Breeding rats?

Question

i was told to feed my pregnent female a bit of meat a day before she gave birth how do i now when she is going to have babies

Answer 1

This is a list of the things to care for a pregnent rat. It is from preparation and food nutrition all the way to the dilevery day, it also tells you how long rats are in labor and stuff like that. I got this information from ehow.com (full link at bottom) This is very helpful...

1Preparation

If you suspect, or know for a fact, that your pet rat is pregnant, it's never to early to start preparing for her delivery. Rats have a gestation period of 21-23 days. About a week before her delivery, you should plan on moving your rat to her own private cage for her to give birth in. If you are unsure of when she should be delivering, you can move her to her own cage even earlier to prevent her from having her babies in a cage with other rats.

Moving your rat to her own cage is extremely important and beneficial for a number of reasons. Rats become fertile again immediately after having their young. If left in a cage with a male rat, there is a good chance that your female will immediately become pregnant again. Also, moving your pregnant rat into her own cage ahead of time allows her to become accustomed to her new surroundings and will allow her to feel secure and safe in her new home.

Step2Diet & Nutrition

If you know that your rat is pregnant, it is very important that you feed her a good healthy diet. Two of the biggest needs for pregnant and nursing rats are protein and fat. There is a large group of breeders that believe that this protein and fat should come in the form of kitten or puppy chow, however there are also just as many breeders that believe that feeding your rat kitten or puppy chow can make a rat become mean and aggressive. As far as nutrition is concerned, kitten or puppy chow is a fine choice for protein and fat for your pregnant rat. There are however plenty of other options to provide your pregnant rat the protein and fat she will require.

Chicken and fish will provide ample amounts of protein. Eggs will also provide protein, and you can scramble them in butter to add fat to her diet as well. You can also feed her oatmeal mixed with whole milk or goats milk. This of course should be in addition to a high quality grain and lab block mix, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. And of course you should always make sure she has plenty of fresh, clean water available.

Step3The Birthing Environment

Any cage that is of a decent size for the mother and her babies to grow in will work. The cage can be wire, plastic or a glass aquarium. The most important thing is to make sure the cage has proper ventilation, and that there are no sharp edges that can pierce the babies tender skin.

Bedding should consist of a soft material. Believe it or not, large wood chips can cut the babies skin, so if you decide to use wood shavings, make sure they are very small and fine. Shredded paper towels work extremely well as bedding for new babies or you can even shred newspaper for the cage. Avoid tissue paper and cloth with loose threads, as these can cause potential hazards to the babies. If it is at all possible, set up the cage so that the mother will have a separate space away from the babies. This will allow her to adequately eat without having the babies continually trying to nurse. If you rat is used to running on an exercise wheel, this is the best place to put her wheel so that you need not be concerned of the babies being injured by the wheel.

Step4Labor & Delivery

Most pregnant rats will generally give birth at night. Should you happen to witness this event however, there are a few things that are important to remember. Even the most tame rat may feel nervous and threatened giving birth with an audience. If you are concerned for your mother rats health during delivery, it's perfectly fine for you to periodically check on her. You should however, make sure that she is given as much privacy as possible so that she does not become stressed. Avoid having too many people watching her and making loud noises while she is giving birth.

Unless there is an emergency, you should avoid placing your hands in the cage no matter how tempting it is to reach in and pick up the new babies. This can cause the mother to become extremely stressed, and can cause even the most tame rat to want to bite and attack. Except for extreme complications, there is no reason for you to place your hands in the cage at this time.

Step5After Delivery

It is important that after delivery, you continue to feed your rat a diet of high protein and fat while she is nursing. It is also just as important that you keep a close watch on her to make sure that the babies are not draining her of all nutrition. Depending on the size of the litter, she can easily become too thin and in poor health by them literally sucking her dry. If you see that she is becoming to thin, separate her from the babies a few hours a day, to allow her to eat and rest as she needs. This may prove to be difficult if she shows aggressiveness towards being removed from her babies. This is one reason why providing her a cage where she can remove herself from the babies is beneficial.

For the most part, it is best to leave your rat alone and not handle her excessively for the first few weeks after delivery. This of course is largely dependent on your rats own personality. If your rat is perfectly content with having you handle her, she may become depressed if you ignore her. If on the other hand she becomes agitated with you placing your hands in the cage, it can cause her to become too stressed and can result in her abandoning and killing her babies. Pay attention to how she is responding to you, and you should easily be able to tell whether or not she enjoys your interaction, or wants to just be left alone.

I'm glad I could help and good-luck with your new babies!!

*HUGS*

-JoshLuver

Answer 2

http://www.worldofrats.com/ROUSBreedingF...

Answer 3

The gestation period of a rat is about 22 days. So once she's pregnant, she will have her babies 22 days after. You can also feed your rat boiled or scrambled eggs as a high source of protein. It's important that your rat is getting lots of protein and vegetables before she has her babies. Also, don't touch the babies until their eyes are open (about 2 weeks) or the mother will eat them. I would suggest reading a bit more over the internet before your rat has her babies to make sure her litter is a success.  Good luck and have fun!

Are they in the same cage together? BAD idea! You need separate cages and put them together every night and wait to see if they mate, if they do, wait till they're done then separate them. If they fight, seperate them. When she's prego, she will get chubby. And when she has the babies, take the male out.