Breeding Rats???

[Snake Lady]

Hey everyone!

I checked out most of the post on the food for thought forum but there is almost nothing on breeding rats and i have a couple of questions.

Well, i just got 2 columbian boas and when we bought them we went over to the pet store and bought 2 rats to breed of course. First, we put both of them in a 20 gallon aquarium with shavings, water dish, lots of food, etc. Its been about 2-3 months we have them now and they havent bred yet! After 1 month and a half we moved them into a rubbermaid rack just to see if they liked it better in there. That didnt work either. Now, we just put them back in the aquarium and left them alone in our room.

I think it has something to do with the male not having enough variety maybe. Maybe i need to buy more females and put them in togther? Its soo funny, they just sleep against each other..they fight a little bit..but they just dont seem to do it! LOL

Please help me with tips and tell me what i did wrong! LOL Thanks a lot in advance!

:) Snake Lady :)

[Burmies]

Are you sure that you have a male and a female and not two females or males?
You might want to try getting two more females to add to the two.
I have four bins of four females and one male in each.
I also have two bins of eight females and two males in each.

If you have any questions at all please don't wait to ask.

Burmies

[Snake Lady]

Yah im sure that they are 1 female and male..its pretty obvious! LOL.. yah thats what im gonna do..im gonna buy 1 more male and a couple of females!

Thanks! :) Snake Lady :)

[paul_le_snake]

i use 1.5 in 2'x3' bins. works really good.

[Linds]

How old were they when they were first aquired? What are the lighting conditions? If they don't have some sort of photoperiod then they may not breed. What temperature are they being kept at? If they are too warm (or too cold) then breeding activity will be affected. Mine are breeding fine at 55/65 degrees, though high 60's to low 70's are probably best. They tolerate cooler temps much better than warmer temps. It could also be possible that either your male or female is a "dud". You could try adding more females, and if that still does not yeild any results, then I would suggest trying to replace the male.
Also, just noticed that you only mentioned feeding the two BCI. If you are breeding rats with the intent on conserving funds, you are more likely spending more breeding them than you would be by buying them. It is rarely economical to breed feeder rodents for only a few animals. However, breeding rats can be fun, and it is very convenient. Also, you can't beat quality control :)
Anyhoo, good luck with your breeding, hope you found something useful in there :)

[Lisa]

Originally posted by Linds
It is rarely economical to breed feeder rodents for only a few animals. However, breeding rats can be fun, and it is very convenient. Also, you can't beat quality control :)

I agree, it's quite entertaining to watch our rats and mice. Specially when they get on the wheel... {SPIN}. It's also interesting to see the different personalities evolve. As for cost, unless you need pinky mice then it's not economical unless you have a large colony.