# I don't know what to do...



## Cookie and Mischief (Sep 30, 2014)

So, A week ago I moved the babies to the adult's cage, because they opened their eyes and were bouncing off the walls.

Now, they are eating adult food at 3 weeks, and drinking from the spicket, practically adults! Same age I got Rosie at.

Anywho, I'll get to the point:


My cage is pretty big, but not enough for ten rats. I have 4 males, and I don't have enough money to build another cage for them (I'm a minor, too young to get a job)! I can't give them to the shelter until they are 6 weeks, because they might carry megacolon or whatever, It would really stink if I had to keep the males with females (Which I absolutely can NOT do, I can't have 6 pregnant females,), so can someone please give me advice on what to do? Give them to the shelter young? Find a way to build a cage from scraps?

Please help me!


THank you!


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

You built a tub for mom and pups, right? You can separate them into that unless there's a way to block off part of your cage. Honestly, there's not really much to worry about right when they mature since they still don't know what they're doing, so if you can take them somewhere at 6 weeks you might as well just leave them together.


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## Cookie and Mischief (Sep 30, 2014)

When I first moved Holly and the pups to the adult cage I blocked off the bottom part of the cage. A few days later I woke up with all of the pups snuggling their Aunt Rosie and Holly was trying to figure out how to get back down to the bottom.... I'm not the best at blocking things off  


THe tub was a deep thick plastic bin with mesh over the top with a flat, heavy object set on the mesh so it wouldn't get out, but Holly (that little houdini) figured out a way to escape that too! Our cat cornered her, thank goodness my brother got to her first!


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## Cookie and Mischief (Sep 30, 2014)

Okay, so, they don't "figure out" how to... well, breed, until they are about 6 weeks old?


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

I've honestly not even seen any try at that age. I usually don't separate litters until 6 weeks unless it's a huge litter and they're overrunning a single cage. I've never had any accidental pregnancies within siblings.


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## Velo (Dec 30, 2014)

Rats are capable of mating and reproducing at five weeks old.
A five week old male can 100% get mom or siblings pregnant.
Just because some people have been fortunate to not have them reproduce at five weeks doesn't mean it can't or won't happen to you.

Can you build a bin cage for the males? 
There are plenty of designs online that are sturdy and 10$ or less. You can use zip ties to secure the mesh.
IE: http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/ac93/zany_toon/Cage setups/IMG_0192.jpg


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

http://www.afrma.org/babyratdevdaily.htm
Rats breeding under six weeks is highly unlikely. As with humans, some can mature faster than others, but as long as you separate at 6 weeks the chances of mating with mom and siblings is almost nonexistent. On top of my personal experience, I do happen to do my research before suggesting things. Not to mention my work actually requires maintaining a colony of breeding rats.


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## Velo (Dec 30, 2014)

Are you denying the fact that research has found rats are indeed capable & sexually mature at five weeks though?
I don't see the point in encouraging someone to not separate when there is a possibility. What would you do if this person's rats did become pregnant, are you going to be there to help her raise six litters? Is it not better to separate and make a cheap 10$ bin cage than it is to deal with six litters?
I do my research too, and rats have been found to be mature enough to mate at five weeks. You say it's almost nonexistent, which means you acknowledge this fact too. You may be maintaining breeding colonies, but that has nothing to do with trying 1000% to make sure absolutely no further pregnancies occur.


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

If you take a moment to read my first reply to the poster, I did encourage her to use the bin that she already made to separate them. Things are always better safe than sorry, but if someone lacks the means or will to separate them then the possibilities of what might happen have been stated as well as their likelihood of happening. I'm not encouraging one action or the other, just simply stating facts so that the poster can decide for themselves. I'm not sure why you discredit my experience with breeding colonies considering it's done in a highly controlled manner; I don't work for some crappy pet store taking care of their breeder tubs, I work for a lab where we have strict guidelines and multiple trainings are required before you can even be in the same building as the rats.


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