Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I took my baby rats out at exactly 20 days. (is it ok to leave them in if the mother gives birth again, i get the impression that that would NOT be a good idea) She gave birth not that night but the next. The day after I took the pups out the male, who is usually calm and complacent was really agressive, pushing the female out of the way for food. The very next day she was beating the living crap out of the male. Just beating him. I would put food in the cage and the male was in a corner. She started eating, the male literally moved one inch (she and the food were over 8" away) and the female tore off towards him and beat the living crap out of him again and bit him a few times. He cowers in the corner, two hours later he moved just a muscle again and the female tore off towards him again beat him up bad. No blood, just a really bad beating, the type that will make an animal submissive. Is this normal? BTW hours later, that night she gave birth (again )
Thanks for the help
Dave

Thats usually how I can tell one of the rats is about to drop pups. There will be one rat over at the hopper or the water bottle (always guarding the food or water!) and every other rat in the tub is huddled in a miserable little rat pile as far from her as they can get, trying NOT to twitch. And if any of them twitch, she delivers the nasty beatings, and once everyone is safely back in their corner she will go back to guarding the food and water!

Your other questions........

It is fine to leave the older pups in even when your female drops more pups. If their are a LOT of pups and only one nursing female you don't want to leave them, but I usually run 1.4, and have anything from pinks to hoppers in the tubs all the time.

You male was whooping up on the female because you removed ALL of the pups. This says to him she has completed her job and must be ready and receptive to mating again. So he is harrassing her. BUT, she was receptive 3 weeks ago and is pregnant again already, so she is busy saying "Not tonight Dear, I've got about 15 pinkies sitting on my bladder!"

Either all is normal , as JM says, or your rats can go on Jerry Springer. I've learned to leave them alone, let them do their thing, as long as no one has open wounds. It seems to be easier for them.

DeMak

Just makes me nervous when I see the level of beatings the female is dishing out. He's got a full plate but she seems to have calmed down a bit since her she had her pups. I only have 1.1 right now (until the weaned pups grow up in about two more months). They are in a carpenter's mesh cage inside a 22 gal aquarium. So easy to clean. Pop out the mesh cage, dump and wash the aquarium, replace the cyprus multch (got some left overs, converted my snakes to newspaper) and done. About 7 minutes.

After a million tries with rats on my w/c's I'm going to go with gerbils. I had two to try and the one w/c hit it within one minute of going in the cage as opposed to sitting with the cage keeping an eye on the rat at all times. So I'll have questions about those as well.

Thanks for the help
Dave

I keep my mice and rats with 1.2.variable The rats have no problems. I actually notice that the older babies will be cleaning the younger ones. I currently have 18 day pups and 5 day pups in the same tub. With the one of the females ready to drop again.

All the females seem to share the duties. I leave my males in, and have had no problems. Again the older pups seem to play with the males.

I agree with the post above, I tend to see spats mostly when one is getting ready to drop. I set my groups up at a young age. From then on they are together. I used to seperate between breedings but found it wasnt needed.

Mice on the other hand are a pain in the butt. The older pups will kill all the pinks of another group. So i normally seperate them at a very early stage.

All being said there are acceptions to every rule and you will, like everyone else, have different observations. I find my best rule of thumb is to read my animals and thier needs. Things are always changing.

Take Care and ignore my typo's
James

I can always tell when my female mice are going to pop because the male will try to breed her the day before she has them. It's like clock work. I have not seen any of my older pups kill any younger (new) litters though. That seems odd.

MissHisssss