# Whats the REAL time to fully wean?



## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

I plan on separating boys from girls at around 4.5 to 5 weeks old at the latest. And two of the baby boys are going to their new forever home at 4.5 weeks old. The babies no longer swarm mom as soon as she sits still, but they do still eagerly feed many times a day and squeal during eating most of the time. They are still eager eaters. If I separate the brothers and sisters, does that mean I also should not allow supervised feeding time and let Bijou in with the baby boys a few times a day? When I look up weaning age, most places said 6 weeks old to not allow girls and mom to be with the boys, but that they should still be feeding from mom until she cuts them off herself. She still seems happy to feed them anytime. and I do NOT want to risk Bijou getting pregnant.

Conflicting information???


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Weaning is very gradual and baby rats willfeed from mum as long as she let's them, she normally gets sick of them about 5 to 6 weeks old depending on how many she's had. In reality the babies only need for from mum for less than this, they are just lazy and prefer food on tap. Babies are able to survive and eat wet food without mum if something happens to her from pretty young with the right support, say around 2.5 to 3 weeks, this is far from ideal though. The right time depends on how the babies are doing and how mum is. 

I tend to split them off mum about 4.5 to 5 weeks, this trends to be the age where the babies areclearly thriving, address nice and chunky and is also clear mum is getting chubby eating the babies wet food. It's also conveniently when I split the sexes. If the girls are small I would leave mum in with them but my liters have had more issues with being a bit chubby than too small lol. I then put mum back in with each group for an hour each day for the next few days, this gives the babies reassurance at first before mum jobs her group full time. 

In terms of the risk of leading the boys in, the reason you separate about then is because the boys testicle drop at around 5.5 to 6 weeks and in theory they could mate with there mum, in reality it is unlikely but well worth being cautious. That's why I wouldn't put mum back in with the boys for much longer, though we have used a spayed Doe whose previously had a litter or been in with young rats as an occasional adult visitor for the boys. Very useful in teaching them that an adult rat who isn't your mum doesn't appreciate being suckled on.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Should add though that the 6 weeks isn't so much about them all being with mum, it's about homing them after they've had time to physically and mentally mature enough to cope with such a big change. Ours don't go to there new homes until about 7 weeks meaning they have panty of time to grow up in familier surroundings with there siblings even if mum isn't with them at the time. I really dislike homing before 6 to 7 weeks, it's just not fair on the babies, they are forced to grow up to fast. Of course it does depend on the rates, ours is a slow maturing line.


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## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

Thank you Isamurat! All the babies (except the possible MC babies) are all doing find and growing quick and seem to always have full tummies. Bijou doesn't seem especially chubby at all though. She still looks like a lithe little girl, which makes me a little concerned. I would have thought she should be bulking up a bit herself. Should I try feeding her a little extra nutrients? I just bought a tube of Nutri-Cal yesterday for the small MC babies. Should I give Bijou a bit too? How much/how often?


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

If she has had a good sized litter then it's normal for her to be slender, however if she seems quite skinny or out of condition (scruffy fur, lack of shine) then I would give her some nutrical and consider splitting her off the babies if they are doing well. The mc babies would be a concern though. How many are in the total litter, how old are they and what's the split of possible mc babies to fine ones?


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## rattie-love-247 (Jul 9, 2013)

i seperate litters from moms at 4 1/2 weeks as well & also seperate the girls & boys so they dont breed with each other.


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