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Rat Kids (Feeder Rat Colony for My Snakes)

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Sydneymom

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Since I have so many snakes (with more on the way) it was only natural I begin breeding for my own feeders. I do not like the practices of many of the feeder breeders around here. I like knowing my feeders were well cared for and humanely killed before being frozen as snake food. To ensure this, I got a few breeding rats and began my colony. It is still small but I love my rats. They are well cared for and each and every one of them is hand tame.

Creampuff - amber male (primary stud)


Nutmeg - agouti berkshire (currently with a litter)


Nutmeg's Litter - (the main pile. She had another 3 in another pile)


Noel - black berkshire (ignore the mess. It was cleaning day. This is a pic of her when she was younger.)


Bradley - beige male (bred by my sister)


I also have 2 other females I am growing up as breeder females. They are from Noel's first litter. I am also keeping 4 little girls from Nutmeg's current litter.

I almost forgot Yoshi! Yoshi is my blue dumbo hooded female rat. I'm hoping she is pregnant now from Bradley. This is her baby picture. Sorry it is poor quality. At the time I didn't have my camera.
 
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Sharpie

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Aww, ratties. One snake breeder around here has some of the best rats for pets too. So well cared for and tame. :)
 

Sydneymom

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Many snake breeders take pride in the quality of their rats. My colony is just beginning but I hope to produce healthy and happy rats. Yoshi is a shoulder rat. She loves getting up on your shoulder and grooming your hair and loves to munch on whatever you are munching on. I'll have to get an updated picture of her soon.
 

Chewy

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LOL I could never have feeder rats, because I would make pets out of all of them. I think I told the story bout the rat that I was supposed to feed to the boa..........I put it in the cage and the snake wouldn't eat it for some reason, did it night after night, but I would CUDDLE the rat for a few min each night. And then Rescue him afterwards in the day time. I would let him ride around on my shoulder after workf for bout a hour. Then my boss todl me I could no longer feed the snake, because the rat was mean lol. I told herno he's actually quite sweet, he wants to sit on your shoudler that's why he jumped out at ay she todl me to find it a home and not with me
Yoshi looks just like the rat too. That' swhat made me think of him
Beautiful Rats, if that is a phrase lol. I do like Ratties......my mom does too, but my dad doesn't.
 

allison

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How do you kill them? Out of curiosity. Feel free to PM me also.
 

Sydneymom

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I can understand about not feeding the boa like that. Live feeding is fine if you do it properly. I have fed live before and a few of my snakes will sometimes get a stick up their butt and only take live for a few weeks. Never leave a rodent in overnight. Rats can kill snakes within a matter of hours if left in the enclosure. I feed frozen/thawed for convenience, as well as for the health of my snakes and the feeder animals.

I got a few more pictures to share. All girls

Luna - black berkshire (daughter of Noel)


Leena - albino (daughter of Noel)


Sage - black blaze hooded (daughter of Nutmeg. Half sister to the two above)
 

Sydneymom

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PM sent.

Oh! And surprise surprise! Out of Nutmegs litter we got a lot of surprises. I have never produced a rat with cool markings (other than a berkshire or a hooded rat) and in this litter we got a blaze, 2 with dots on their heads, 1 variegated, 1 silvery boy (he died), and a albino dumbo.

I love rats. :hug8:
 

Gen120

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awww, they are just soo adorable!! I would love to have a pet rat!
 

Sydneymom

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If you ever can have one, get one! Well get at least a pair. They do better with a buddy.
 

CrystalS

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So cute.

Yes, they definitely do better with a buddy. I used to have a pair and I was absolutely in love with them. I was heartbroken when they passed.

I am also curious as to how you kill them..
 

Sydneymom

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PM sent.

1.5-2 weeks to go till they are weaned. I can't wait! I'm in the process of making another rat enclosure so Leena and Luna can come out of their current enclosure (now that they are growing it is getting too small). Their future boyfriend is Bradley. I'll post pictures when Noel and Yoshi have their next litters.
 

