# I have A Question About ASF Rats



## Smilearegood4you (Mar 25, 2008)

I was looking on another site, every site just seems to be mainly about Feeding the little guys. Well i was hoping someone on here could help me. I have 3 African Soft Fur rats there are still a few left at the store i work at. Does anyone know how many is to many to have in a colony, i bought them a huge 3 story home and i would like to rescue some of the remaining little darlings.
I was even considering starting a breeding colony, me and the other manager at the store want to try working with them while their young, and possibly making some of them sweeter and selling them at our store as pets not feeders. We both have a soft spot for rodents. Although the ones i have bought are not as they are discribed online they cuddle in my hands.


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## ~AquaMerina~ (Mar 18, 2008)

Try this if you havent already. http://asfrats.info/index.php

As far as breeding them. I would like to suggest that you hold off on that untill you've had yours for a while and have had time to research the heck out of this species. You need to know this species very well so you know what you are doing. 

If you breed them you will have to find the babies homes. How are you going to do that if the species has a bad reputation of being biters and not bonding to their humans? 


Find a breeder of these rats and ask them LOTS of questions. 

It seems that the ones you have are really nice. If you dont mind can you keep us updated on how they are doing and if they bond with you and how they are like/dislike "Regular" rats?

I really dont know anything about these guys so any info you can share with us would be great. Just a thought


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

You'll have to be prepared to house EVERY baby that comes out of your pairs, just in case. I'm sure you can rehome a couple, but many won't find homes, especially if you decree no feeders, even for those that display poor tendencies.

I would even try to ask questions of a Norway rat breeder about how to breed for health and temperment and establish lines. You wouldn't want to just lump the femmes and males and let them go at it, or you'll end up with uncontrolled lines and little in the way of genetic progress.

And you'll need to be prepared for the monetary issues of medical troubles for all those rats and finding a vet to treat them, for both minor issues and the more difficult ones like an emergancy c-section in the middle of the night to save the mother's life.

And you'll need to decide what you're breeding for. Health? Temperment? Both? And you'll have to carefully evaluate your rats to decide who would be best to breed. And make certain they're old enough. And that you've had them long enough to know their ins and outs.

You have to keep track of every rat in your breeding colony, mothers, fathers, babies, aunts, uncles, etc for health/temperment issues to be certain of what each rat carries. These rats don't have established lines, as far as I know, and so you cannot be certain what they may be carrying in recessive genes. It may happen that you start a line and find out a few generations in that they have a recessive gene that causes them to die young or be aggressive and you'll have to terminate (as in, stop breeding) that line and start over. All this while caring for all the rats you generate and keeping in touch with all the owners of the ones you rehome.

You'll have to keep detailed records of health and personality issues and benefits, who you bred when to whom and the result, etc. You'll also have to find other sources for your ASF so that your colony doesn't become too inbred, especially if you find bad traits present in the genes of your rats.

Breeding is not simple work, especially not when you're establishing lines. I'm not saying it's impossible, but mentoring under an established, reputable rat breeder (even if they aren't breeding ASF) can help you realize the magnitude and difficulty of the process. It involves a lot of time, energy, money, and heatbreak.


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Well I guess my first question to you is do you know where these rats came from? Are they all related? If so then I don't suggest ever breeding them! Sounds to me like they were a rescue from a pet store making them most likely siblings and aunts and uncles. not a good situation for breeding.


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Wanted to add here what I found on a forum. Basically everyone says the same thing. They are like a cross between rats and mice. They are really jumpy, hard to handle, tend to use their teeth to show emotions, and no matter how many times you breed them you aren't going to get them totally tame ever. They don't like to be handled like most mice and hampsters, but some can tolerate it. This is the exception to the rule however. They are all saying also that you basically can't breed the bite out of them, but that if you can breed them, then breed a female rat and introduce the ASF's to the rat mother that it's nurtured out of some of them. Seems like ALOT of unessesary births if you ask me and they still jump like crazy so don't make the greatest of pets. Many have tried the same thing your thinking about doing. All have failed or eneded up with 1 or 2 decent ones and even their decent ones aren't nearly as nice as rats, nor friendly. They tolerate being held, but don't enjoy it. 

Seriously, I think this sums it up... quoted from someone on that board and I nearly fell off my chair laughing... 
_All of my little Bast#@%s BITE!!!! _
or this comment.
_Good Lord, how the heck do you handle them, let alone get them to sit still for a pic? They're vicious little jerks..._

Not alot you can do, they are who they are ya know. The biggest problems is that they are A. Jumpy (not alot you can do about that) so they are hard to be held like rats. B. Bitey but it seems they do it more out of fear or exploration.


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## Smilearegood4you (Mar 25, 2008)

Okay, so enough of the attacking. I guess i should have stated a bit more though... My fault. I also breed mice and I am a respected breeder of blue and chocolate Texel mice. All of which have pedegree's of there entire family and background. The Asf's that i have now are all females, I dont even have a male yet. I was only considering, and yes im still considering. Part of being a breeder is also having the space to expirament having space to home all the babies if they cannot find homes. I've been through this before. I do intend to attempt to breed them not now but after the research and after finding a male worthy. 
Also so far all of my girls are adorable and sweet, and i can handle every one of them. THey have a wonderful 3 store home with all the toys they can play with. I must say I prefer them to the rats i had before. Nothing against reg. rats its just my personal prefrance. 
So with that said PLEASE no more attacking, part of research is asking questions and that is all that i was doing.


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Well how close to Michigan are you? 

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/pet/621448381.html

They look like they might be friendlier ones, still jumpy, but friendlier than most.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Smile, I don't think anyone here attacked you. Personally I was only trying to stress that it wouldn't be easy. I hope you don't feel I attacked you in anyway, because that was in no way my intention.

We as a forum in general do not encourage breeding, just because we don't want to encourage backyard breeding or similar. As such, a statement like that can garner a worried reaction from many of us, especially when we have little background information.


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## Smilearegood4you (Mar 25, 2008)

Yes sorry, i actually was able to purchase 2 males. They are both in a seperate cage than my females. The boys are not as friendly(cuddly) but i can still handle them fine. I havent been bit yet. There very interesting they love to play with their toys.


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