never bred them. Any pointers would be great.
By the way, just FYI, they are hooded rats (black heads and white body). My little girl has named the male Mustang and Kinai.
Anyways, thanks for looking.
Have a great Queens Birthday Long Weekend!!!
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07-Jun-08, 09:04 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: May-05 Location: wide bay queensland | | |
wood shavings are fine for babies,i feed mine a mix of chum meaty bites and working horse mix and any vege scraps. you can buy rat pellets or sheeps nuts at your local produce store.
cheers 
i don't name reptile tucker: |
07-Jun-08, 09:29 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Jan-07 Location: sydney Age/Gender: 21  | | | |
if you mean bird seed when you say mixed seed you'll end up with fat rats, you want there diet to be around 70-80% grain/rat pellet basically the hard stuff inthegrass describes and the rest veg scraps. get yourself a bag of pellets or rat food is easiest and chuck in some veg. they'll eat anything though, they also love chicken bones, get source of calcium and protien, they grid when they eat so feeding cooked chicken bones doesn't cause any problems.
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07-Jun-08, 09:36 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Apr-08 Location: Cairns, Queensland Age/Gender: 32 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by inthegrass  i don't name reptile tucker: | Ha ha, thanks for that mate. I don't either, but these ones for the next 12-18 months will be my breeders until they out grow there usefulness.
LOL
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07-Jun-08, 09:37 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Apr-08 Location: Cairns, Queensland Age/Gender: 32 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by wood_nymph if you mean bird seed when you say mixed seed you'll end up with fat rats, you want there diet to be around 70-80% grain/rat pellet basically the hard stuff inthegrass describes and the rest veg scraps. get yourself a bag of pellets or rat food is easiest and chuck in some veg. they'll eat anything though, they also love chicken bones, get source of calcium and protien, they grid when they eat so feeding cooked chicken bones doesn't cause any problems. | Nice one, thanks for the tips mate. We had chicken tonight so i'll throw them a leg bone. :-)
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07-Jun-08, 09:38 PM
|  | Wonder Woman Subscriber | Join Date: Oct-06 Location: Sydney Gender: | | |
Just make sure they're dust extracted wood shavings or your poor little ratties will start sneezing lots 
And yeah, what wood_nymph said, you want a good quality lab block or pellet, and you can just feed them those (they're a complete diet) no need for veggie scraps unless you want to.
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10-Jun-08, 06:03 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Apr-08 Location: Cairns, Queensland Age/Gender: 32 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Hetty Just make sure they're dust extracted wood shavings or your poor little ratties will start sneezing lots
And yeah, what wood_nymph said, you want a good quality lab block or pellet, and you can just feed them those (they're a complete diet) no need for veggie scraps unless you want to. | No worries, thanks for that info guys. I have now settled on a healthy diet of fruit, vegetables and pellets.
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10-Jun-08, 06:25 PM
|  | herp addict Subscriber | Join Date: Mar-07 Location: werribee Age/Gender: 19 | | | |
another thing that is very important especially with adult rats is keeping them cool,heat with kill a healthy rat within a few hours.
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10-Jun-08, 06:29 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Aug-06 Location: Rockingham Wa Age/Gender: 27 | | | |
I used to put cuttle fish in with my mice too, good source of calcium, as is milk powder over their pellets
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10-Jun-08, 06:32 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Jan-03 Location: Cairns | | | |
I feed mine barrastoc pellets (from Nat's grain and produce), bird seed, scraps and whole fish. I catch tilapia from the local creek and throw them in whole, the rats love it.
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10-Jun-08, 06:34 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: May-07 Location: Central QLD Age/Gender: 18 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Hetty Just make sure they're dust extracted wood shavings or your poor little ratties will start sneezing lots
And yeah, what wood_nymph said, you want a good quality lab block or pellet, and you can just feed them those (they're a complete diet) no need for veggie scraps unless you want to. | I use hysorb wood shavings which are aparantly dust extracted but they are still very dusty. Seems to affect the mice more though, not sure what else to use as aspen is to expensive yet and I havent found any other places to buy the bulk packs of shavings
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10-Jun-08, 06:37 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Jun-06 Location: CQ | | | |
I used, wood shavings (claims dust extracted )and shredded paper also pretty dusty... what can ya do..
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10-Jun-08, 06:40 PM
|  | +Timmo+ Subscriber | Join Date: Dec-07 Location: NSW Age/Gender: 13 | | | | My friend uses shredded paper and wood shavings.
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06-Jul-08, 09:39 AM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Apr-08 Location: Cairns, Queensland Age/Gender: 32 | | | |
Thanks for all those tips guys. I am now trying lucerne pellets as a substrate. I seems really good. Highly absorbant and smell lovely too.
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06-Jul-08, 10:04 AM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Aug-07 Location: SouthAustralia Gender: | | | |
you can use a goat meal mix...all grain,chaff.lucerne,corn,pellets already in it...cheaper at a fodder supplier
last time i bought it..20kg.....$26.50
banana chips(dryed) are great source of extra natural vitamin...also good for the teeth
use news paper under substrate.....not only helps with the clean up...but keeps them warmer...so helps breeding
they will make their own nest
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