Birdiemarie

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Jay, they are very pretty. How long can a female breed before it is unhealthy for them age wise and what is their lifespan? :)
 

Sydneymom

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It is unhealthy to breed them before 4 months of age. I have also heard that if they do not have their first litter before 10 months of age, their pelvic bone will fuse, making birth difficult. I begin breeding mine at 4 months of age (or later if they are a smaller female) and breed them 6-7 times before I retire them. Noel is about to have her 2nd litter and this is Nutmeg's second.
 

Thugluvgrl187

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Very cute Rats. I too am wondering how you kill them humanely.
 

Bokkapooh

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WHOOHOO an ethical rat breeder feeders!:hug8::hug8::hug8::heart:

We used to breed rats for our snakes too... but this time, its a bit of a hassle :(
 

rabernet

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I have a small breeding colony as well - most of mine are dumbo's. Just a word of caution - I have found that the blues are genetically weak, and sadly, I lost a few blue hooded females during delivery. :(

I've since purged my colony of blues. Albino's seem to be the strongest and have the larger, healthier litters.

My veterinarian often refers clients looking for pet rats to me, and I like to give a pair to new rat owners. And they do come back to me when one passes on (they live about 2 years). All of them know that I mainly breed for feeders, but all have been able to come into my home to see how my rats are cared for and get to hand pick from available weaned litters.

I even had a lovely black hooded female that I took in one, one year the day before Thanksgiving to have him humanely put her down, because she had developed a tumor (and he euthanizes them for free for me). Well, he felt the tumor, told me to bring her back on Friday after Thanksgiving and he'd surgically remove it....for the grand total of $25! She went on to live another year. My boyfriend named her Mrs. Snuggles - and she was a snuggly rat!
 

Aleu

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I have a small breeding colony as well - most of mine are dumbo's. Just a word of caution - I have found that the blues are genetically weak, and sadly, I lost a few blue hooded females during delivery. :(

I've since purged my colony of blues. Albino's seem to be the strongest and have the larger, healthier litters.

My veterinarian often refers clients looking for pet rats to me, and I like to give a pair to new rat owners. And they do come back to me when one passes on (they live about 2 years). All of them know that I mainly breed for feeders, but all have been able to come into my home to see how my rats are cared for and get to hand pick from available weaned litters.

I even had a lovely black hooded female that I took in one, one year the day before Thanksgiving to have him humanely put her down, because she had developed a tumor (and he euthanizes them for free for me). Well, he felt the tumor, told me to bring her back on Friday after Thanksgiving and he'd surgically remove it....for the grand total of $25! She went on to live another year. My boyfriend named her Mrs. Snuggles - and she was a snuggly rat!

Quick question....have you also noticed blue dumbos and blues tend to be more hype/fidgety and skittish too despite lots of handling (mostly russian blues)?
 

rabernet

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Quick question....have you also noticed blue dumbos and blues tend to be more hype/fidgety and skittish too despite lots of handling (mostly russian blues)?
I never produced blue dumbo's, so can't speak on that. My blue hoodeds were pretty sweet, but my russian blue was pretty skittish.

Right now I have a litter of Agouti's that are NUTS! One made a death leap from the breeder tub, and has been running loose for 2 weeks now. Cats haven't caught him yet, and I've only seen him once. I thought he was too young to survive (his sibs were still nursing), and the only way for him to get to water is to go to the dog or cat dish (in which case they'd catch him).

I "think" I caught him one time in a live trap, but I found it disassembled in the kitchen floor, so I think the cats inadvertantly released him!
 

southerninak

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I never thought I'd say it but.....They are so cute ! I think I'd end up keeping them as pets too:hehe: boy then DH would be p***** :hehe:. He thinks I have enough pets already:confused:
 

Jadesmom

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I had a pet rat Andrew that I absolutely adored. I couldn't name them all and take their pics...I'd get way too attached. How do you seperate your feelings for the rats with what you do to them? It just seems like you really care for them.
 
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