Introducing nursing mom to other rats

[minnieflower]

I have a mom nursing 19day old babies and I wanna let her come out for exercise but she won't come out. She bites so I don't wanna bother her too much but she seems very interested in my other rats.

I have four six month old girls, should I let her see them or will she just attack them? My girls are friendly towards everyone old or baby rats so I trust them, but I'm not sure about the mom.

I also recently got 12 babies off a feeder breeder, they seem way too young to be on their own, do you think she would foster the young ones? I don't want her to kill them. Sorry for all of the questions, this is my first nursing mom and she's a rescue so I'm going off generalization since I don't really know the rat yet.

 

[lilspaz68]

I wouldn't attempt intro's with a nursing mom right now, she probably would be more defensive than if she wasn't nursing, especially if she's hormonal. I also think that those babies should be supplemented but I wouldn't try to intro them to her either, as she's got a young litter already. They need supplementing not a new mom at this stage.

 

[Rattastic]

I have a mom nursing 19day old babies and I wanna let her come out for exercise but she won't come out. She bites so I don't wanna bother her too much but she seems very interested in my other rats.

I have four six month old girls, should I let her see them or will she just attack them? My girls are friendly towards everyone old or baby rats so I trust them, but I'm not sure about the mom.

If she is biting at you then she will bite at your other females. She's instinctively protecting her young and introducing her to unknown rats could be one messy fight. I would wait for introductions once Momma has all her babies weaned off and rehomed. If she's curious of them now, she'll be curious and more accepting of them once her babies are gone. Her biting should also disappear once her babies are gone as well.

I also recently got 12 babies off a feeder breeder, they seem way too young to be on their own, do you think she would foster the young ones? I don't want her to kill them. Sorry for all of the questions, this is my first nursing mom and she's a rescue so I'm going off generalization since I don't really know the rat yet.

How many babies does your momma rat have now? Twelve babies are a ton of work for her. I wouldn't introduce those babies to her. She already has so much work raising her current litter. If the feeder babies and her babies are very distant in ages (ie. hers are 2 weeks & the feeders are 4 weeks) she will probably reject them and potentially see them as a threat. I would just supplement the feeder babies. Do you know how old they are roughly? Are their eyes open?

 

[minnieflower]

I've decided to take your guys' advice and wait for intros. She has 11 babies and she seems like shes getting fed up so I'm not gonna give her any new babies.

The feeder babies look maybe 5 weeks. Theyre smaller then the moms babies but they look more mature, im not exactly sure.

Also when should I seperate her from her babies permanently?

 

[lilspaz68]

I've decided to take your guys' advice and wait for intros. She has 11 babies and she seems like shes getting fed up so I'm not gonna give her any new babies.

The feeder babies look maybe 5 weeks. Theyre smaller then the moms babies but they look more mature, im not exactly sure.

Also when should I seperate her from her babies permanently?

Male babies should be separated from all the females at 5 weeks. Your older new rescue baby males should be separated soon from their sisters.

Mom can stay with her baby girls.

Post some good pics of the babies you wanted "aged"

 

[minnieflower]

Theres two litters from the feeders, theyre all female. The beige is one of the smallest from the younger litter. And the bigger one with the brown head is the other litter.

 

[lilspaz68]

they look about 4 weeks to me.