Reptile & Amphibian Forums

1) How long does it take for rats to be weaned? My Albino mom that gave birth on the 4th is quite nasty, and I wish to feed her off, heh. Eeeevil. Keeps trying to bite me all the time. My other mamma isn't like that.

2) How do you tell the sex? I thought I knew how, but when I looked, I thought that all 8 of my pups were male, and that can't be right. I'll be all peeved, cause I want more females.

Yeah, thanks.
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-Irish
Email: animistdragon@sbcglobal.net
AIM: VoodooDragon137
YIM: [same as Email addy]
3.3.1 Ball Pythons

PS: I saw some of the albino's babies nibbling on food and drinking from the water bottle. That mean they're weaned?

Anyway, albino's babies are 4 days older than brown rat's babies. I only have 2 10g birthing tanks, and I'd like to put my tan rat in albino's in a few days, since, if she's preggers, she'll be due very soon. Once albino's babies are weaned, I'll be killing off two or three, since that's what 2 of my BPs take.

Now, can I put the remaining (weaned) babies in with the brown rat's babies? Will momma brown rat be all peeved at them? Or should I wait till brown babies are weaned and combine them sans mommas?

I'm considering keeping mean momma albino for another litter, tho. Her babies are big and she takes good care of them, even if she is evil. Geh. Or maybe I should just go buy another small female from the store, but I wouldn't know how to introduce her to the 1.2 I'll have left over from my current colony.
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-Irish
Email: animistdragon@sbcglobal.net
AIM: VoodooDragon137
YIM: [same as Email addy]
3.3.1 Ball Pythons

Yes rats can usually be combined. watch from afar for 15 minutes.

Don't add new animals without quarrentining (sp?). Eventually if not sooner, some disease will wipe you out.

DeMak

>>1) How long does it take for rats to be weaned? My Albino mom that gave birth on the 4th is quite nasty, and I wish to feed her off, heh. Eeeevil. Keeps trying to bite me all the time. My other mamma isn't like that.

Is she productive? She might calm down with time.... You can wean at three weeks but she'll wean them herself in time.

>>2) How do you tell the sex? I thought I knew how, but when I looked, I thought that all 8 of my pups were male, and that can't be right. I'll be all peeved, cause I want more females.

The odds of all eight being male or female is 2 to the eight power, (I think), so I would doubt that (even though it does happen). Look for a difference in the distance between the pooper and the pee-er. I can't remember which is which! LOL Check the posts from the last couple of weeks.

DeMak

by the time they are weaned, you'll have no trouble determining their sex.

Well, it's been a loooooong time since I've had to sex mammal babies. The last time I did it was when I had rabbits when I was 10. I'm now 20, lol.

I thought I'd look for a little penis bulge. I now know that I don't know what I'm doing, since they all have a litle bulge, lol.

But the only way to tell at this age is the distance betwen two holes? Right o.
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-Irish
Email: animistdragon@sbcglobal.net
AIM: VoodooDragon137
YIM: [same as Email addy]
3.3.1 Ball Pythons

Even in the early days you can tell. The distance is greater in males. But my point was you were also trying to determine if they were weaned. So if you can't EASILY tell if it is male/female then they are not weaned yet. By the time they are weaned females have visible nipples (males don't have nipples) and males have very visible balls. In fact by the time they are weaned you'll be able to tell without picking them up.

>>Is she productive? She might calm down with time.... You can wean at three weeks but she'll wean them herself in time.

Well, the babes are nibbling solid food and drinking from the water bottle. That mean weaned? I still see them suckling on occasion.
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-Irish
Email: animistdragon@sbcglobal.net
AIM: VoodooDragon137
YIM: [same as Email addy]
3.3.1 Ball Pythons

>>1) How long does it take for rats to be weaned? My Albino mom that gave birth on the 4th is quite nasty, and I wish to feed her off, heh. Eeeevil. Keeps trying to bite me all the time. My other mamma isn't like that.
>>

If she is making good litters I would let her behaviour go. But it is a pain to dodge moms so I understand wanting to be rid of her. Usually rats are weaned at 4 weeks. Seeing them drinking from the bottle and eating food is a good beginning. But are you seeing them nurse still too? They will slow down in growth if you wean them early.

>>2) How do you tell the sex? I thought I knew how, but when I looked, I thought that all 8 of my pups were male, and that can't be right. I'll be all peeved, cause I want more females.
>>

By 4 weeks you should be able to tell. Male rats have monster testicles. So, that space between the openings is gonna fill right up with the boys.
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Sonya