11 Baby rats!!!!!

[RattieRyan]

First of all Hello from Kansas!! My name is Ryan I am 24 and I currently have 2 rats male Sid and female Nancy. I received them from an older woman who could no longer care for them. When I got them it was apparent that Nancy was pregnant! Well on Sunday she gave birth to 11 healthy babies! They seemed huge to me because I'm use to mice pinkys lol. But anyway the first night she did great feeding them and I could see nice big milk bans on their stomachs. But yesterday she spent hours outside of the nest box, so I checked on the babies they were covered up an all still alive, but no milk bands, and this went on all afternoon. Finally later in the evening she went into the nest box and stayed in there most of the night. I didnt bother her because if she was feeding them I didnt want to disturb her. Well later this morning I get up and check on the babies and they are all still alive, but no milk bands again! unless they are growing so fast that the milk bands are hard to see, but I doubt that. So Is she feeding them enough? I will try to get some pictures here shortly of them!.

 

[jorats]

Welcome!
I hate it when a rescue of two turns into multiples. I hope you have separated mom from dad. Keep them separated from now on. Rat moms are usually great moms. The fact the babies are all still alive, I believe means she is feeding them. Are they still nice and warm and pink? If so, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Make sure mom has extra protein now like chicken, fish...

 

[lilspaz68]

You may be looking at their bellies when its all gone and they are due for another feed. If she goes in her house and you hear squabbling, eeping and squawking, then it gets really quiet...they are happily feeding.

By day 3 or so, the skin will have thickened up so much you cannot see milk bands anymore.

 

[RattieRyan]

I still have Sid in with nancy and the babies. I read that be won't harm the babies? The pet store owner also told me that I don't have to separate them until she is done nursing because she will then go back into heat. I have owned rats before just never considered breeding or having babies. I've always had two of the same sex. I have boosted her protein with dog food eggs and such. The babies are warm when I pick them up. They are starting to get black on there skin where there colors are going to come in.

 

[jorats]

That's incorrect... they can start breeding again right away. Get Daddy out of there!

 

[RattieRyan]

I dont have anywhere else to put Sid at the moment I was going to buy a large wire cage but was just informed a couple of hours ago that I lost one of my jobs. I still have one but its going to be tight and I cant afford to buy another large cage at the moment. I do have a smaller 10 gallon tank that I am currently keeping feeder mice in for my snake ( Don't worry my rat babies are not food!) Sid and Nancy are currently housed in a large 50 gallon screen top tank. Does anyone know where I can buy a super cheap good size wire cage for the rats?

 

[Carol Weekes]

What you can do as an interim measure (if you can buy some mesh wire) is purchase a large tupperware container from Walmart, with lid; you can get big ones for about ten dollars. Use a dremel or good sharp knife to cut out at least two large squares on each side. Use a hot glue gun to glue the wire mesh over the open window sections. This provides good ventilation and a view for the rattie. The lid prevents them from jumping out; it's an ecomonical, temporary means of giving more room to a rat. Hope this helps. Congrats on the babies.

 

[SQ]

Girls go into heat within 24 hours of giving birth ... you need to seperate them now!!
.... hopefully she is not yet pregnant

You can also suppliment her diet of a good quality lab block (80% of diet) and daily veg (20% of diet)
twice a day with a shallow dish of soy infant formula thickened with baby cereal (the kind that says add formula).
This will give her extra protien and nutrition ... it is also great for babies later when she weans them.

btw, baby boys are seperated from mom and sisters at 5 weeks as rats become sexually mature between 5 and 6 weeks, although they are babies until 12 weeks.

Looking forward to lots of pics

 

[SQ]

Here is an example of a temporary bin cage.
Instead of using wire, I cable tied baking cooling racks over the holes I made.
Also used one as a shelf, covered with a dollar store dish drain tray.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2756&p=386570&hilit=bin+cage#p386570

 

[RattieRyan]

Might have to try that bin cage idea. Just gotta see what all supplies I can get from the dollar store lol..

 

[Joanne]

Congratulations on your new big family! I too understand that mom can be bred within 24 hours after birth, although sometimes there can be delayed implantation so that the pregancy term can be extended another week or so to give mom time to wean the first litter. Either way, she will need a really healthy diet. My rats love stuff like scrambled eggs - lots of healthy protein for mom, and easy to make too! Good luck! Looking forward to pics of the babies...