When do you wean your rats?

[Hetty]

Hey guys

I'm interested to know what age you wean your rats (especially if you keep males with females all the time).

Thanks

 

[Vixen]

Hey guys

I'm interested to know what age you wean your rats (especially if you keep males with females all the time).

Thanks

Generally around 4 - 4.5 weeks, when I know they are definately off mums milk and eating properly.

 

[Hetty]

I know they can be weaned as early as 2 1/2 weeks.

Do you keep males in with your females all the time VixenBabe?

 

[centralian11]

I wean my rats at around 25 days . I find that they increase in size a lot between 20 -25 days. I then seperate the sexes as i have had girls get prego at 35 days .My weaner size for food are put down at 21days and generally weigh aout 40 grams but after being weaned and not put down they do tend to lose weight so i leave my run ons for a couple more days.
Barry

 

[gelusmuse]

Hey guys

I'm interested to know what age you wean your rats (especially if you keep males with females all the time).

Thanks

When they are big enough for my snakes to eat - about 40g.

 

[Hetty]

Thanks Barry

 

[Vixen]

I know they can be weaned as early as 2 1/2 weeks.

Do you keep males in with your females all the time VixenBabe?

Not the father no, I seperate the male back into his own cage once the females are pregnant.

I leave all the pups together until they are weaned, and then they get seperated into sex groups, haven't had a problem with unwanted pregnancies yet.

 

[Jonno from ERD]

If you are running a decent line of rats and they are set up correctly, it is imperative to wean them out on day 21, because they will be dropping another litter on day 22.

 

[Hetty]

Ah, well, I can't wait until 4-4 1/2 weeks VixenBabe, but when I was breeding the same way as you are now I waited about that long.

I've started keeping males and females together constantly, and I'm finding my females are quite pregnant by week 3. I don't think they'd drop at 22 days, but maybe 24-25 days, the babies are just over three weeks old and the mothers are heavily pregnant.

Okay, so I know it's safe now, thanks guys

 

[centralian11]

My rats never get prego after giving birth as i seperate the male before they give birth .A female mated immediately after giving birth can go anytime between 22 and 30 days for the next litter . i like to know when they are ready to drop so only mate after i remove the pups . That way i know that i can have at least 500 babies each week as i mate 60 girls each week . I leave the male in for 14 days only and very rarely do i have a girl miss .
Most females come into season when their young are removed and they do have a little time between litters .
Barry

 

[xenathepython]

500 per week WOW

 

[funcouple]

i leave mine till day 21. males are with the females all the time and i find the next litter is on days 27 or 28.

 

[Jackrabbit]

are you guys breeding that many because you have a lot of snakes or because you sell the rats?

 

[centralian11]

I sell rats and 500 a week is not enough to satisfy my orders . I also have 5 people breeding on the outside who supply around 300 each month . Unfortunately not may rodent breeders anticipated the increase in frozen rodent sales. I certainly didn't because each week i have at least 2 new reptile keepers placing orders with me .. I also breed at least 200 mice but i just leave them to do their own thing .
Barry

 

[xenathepython]

at what age do you feeders first breed your females?

 

[centralian11]

I mate my femalesat around 96 days.

 

[Hetty]

I breed mine at about three months, but I've bred them as early as two.

I know some people breed younger, but I like to get my females to a good size before I breed them.