Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have my first two litters that will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. I have heard of weaning anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. They have been eating regular food for several days now and are getting quite big. Im not sure if they have figuered out the water bottle yet. When does everyone wean their rat babies?
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Courtney

Ball Pythons (Fluffy, Butter, Romeo, Juliet)
Red Tail Boas (Fred, Shakespeare)

I wean mine between 3-4 weeks most the time.Unless the babies look small and they need an extra week with mom.
I tend to spoil mine so the weaned babies get an extra feed of wholewheat bread soaked in warm milk daily for a about a week.I do this just in case they arent quite able to get everything they need from the hard food yet.
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I wean mine at 3 1/2 weeks if I need the space, 4 1/2 if I don't. They all seem to do just fine with the dry food at that point.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
20.28 BRB
14.18 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Then you will know they are weaned. If you wean early they will stunt from dehydration, or just do poorly. Unless there are more pups in the wings I let mine go into their 4th week. Then they wean at nearly 100 grams.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

thanks for the advice, i was watching them tonight and they are drinking from the water bottle. I want to take them away from her as soon as possible because she nursing 2 litters (24 babies) and she is a first time mom ( i had to take the other mom out because they were fighting really bad). She has also lost a good bit of weight and looks like she is going crazy. These were my first litters and i figuered out i should have just left them, but whats done is done... I think they will be ready in a few more days
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Courtney

Ball Pythons (Fluffy, Butter, Romeo, Juliet, Angel)
Red Tail Boas (Fred, Shakespeare)
lots of feeder rats