Pet Rats

[xenathepython]

like with all animals rats only smell as much as you let them. put it this way, if you put a dog in a cage for a week and don't clean it, it's gona smell right? well it's the same with rats!!!

 

[KaaTom]

Breeding with rats is recommended from about 6mths of age.... I have a much younger female that has just had 7 bubs, I got her from the pet shop the day she delivered her babies.A pet shop is no place to raise babies.

 

[steph]

So start breeding at 6mths and what age should you stop breeding them?

 

[xenathepython]

are you feeder breeding or pet breeding?

 

[=bECS=]

yer i love rats there sooo cute. but mine never sit still they always just want to escape.... here are some pics of mine, by the way does anyone no what age is good to start breeding them? because i have tried to reaserch it but their are to many different answers i dont no which is correct, some say start breeding at 7-10 weeks and others say start breeding at 5 months????

Ive had rats breed from 6 weeks, but they were in with my top male and he jumps anything that moves

 

[xenathepython]

they can be breed from 6 weeks onwards but 12 years olds can be too

 

[cris]

like with all animals rats only smell as much as you let them. put it this way, if you put a dog in a cage for a week and don't clean it, it's gona smell right? well it's the same with rats!!!

Mice stink, but you are right for most animals.

 

[KaaTom]

I have to agree, we clean out the mouse enclosure regularly and yet they still stink.....

 

[TWENTY B]

i've got a pair called lunch and dinner.
And 7 little breakfasts.
Dinner is about to drop another litter so all my breakfasts are about to "go to the farm".

 

[xenathepython]

yes i hate my mice they stink aswell, rats don't

 

[Saz]

Unfortunately I got sucked into pet rats too. They are clever little animals. I still breed for food too but most of them are pets. I've got some rex ratties (curly coated) and headspotted/blazed ratties.

Rats and female mice are ok smell wise, but male mice STINK to high heaven. Mine scent everywhere, even over their water bottles...disgusting little creatures lol!

Here are some of the boys

Some of the girls

And the cages

Black berkshire double rex female - bit difficult to see her curly coat here but you can see her curly whiskers

And a couple of other little curlies

 

[KaaTom]

Oh those little rex's are so darn adorable

 

[xenathepython]

we meet again

I so want a blazed rat

 

[Saz]

LOL! Here's one of my headspot girls (hopefully a blaze carrier as she is sister to my lightening blaze boy)

and my lightning blaze boy - hoping to breed wider blazes with selective breeding

 

[xenathepython]

do you breed blazed ofen

 

[Saz]

Haven't bred any blazed yet as they are still young. The females I won't breed just yet but the male is ready to go so I have plans to put him over a couple of my dove berk females soon to see what we get.

 

[xenathepython]

my little guy is looking for a bareback wife or a capped.

 

[xenathepython]

bad picture but I would like to see if I can breed barebacks or capped in the future

 

[Saz]

Very nice little fella. There isn't a gene as such for bareback/capped, it's just a variation of the hooded gene. You could try putting him over normal hooded females and see what you get. It's luck of the draw really, you can put two perfectly marked animals together and they aren't really any more likely to produce perfectly marked animals than if both parents were mismarked. Odd huh.

 

[xenathepython]

I know but chance might have it. but you see the only hooded females i've got are wide hooded and it would be hopelesss trying with them