# How often are babies stillborn?



## Cookie and Mischief (Sep 30, 2014)

Sorry if this is the wrong section to put this in, but I thought since my ratty is due any day now that it would be nice to know where to keep my expectations of live-born babies. 

So main question:

How often are rat babies stillborn?


Thanks so much!


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

I've only ever seen one stillborn. Even with litters of 17-20. Of course, if you leave mom alone with them for long enough, she will eat any stillborn pups.


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## Cookie and Mischief (Sep 30, 2014)

Ooh, kind of gross... So it isn't very often? I've heard of someone who had a litter of 7 and 6 were stillborn, and the other died that night. But she may not have taken good care of the rats, so yeah.

Thanks!


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I've always heard and experienced myself tht you lose one is most litters, but as was mentioned the mother generally consumes them to reappropriate the nutrients so it can go unnoticed.


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## Cookie and Mischief (Sep 30, 2014)

Okay then, so expect 1 to be stillborn per batch of babies?

Thanks!


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## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

I have only had one litter but none were still born and all lived.


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## Cookie and Mischief (Sep 30, 2014)

Okay, so I shouldn't expect half of them to die... I guess?

Sorry that I'm being a bit paranoid about this whole litter situation, so sorry if I ask loads of questions, I just want to prevent anything horrible from happening!

Thanks!!


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

I've had many litters and only one stillborn, sorry, should have made that more clear. I'd say it's not all that common to have a stillborn and unless there's something seriously wrong with the pups, you can expect them all to live.


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## Cookie and Mischief (Sep 30, 2014)

Okay, awesome! 

Thanks once again!


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

It's unlikly for the full litter to be stillborn unless somethings going on with mum (rats can get STDs). I'd say that in a typical big litter you might loose 1 or 2 either still born or in the first week as mum chooses to get rid of them for some reason. Street The first week your unlikly to loose any other than maybe around 4 to 5 weeks when they move properly onto solid food. That's when birth defects like megacolon shows up and rats can fall ill over the next few weeks and may not make it.

Unfortunately death is very much apart of new life. Generally is a lovely experience but I'll be honest my worst rat experiences have been related to breeding as well as some of the best


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