Buying decorative rats of different sexes, not everyone thinks about the behavior and reproduction of this species of animals. As a result, there are often cases when the "interesting position" of a recently acquired rodent becomes a real surprise for the owner.
Instructions
Step 1
A female decorative rat can fertilize between 5 and 9 weeks of age. However, the age of 5-10 months is considered more suitable for mating. The owner of a rodent should be guided by these age ranges in order to get healthy offspring.
Step 2
Those who first decided to start breeding rats need to know the following: the original female rat must be no older than 8 months and no younger than 5-6 months of age, otherwise there may be trouble during childbirth. If the female is younger, then there is a risk that she will not be able to bear offspring. If she is older, she will not be able to give birth on her own, because very often in older rats the pelvic canal narrows and childbirth without veterinary intervention is almost impossible.
Step 3
Fertilization of a female occurs during estrus, which takes place every 5 to 10 days and lasts for 12 to 24 hours, depending on the breed of the rat (before breeding rats, it is necessary to study the physiology of a particular breed).
Step 4
The act of mating takes place within a few seconds. It should be remembered that the female may not allow the male to approach her. If the female behaves aggressively, then the male needs to be changed.
Step 5
Signs of the rat's "interesting position" become noticeable only in the last week of pregnancy. During this period, the rat's body takes on a pear-like shape. The gestation period lasts on average 20-25 days - it depends on the number of embryos. At the end of pregnancy, you can see how the babies begin to move in the female's abdomen. It is extremely undesirable to play with the female during this period, since she can show aggression during this period.
Step 6
At the end of pregnancy, about a week before giving birth, the female begins to equip the nest. At this time, it is necessary to put soft papers and dry grass in the cage - this is the building material for the nest. It is important to know that during pregnancy and while feeding babies, in order to avoid irritation of the female, it is better to keep the male in a separate cage.
Step 7
The nutrition of a female rat during pregnancy requires a special diet. In the first two weeks of pregnancy, healthy food is poultry, apples, cottage cheese, fish, willow branches, nettles, chicken cartilage. Occasionally, you can add lettuce, egg yolk, cucumbers to the diet. Onions, bell peppers, garlic, tomatoes should be excluded from the menu. In the last week, the same diet is recommended, only raisins and grapes should not be given. Drink should be plentiful and contain proteins, mineral salts and vitamins.
