Mass death

[koubee]

I had a strange thing happen, yesterday i went out to my rats (20 odd breeders), all alive and healthy. They are all kept in a shed, so nothing can get in. Anyway i went out there this morning and basically about 80% of my breeders were dead and looked like they'd beeen attacked.
They were all in there own cage (bird cages) so i can't work out what killed them all.
If a mouse got in, could they kill an adult rat?
I'm totally puzzled and not real happy, gotta start my collection from scratch again.

 

[Manda1032]

Ok, first thing..... was there an adult rat that lived? possibly a big male?
Or was there any missing? were they squeezed to death. A yearling carpet could get in, kill them all but not eat due to size. I've had that happen before.

 

[FNQ_Snake]

Just a query, is there any a bird or (reptile) could have got in?

 

[koubee]

the only survivors were 3 young adult females that are housed all together because theyre too young for breeding, and my 2 males but they were inside the house that night, because my kids were playing with them.
And i don't get any pythons, well wild ones, down here.
It's a total mystery to me.
Oh and about half of the babies were killed too, they looked to be squashed.

It was odd because all those that died had babies. It's like they died trying to defend their young.

 

[Chrisreptile]

Ok, first thing..... was there an adult rat that lived? possibly a big male?
Or was there any missing? were they squeezed to death. A yearling carpet could get in, kill them all but not eat due to size. I've had that happen before.

Definately no carpets down here.


Thats a strange one liz, i havent heard of this happening before.
A bad batch of food or water?

 

[koubee]

The only thing that could get in would be a wild mouse or maybe a snake but i don't really get any around here.

 

[koubee]

they got fresh water and food daily...........i spent a lot of time each day in with my rats, i kinda liked them...lol

 

[grizz]

Maybe there was a cat burgular!!!!

 

[Chrisreptile]

What sort of food do you use liz?

 

[koubee]

I'm even trying to hand rear the remaining babies......(go on laugh)

 

[moosenoose]

Maybe there was a cat burgular!!!!

A cat would make the most sense. Kill everything and not eat it! Very typical!

Could it have been a cat??

(Oh, I just saw you said nothing could get in...scratch that thought then lol)

 

[koubee]

I used Peters Gourmet Rat Food, fresh fruit and vegies (apple, pear, sweet potato, carrot, banana) and i even used to give them pregnant and lactating mums animal milk (divetalac)...lol
They were wormed, i cleaned them out every second day. Fresh water daily.

 

[koubee]

I don't think it would be a cat ( but you never know, sneaky buggers)

Do you think a few wild mice or even a wild rat could've done it?

 

[Ewan]

Could posibly be a large wild rat. I have seen some massive vicious ones. Wild rats seem to be great escape artists and can squeeze through very tight spots. Strange event that has taken place regardless of the culprit/s.

 

[mckellar007]

if there were any surviving rats in the cage, then that could explain why the rats looked attacked, they are oppurtunistic feeders, so if one dies they will start to eat it. i had a couple of mine die a week or so ago, there are many factors that can come into it, heat, bad food, off water. orjust old age,, although even if they wree all fromthe same litter it would still be very weird to die on the same day....

 

[RedEyeGirl]

poor things i have never heard of this happening b 4

 

[koubee]

if there were any surviving rats in the cage, then that could explain why the rats looked attacked, they are oppurtunistic feeders, so if one dies they will start to eat it. i had a couple of mine die a week or so ago, there are many factors that can come into it, heat, bad food, off water. orjust old age,, although even if they wree all fromthe same litter it would still be very weird to die on the same day....

The only surviving rats in each seperate cage were their babies.
Each rat had it's own cage, i never put 2 rats together when they have young.

 

[ttaipan]

Years ago i had Breeder rats kept in a back shed. One day i checked the rats and half of my breeders had their snouts hanging off. It was a mystery because the shed was; i thought presumably sealed. Investigating further i found telltales signs of an intruder rat. looking further i found behind a cupboard where a wild rat was entering this shed. Half of the shed floor was concrete & remaining was timber decking.
Nothing can get into my rat containers. But they can stick their snouts out thru the mesh at top of containers.If the wild rat could have got into the containers i have no doubt he would have killed the lot.
My domestic rats were sticking their snouts out in curiosity & Mr. Wild rat was going along biting off there snouts. I trapped the wild rat & thru it the bin. "Never feed wild rats/mice to your Herps".
This happened 3 times over several years & everytime was identical.
Domestic rats & wild rats are two different animals.
Cheers

 

[koubee]

Ahh well that sound exactly like whats happened here. I too thought my shed was totally sealed, but now i am guessing it isn't. I'll be going right through it tomorrow.
Going out to set a trap now....grrr

I'd never feed my herps anything like a wild rat...ewww They only get the best......lol

 

[Justie]

I guess because some survived it kinda takes a heatwave or cold snap out of the scene. Very weird.:?