Breeding rats is an extremely responsible business. Consider the fact that mating rats will increase the number of rats in your home by more than one or two babies. We'll have to look for good hands for 10-15 pups. If you are serious about it, pay attention to a few important points.
Instructions
Step 1
Rats reproduce with incredible ease and speed. Their sexual maturity occurs in the fifth week of life, so separate the males from the females in advance. Rats are not alien to incest, so separate relatives of different sexes.
Step 2
In the reproductive age, the female in heat repeats every 4-5 days. The flow chart for each female is purely individual, so as not to get confused, mark it on the calendar. Heat usually begins in the evening and lasts all night.
Step 3
Females enter menopause at 18 months of age, although individual specimens may continue to breed, be careful. The best time for the first birth is 4-5 months. Childbirth in an older female can be dangerous - the bones of her pelvis have already grown together, which will complicate the exit of the rat pups and force the female to have a cesarean section. Before the second pregnancy, the female needs to rest for at least 2-4 weeks. Males are ready to mate at the age of 6 months.
Step 4
For mating, a pair of two rats are mated for about 10 days. Teach, out of heat, the female can be quite aggressive towards the male. You can notice the beginning of estrus in a female by the open vagina of a bright pink color and by behavior - she arches her back, raises her tail, moves her ears and in every possible way shows the male that she is waiting for mating. Mating during estrus can be repeated several times - this is a kind of safety net of nature.
Step 5
Pregnancy lasts 21-25 days. In some females, the belly increases already in the second week of pregnancy. Closer to childbirth, you can even notice the movement of rat pups in the stomach. If the male lives in the same cage with the female, it is worth resettling him closer to the birth, since the female can enter estrus within 24 hours after giving birth.
Step 6
Remember, a pregnant and lactating female can become very aggressive. Most of the females are actively preparing for childbirth: they find a suitable place and begin to create a nest-"birthing room". However, some females are engaged in organizing the nest just before giving birth. Providing the rat with clean rags, clean toilet paper is a great building material.
Step 7
You will learn about the onset of labor by bloody discharge from the rat's vagina. Labor usually takes 1 to 2 hours. The female helps the pups with her paws, licks them and bites the umbilical cord. A healthy rat will squeak and move, otherwise the mother rat will eat the newborn, be prepared for this. The absence of movement and squeak tells the female that the cub was born unhealthy or dead. Provide the female postpartum with constant access to water and enhanced protein nutrition.
Step 8
There are usually 10-12 babies in one rat litter. If you do not plan to leave all the pups, take care of new owners in advance. Please note that pet stores use 50-90% of rats as reptile food.
Step 9
The pups grow up very quickly. Already at the age of 4-5 weeks they can be weaned, and boys should be weaned without waiting for the fifth week. After the eyes of the rat pups have opened (about 2 weeks after birth), you can start playing with them so that they get used to the constant presence of a person nearby from early childhood.
