Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just adopted a colony of rats and mice from a pet shop that went out of business. I intend on breeding them for snake food, but need some help as to how to set up a breeding colony the right way. I thank you in advance for any experience you can share with me.

Here's what I recieved:
2 ten gallon aquariums with about 20 mice in each ranging in all sizes (pinkies to adults). I haven't sexed them yet and I'm not sure who the mother is of the baby mice.

I also got 1 freedom breeder 2 level rat rack with 5 of the 7inch deep tubs and 1 of the 5 inch deep tubs. It also has 1 level of (5) 3 inch deep mouse tubs. It has approximately 6 weaned rats (very small, but covered in hair, eyes open, and eating rodent block), 24 medium sized rats (haven't counted # of each sex yet), and maybe 3 adult rats (one of which just dropped a litter today).

I have a few extra 10 gallon aquariums to help distribute the mice, but I'm not sure how many to put in each one. As for the rats. I put the small weaned ones into one of the 3 inch mouse trays so they could reach the food. I have two of the adult females in a 7 inch tub by themselves (one of them is the one that had the new litter today). I then have approximately 8 of the medium sized rats in 3 of the other 7 inch tubs. I currently have water bottles for each cage and plenty of fresh bedding.

How many animals should I keep in each tub? Is it necessary for me to separate the female with the new litter into her own tub? Are medium rats large enough to breed or should I let them get larger first? My breeding goals are to raise the rats to approximately 100g-400g. However, I don't see any rats in this colony that would get that large. I also don't really have any plans for mice at this time, but I would like to get them established for the hatchling season in the spring.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm a total noob at raising rodents. I still have a small freezer full of feeders. I appreciate your help.
Anthony-

Use the link below to get to an interesting article on rat litters with two or more females to raise them.

If the second female rat is pregnant, the babies from the first female's litter will likely spoil the second rat's nipples for her own litter; so that the second litter of babies will be less likely to thrive as well as they could if they were alone.
CommunalNesting

Great article. Thanks for the link. I will separate the mother and her litter into their own tub.

Any thoughts on how many of the medium rats I should keep in each tub? Is it necessary for me to separate them by sex now, or do I have more time still? I'm not sure how old they are but they aren't any larger than a tennis ball when they're curled up in the tubs.

Thanks,
Anthony

Interesting article I've never kept any data on raising rats I just know what has worked for us.

We have always kept trios 1 male with 2 sometimes 3 females but usually they are related females. They share litter care I have little or no mortality with any of the pups and I have had weaned hoppers in with newborn pinkys. All of the dads have been good fathers and play with the older pups, groom them etc.

Here's the real kicker. When I have left over fuzzy mice, yes MICE from purchasing them for feeders I can throw them in with my rat moms and they drag them right into their nests and raise them right along with their rat pups.

Nothing scientific, no data but it works for us.

BTW I hate breeding mice. But rats are pretty cool.
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BigT
There is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. The ignorant can be taught, stupidity is beyond our control.
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