Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My Ball Python collection is growing and it is getting too expensive to buy rats at the local shop. I have been thinking on setting up my own rat/mouse breeding colonies, but I have no idea on how to do it. I need some advice from experienced rat breeders on how to set up a colony. What kind of housing, substrate, food, everything...PLEASE, HELP!
Thank you!
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I just went through this same process. In the last 2 pages of forum posts there's a ton of information on rat colonies. You'll need to know how many rats you need per month and what sizes. A female rat can bare up to 15 babies in one litter. At about 4 weeks the babies will be a small size rat, and at about 6 weeks they'll be mediums. You'll need to consider having cages or a rack for breeding purposes as well as a place to grow up the rats when they are weaned from the mother at 3.5 weeks. In my short time breeding rats I've found it is definitely better to have a rack than breeding boxes. They are more space efficient and easier to maintain. You don't necessarily need to buy one, they can be built pretty easily. For bedding I suggest you find something affordable. I use pine shavings. For food you can use rodent block, or dry dog food (make sure the dog food doesn't have any dies listed in the ingredients). Personally I like to use the Mazuri brand "breeder" rodent block. It comes in 50 lb. bags for about $20. There are a bunch of good videos on youtube. Checkout the "rat barn" episodes # 1-8 by ralph davis (link below will get you started). Also check out his earlier videos on rat weaning.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your rats-
Anthony-
Link

THANKS A LOT!
Now one more question, how do I start the colony? Do I have to buy the breeders from an established rat breeder or can I keep two of the rats I buy from the pet store where I usually buy the rats for my snakes?
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Where they come from doesn't matter, although, you may want to get the male from a different place than the females (this will ensure you have outcrossed blood). I would start with females being the size of a medium to a small large, and the male being a little larger. It might take a couple of weeks before you see babies, but you'll know that your females aren't used up, and that your male isn't in his last days. After all, breeding does take it's toll on the lifespan of a rat. I've read that most people feed off their adult females after about 8 litters. I think I read that people also feed off the males at about 1 year, and replace them with new/different blood.

Best of luck,
Anthony-

>>THANKS A LOT!
>>Now one more question, how do I start the colony? Do I have to buy the breeders from an established rat breeder or can I keep two of the rats I buy from the pet store where I usually buy the rats for my snakes?
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>>Neutiquam erro. Hostes alienigeni me abduxerunt.

I have found that if you by small medium females that you grow a week or two in with a good sized medium male that you will have good results, time for them to settle and less likelihood of them having trouble with their first litters.
If you want to time them all together then get small girls and grown them a couple three weeks, then put them in with the male together so that they all birth similar times and can communally raise their first litters. Works best if you don't get one girl that is a butthead and wants all the pups. But I usually find that with them they (like so many parents) want them all the firs few days they are more open minded about sharing.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

Thank you for all the advices!
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