My boyfriend and I have two females, both over 7 months old and our friends have two boys. They are all fancies. I know the basics: bedding, when to wean, pregnancy period, handling, when they open eyes and walk, not to watch birth, looking for complications, how to care for babies who aren't accepted and whatnot. But does anyone know any good advice? Anything extra? Fun things to do with the babies, good treats for momma or anything like that? I ' m just trying to be absolutely perfect with this, as I want happy and healthy mom and babies.
Rats are pretty wonderful and breeding can be very rewarding.
Some things I have found fun or effective.
- Use a medium sized microwave container for a nursery - tall enough to stand in, cut hole in the side totally clear, and with a lid. Keeps babies contained and warm but are viewable and very accessible, Opening from the top will not disturb nest material.
- Boil an egg in the microwave and combine with cheese and yogurt. Serve warm, high in fat and protein. Appreciated right after birthing - add apple for hydration
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com - Use fleece for nursery bedding not paper towel as it will stick to the new born pup.
- Most mothers are good about cleanup, but first timers may need help cleaning up the babies. Warm milk works well to get afterbirth off and encourages mom to lick the pups.
- Banana Chips (dried banana slices) are a big hit at my house.
- A pumpkin, gourd or watermelon (hollowed) with a few windows and doors make a great edible jungle gym once your babies get to the pop-corning stage (3 weeks)
- Handle, handle, handle those babies. You can begin socializing very early.
Good Luck
I would say not to breed. I know the excitement of babies but unless you have for sure homes waiting its not worth it. If you are going to breed then you need to know a few things.
First 7 months is a little old to be breeding. You want to breed at about 4 months. The age can cause more complications. You need to track the days your rats in heat. If you don't know how to figure out when shes in heat then Im sorry but you really shouldn't be breeding animals you don't really know anything about. You don't wean the babies. The mom does everything. You don't need to change the bedding until about a week after shes given birth. You can have a rat her whole life and she can be the sweetest thing in the world but when babies are involved moms become very different. I know the excitement surrounding breeding and watching the babies grow up but what happens if the mom doesn't want to care for he babies at all ... Then what? I had a rat that gave birth and she would try to attack the babies as they were coming out over her. The only time she wanted them was when she needed to feed them other then that I was mom. Its hard work. If you want a baby then got to the pet store and buy a baby. Raise it on your own. After 3 weeks of very little sleep (you get about 2 hours a night) you'll think twice about it. There are sooo many things that can go wring when breeding. One of my rats almost died another died 2 days after the babies were born. Is it really worth the risk of losing your rat? If you want to know about babies then google it. Pretty much everyone on here is going to tell you its not a good idea to breed unless its for snake food.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Sorry.
As long as you are well prepared and you know what you are doing, you should give it a go:) Obviously, you need to do a lot of research and know exactly what could go wrong, etc. Are you ready for more rats? Do you have the space? Will you cope with looking after them all? What will you do with up to 20 kittens?! Ask yourself some questions and think it through.
You need to make sure the rats you are going to breed are in good health. If you have a rat with health issues, don't breed it. Some problems could be passed down the line. Choose the strongest and healthiest out of your two females and two males. You might want to consider personalities as well - breeding a rat with a shy/aggressive/unfriendly nature could result in shy and unfriendly kittens:)
But if you know lots about breeding and are well prepared, you should give it a go!
Give this site a look:
http://ratguide.com/breeding/breeding/br ... pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Good luck!:)
