Rats help
hi there,
i have kept rats over the years and now decided that i would like to breed one of my bucks, can any one give me some help of what size cages i need for the babies or just any thing i need to know a all, i have done internet reaserch but id like something less formal to read.
thanks.
Answers:geez. people are jerks.
first, only breed if you can't find rats that need good homes or you have a special variety. be prepared to take care of all the babies cause you will have trouble finding homes for them.
seperate the buck and the doe as soon as you think she's pregnant or starts to give birth. they can reproduce as soon as she gives birth and its really bad for the doe. cage wise, you can keep them in their normal cage for a month. then you have to seperate the males and female babies. you can have up to fourteen rats in a litter. once they are full grown, expect to keep a maximum of four in a normal large cage.
momma rat will get super hungry and start to nest a few days before birth so provide plenty of food and construction supplies(cardboard, tissues, cloth, anything). once she gives birth give her space for a few hours and then bring food and water to her, cause she won't be able to get away and she'll be starving.
momma rats are great moms so you don't really need to help them. but as soon as the babies eyes are open and are walking around, start playing with them and handling them, they'll be better rats that way cause they'll be used to humans. also mum will want to come out and play.