Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have decided that it may be time to breed my own rats but would first like information on the following.

Growth Rates?
Age at Maturity?
Gestation?
Litter Size?
Harem Ratios?
Rest Periods?

As well as anyother usefull information.

Thank You very much.
Cam Hanna
-----
"I'm tired of being a wannabe bowler! I wanna be a bowler!!"
-- Homer Simpson

Hopefully this info will help you out.
Rats breed faster than mice actually if you do it right.
They can drop a litter every 21-25 days.
the average litter size of my rats is 16 per litter, and they can be seperated from there mom at 4 weeks, breez at 8 weeks for females and 5 weeks for males,in between each liter i rest my breeders for a month to 3 months depending on the quantity you need to produce and the amount of breeders you have available.
hopefully this will help.
Dexter D

>>Growth Rates?

Mine are often 30-40 grams (adult mouse size) at 2.5 wks
By weaning they are double that at least. What are you looking for?

>>Age at Maturity?
Maturity like age they can breed? Or maturity as in when they hit more 'adult' size? Breeding....like posted...8wks. Adult size will vary with whether you breed them at 8 wks or later. Mine I tend to breed closer to 12 weeks first go (girls) and they are 200- 300 grams.

>>Gestation?

21 days

>>Litter Size?
5 to 20.....similar to mice

>>Harem Ratios?
I like 1.2 to 1.3 breeding ratios. I like it since it is easier to get three girls to match and communally raise pups. I move my males around and don't leave them in. I have fewer males than groups that way, can rest girls and can time litters better.

>>Rest Periods?
>>
I sometimes rest girls if they put a lot into a big litter. Sometimes to time litters, or to get more use out of a boy. I have 6 groups and two boys right now. Less mouths to feed.
-----
Sonya

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

>>Growth Rates?
>>Age at Maturity?
>>Gestation?
>>Litter Size?
>>Harem Ratios?
>>Rest Periods?
>>
>>As well as anyother usefull information.

Tha cage space guidelines from the U of Minn. are minimums for holding lab animals. For breeding, doubling the area will give them room for pups, stress reduction and play.

I have always bred continuously, i.e. the male is always present. The only downside to this is that I STILL have frozen rats, but no live ones. My wife made me stop when the bottom part of the freezer got full!

I used cement mixing tubs from Home Despot with a frame made of 1X2s and 1/2" hardware cloth. If you only need 2 or 3 groups (1,3 or 4), then you don't need to build a rack unless you want to. Just stack them with 2X4 spacers. I used food hoppers, but if you think you might want to use a rack, don't. Hoppers will make it impossible to slide the tub out of the rack.

I usually figure on 10 pups per mom per month. Real hot weather will reduce this. As long as it doesn't get miuch below 55F, cold weather doesn't seem to bother them. I don't know what happens if it gets colder than that, I live in L.A.

good luck, have fun and let us know how it works out
DeMak

U of Minn.