Post by meagan on Aug 26, 2009 11:44:54 GMT -5
Well I am taking the leap and going to start breeding a small stock of rats for my bird. I have two females so far that I bought yesterday from the pet store, both of which are about ready to pop. After they have given birth and have at least two weeks with their pups I am going to get a male and start one on breeding again so that she will be ready to go again.
I would like to give them both a few days rest after their litters are weaned but I will start one so that she is ready to go and have a litter while the other female is just getting pregnant. I have the two females in a 10 gallon tank, nice beeding and dog food. They also get rodent tablets with extra nutirents put in. I figured that when the pups are about three months old they will be more than ready to be put into the freezer. I will then use the females for about two more cycles of breeding, seeing as they are far older than I would want them to be and then use a few more rats to start again.
This is going to be a whole bunch cheaper then buying from online sites or getting them from a pet store. This way I'll have rats, rabbits that my bird gets from the field, and squirrel as well as the free quail I recieve from a family friend.
If anyone has any good information on a good way to breed let me know, I am open to all opinions. Have to finish the set-up this afternoon but so far so good. They are going to be kept in the garage, which stays rather warm in the winter. I'll put a heat lamp on them if it gets too cold but extra bedding will do the trick. (Hey if I can find mice in my garage in the middle of winter with pups then all is good!) Since it is still ratrher warm outside the rats have a fan on them to keep them cool during the day time hours.
Hope this project turns out well, if not then it will still be a good learning experience.
I would like to give them both a few days rest after their litters are weaned but I will start one so that she is ready to go and have a litter while the other female is just getting pregnant. I have the two females in a 10 gallon tank, nice beeding and dog food. They also get rodent tablets with extra nutirents put in. I figured that when the pups are about three months old they will be more than ready to be put into the freezer. I will then use the females for about two more cycles of breeding, seeing as they are far older than I would want them to be and then use a few more rats to start again.
This is going to be a whole bunch cheaper then buying from online sites or getting them from a pet store. This way I'll have rats, rabbits that my bird gets from the field, and squirrel as well as the free quail I recieve from a family friend.
If anyone has any good information on a good way to breed let me know, I am open to all opinions. Have to finish the set-up this afternoon but so far so good. They are going to be kept in the garage, which stays rather warm in the winter. I'll put a heat lamp on them if it gets too cold but extra bedding will do the trick. (Hey if I can find mice in my garage in the middle of winter with pups then all is good!) Since it is still ratrher warm outside the rats have a fan on them to keep them cool during the day time hours.
Hope this project turns out well, if not then it will still be a good learning experience.