Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is like a 6ft long cage.Right now I have 1.2 and 1.1 in separate cages but Id like to condense this to the one big cage and use the small cages for weanlings. The one male is young and not even a year old and has never bred the two females yet. The other is a lot older and a very good breeder with a seasoned female who has had many litters..I would like to add two more females eventually..But I dont want to choose between these two males, I like them both..

hi im a rat breeder i know alot about animals i would put a divider in the cage if not the males will fight over the females when they go in to heat.put a plexiglass for the divider and glue it in their with hot glue.

>>This is like a 6ft long cage.Right now I have 1.2 and 1.1 in separate cages but Id like to condense this to the one big cage and use the small cages for weanlings. The one male is young and not even a year old and has never bred the two females yet. The other is a lot older and a very good breeder with a seasoned female who has had many litters..I would like to add two more females eventually..But I dont want to choose between these two males, I like them both..

First, with a cage that size you could have more rats certainly. But if I am reading that you have a male with the two females and not breeding them.....I would lose that male. If he is over 2 months and not breeding he is not likely to get better with age. Heck, to me a male is getting old at a year. If you want to leave him in then go ahead. Worse thing that could happen is someone dislikes someone and fights. But that is just as likely to happen with the girls too. Male rats aren't mice and won't usually fight like that. I have had one male in years that fought with others and he went in the freezer. I don't need that sort of grief.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

I seem to be unlucky with my males... since at some point all of them fight.. some of them causing major wounds to the other male.. and they've usually been raised together..I'm not sure why... but it happens.. I just had to get rid of another one of my males for that reason.. he got fed off..I have to keep one male per cage... They still produce well regardless so I guess I can't complain much...
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Lucien

1.1 Columbian Redtail Boa (BCI)(Sutekh and Isis)
2.2 Leopard geckos (2 Blizzards (Caine and Goliath), 1 het Blizzard (Lilith) and 1 Tangerine Albino (Tequila Sunrise ...Tiki for short))
0.1 Savannah Monitor (Kiros)
13 rats
1 Gerbil
2 Dogs (Loki and Storm)
2 cats (Sahara and Hercules)

Yes, you can put two males in one cage. They rarely do serious injury to other males but there is always that chance. I have two males in several tubs and sure there is some squabbling but nothing like what mice do to each other. If per chance you get a male that really fights alot, get rid of him. I haven't lost a male to fighting in quite awhile now due to fighting.

So it sounds like I will just have to experiment and see if they fight..I do appreciate all the advice and comments.Thanks

If it's rats, no. You can leave a male in at all times but only one.

If it's mice, you can try it. It's probably safer to have one male, and therefore less fighting, but you can have a co-ed colony. You might want to give the moms their own space for delivery and nursing though...too many others around stress them out and they'll eat the babies.

In our colonies at school (first year vet tech)

The male mice fight if put together
The nale rats do not (in fact have several together now, until school ends and everyone gets adopted)

And we go by the AALAT books.
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Holly Canfield, West Virginia
First Year Vet Tech Student

Pets
0.0.1 snow corn snake
2.1 dogs
1.3 cats
0.1 rabbit
1.2.3 mice (just had babies - sacrificed 3 for dinner )