This is only my opinion -- You can certainly try feeding during this time, but I feel that its a distraction for them to do what you really want them to do, and will prolong, and maybe hinder your goal of succesfully breeding them. When I put the males in with the females, they've already gone a couple weeks without food. Their will be no food offered, no cage cleaning, just changing their water a couple times a week and a quick spray down at the same time. I believe that much movement around their cage also creates a distraction. I either hang a sheet in front of their cages or tape newspaper over most of the front with peepholes so I can minimize the distraction.
Once the males lose interest, and the females ovulate and shed, then I separate them, and offer food. Not regular sized meals, but if the female usually takes a xxl rat, she now gets a med rat every 3 weeks, and nothing in the last month of gestation - which means she only gets 3-4 small meals from the time of the 1st introdution until birth.
After birth, alot of people like to give their female a giant meal. Even though she'll act like a ravenous wolf, just think of how much her stomach has shrunk, and a giant meal may not be the best at first. I like to get her digestive tract primed and ready first with a slightly undersized meal. After 2 or 3 meals, she'll be eating those full size meals again. Giving birth from any female of any species is a huge ordeal and should be treated with the best of care.
I saw that you asked a similar question on the Rich Ihle chat. This must be new for you, but don't worry. Healthy females will lose much body weight -sometimes up to half, during all of this. Nothing to worry about.
I know that I don't like to eat a huge meal, and then get frisky with my wife, with my gut sloshing around, ha ha - too much info. Take care, David
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