Pet Rats

[xenathepython]

Me too..lol

there are some post on the rat forum about someone having some put I don't know to much more.

 

[bredli84]

anyone ever tried catching a wild rat to introduce a bit of diversity into their gene pools?

 

[Hetty]

Half wild rats are very wild, and you don't need a lot of diversity if your rats are healthy.

 

[cris]

Half wild rats are very wild, and you don't need a lot of diversity if your rats are healthy.

Yeah i got some that im guessing were approx 50% wild, slightly better litters, but it bitted so got killed pretty quick. I havnt found fancy rats to be weak, they may not have over 18 young a litter, but they seem to breed well and live for over 2 years. In saying that though i want to get some super rat blood into my rats, first i want to get the markings i want though. I want them to look like zebras, until they do the reptiles will get them...

 

[Hetty]

'Fancy' rats are the same as what I have (and what most people who breed for food have) but people who breed for food have selected for hardiness rather than for looks.

Not many people who breed for food have real 'super rats'.

 

[Saz]

The BEW carrier I got from you, Hetty, is heavily preggers. Hopefully she produces some BEWs and 'goth' style bubs like yours have!

I've also got three girls preggers to my blazed boy. Two headspotted siblings and one feeder bred female. I'm a bit disappointed though as they snuffle and sneeze a bit. I'm hoping the bubs with the feeder genes will fare better than the father has. If the bubs snuffle like the parents I won't breed that line again.

 

[Hetty]

Good luck

Have you got some hardy feeder rats? You'll need them to breed the myco out (well, to improve their immune systems). I've found the snufflyness can be quickly bred out with good feeder rats.

 

[Saz]

Dexter (silverfawn buck) and Baxter (ruby eyed mink buck) were from feeder lines, they never snuffle or sneeze and I've got two dove berk females that have never shown signs of myco. I bred them both to the blazed boy in the hope that the bubs would be less likely to suffer from it. Only one mating took though.

 

[Hetty]

Problem with blazes is that they're so hard to reproduce. You might not get any blazes at all. I've produced some killer headspots from the BEWs so I reckon that's the way to go with blazes.

 

[xenathepython]

Does anyone breed wedge blazers

 

[Colin]

I've never really considered rats as pets until a close friend of mine got them and now I love them. I decided to call them Tom & Jerry, not very original I know but I'm getting to the point where I'm finding it hard to think of names.

names for pet rats? ummm... what about... breakfeast.. lunch and dinner?

 

[Saz]

Yep I know One of the headspot girls had her litter 3 days ago (forgot she had already popped!). I checked out the babies last night and although it's still impossible to tell exactly what markings they have, two seem to have large headspots. Might have another look tonight and see if they are any more developed.

 

[Saz]

LOL Colin! They were supposed to be food but I fell in love with them. If I had to get rid of all the rats, those two are the ones I'd keep. They're nothing special, just standard mismarked rats, but I love them. I'm a worry, I know!

 

[coz666]

pet rats are breeders

 

[Saz]

What?

 

[xenathepython]

you can have pets that don't breed

 

[Saz]

Just got home and she's had the bubs, 18 BABIES!! Far out. That's more than a handful for a first time mum. There's one runty looking one that no doubt won't make it, but they all have milk bands. I'd expect her to lose some considering there are so many, but they are all huge babies other than the runt. Freaky.

 

[xenathepython]

That Poor mother!! Mine first timer is having trouble with 13 let alone 18!!

 

[Hetty]

Damn! I gave you a good one!

The best of her sisters had 14, with most of the other litters being 12. But 18! geez! Her sister who had 14 had five BEWs, so you should get a few after I culled the litters down they grew so fast.

 

[Saz]

I know, it's so many!

The other headspotted female has had her litter today too but I haven't checked on the number yet.

The first girl to drop has seven and at three days old the pinkies are smaller than Bonita's newborns. I think providing the other Mums are doing a good enough job I'll foster out some of the pups to share the load a bit.