| Another 1200% increase in rat population... - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page |
| Neo Geshel |
It seems that Louise, my plain brown female adult, was further along
than I thought. It's been only two days since I adopted out two of the
four brown adolescent females that I have. And guess what? This morning,
Louise whelped thirteen pink little fingerlings.
Talk about crowd control!! She started at about nine in the morning, and
wasn't finished until about noon or so. This evening, after everything
had settled down (and with very visible meals of milk in the little ones
tummies!) I transferred Louise and her progeny to another cage for
privacy (I'm worried about the other females stressing Louise out).
Louise didn't take that very well, and tried to transport the younglings
back out of the new cage, but I covered it up in a blanket to calm her
down. I now have some old cotton underclothing on top of Yesterdays News
bedding (as recommended by AFRAM). The cage does not have a secured top
(it is like a Hagen cockatiel cage, but only 12 inches tall, and well
over 12 wide), so I'll pop the lid soon and snap some photos once Louise
has calmed down a bit (she's already doing so).
What is also really nice is that she doesn't seem to mind me handling
the little ones at all. I started transferring them with her right
beside them, and she never batted an eye, much less took a chunk out of
my fingers. And once she was in the new cage, she started licking all of
them and gathering them together; very motherly activity!
Once the little ratties are about a week old, I'll start introducing the
other females to the brood one at a time for a few minutes, so that the
babies get used to other rats and the younger adolescents can learn from
Louise. All under constant supervision, of course. I'll also try to let
Louise out for a few minutes every twelve hours to run with the other
females and socialize.
I am currently feeding Louise small amounts of cat kibble (unknown
brand), plenty of Lab blocks, and moderate amounts of Iams puppy chow. I
chose those because of many reports that pregnant, and especially
nursing rats, require higher levels of protein and fat. I'll ease off on
everything except the lab blocks once weaning begins in the fourth week.
If anyone has any suggestions, I would be more than happy to hear them!
I'll also post pictures once I have them. If anyone in the Okanagan area
of B.C., Canada is interested in a pair of brown males or brown females
(my adolescent rats), pls contact me. They are basic brown with white
bellies and feet. Very hand-tame, although somewhat skittish and shy.
22 rats. Jeepers. How the heck did I end up with 22 rats???
Thanks,
....Geshel
--
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| J&S Bouchard |
"Neo Geshel" <gotcha@geshel.org> wrote in message
news:MPG.19a8a9df716e5208989687@shawnews.ok.shawcable.net...
> It seems that Louise, my plain brown female adult, was further along
> than I thought. It's been only two days since I adopted out two of the
> four brown adolescent females that I have. And guess what? This morning,
> Louise whelped thirteen pink little fingerlings.
>
> Talk about crowd control!! She started at about nine in the morning, and
> wasn't finished until about noon or so. This evening, after everything
> had settled down (and with very visible meals of milk in the little ones
> tummies!) I transferred Louise and her progeny to another cage for
> privacy (I'm worried about the other females stressing Louise out).
>
> Louise didn't take that very well, and tried to transport the younglings
> back out of the new cage, but I covered it up in a blanket to calm her
> down. I now have some old cotton underclothing on top of Yesterdays News
> bedding (as recommended by AFRAM). The cage does not have a secured top
> (it is like a Hagen cockatiel cage, but only 12 inches tall, and well
> over 12 wide), so I'll pop the lid soon and snap some photos once Louise
> has calmed down a bit (she's already doing so).
>
> What is also really nice is that she doesn't seem to mind me handling
> the little ones at all. I started transferring them with her right
> beside them, and she never batted an eye, much less took a chunk out of
> my fingers. And once she was in the new cage, she started licking all of
> them and gathering them together; very motherly activity!
>
> Once the little ratties are about a week old, I'll start introducing the
> other females to the brood one at a time for a few minutes, so that the
> babies get used to other rats and the younger adolescents can learn from
> Louise. All under constant supervision, of course. I'll also try to let
> Louise out for a few minutes every twelve hours to run with the other
> females and socialize.
>
> I am currently feeding Louise small amounts of cat kibble (unknown
> brand), plenty of Lab blocks, and moderate amounts of Iams puppy chow. I
> chose those because of many reports that pregnant, and especially
> nursing rats, require higher levels of protein and fat. I'll ease off on
> everything except the lab blocks once weaning begins in the fourth week.
>
> If anyone has any suggestions, I would be more than happy to hear them!
> I'll also post pictures once I have them. If anyone in the Okanagan area
> of B.C., Canada is interested in a pair of brown males or brown females
> (my adolescent rats), pls contact me. They are basic brown with white
> bellies and feet. Very hand-tame, although somewhat skittish and shy.
>
> 22 rats. Jeepers. How the heck did I end up with 22 rats???
>
> Thanks,
> ...Geshel
You're doing a great job!!!
--
Joanne
Mom to 15 rats
http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70
j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca
remove "no spam"
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| Neo Geshel |
In article <K8V%a.2405$Ki3.317957@news20.bellglobal.com>, j-
s.b@nospamsympatico.ca says...
>
> You're doing a great job!!!
> --
> Joanne
> Mom to 15 rats
> http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70
> j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca
> remove "no spam"
>
Thanks!
Noticed that you are in Canada (sympatico.ca), and had a look at your
photo album. Where did you get those cages from, and how much did they
cost after taxes?
....Geshel
--
**************************************************
**********************
Reply-to e-mail forwards all received e-mails to SpamCop for UBE/UCE
(Unsolicited Bulk/Commercial E-mail) reporting. DO NOT USE THAT ADDRESS!
Please send e-mail to my first name at my last name dot org.
**************************************************
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| J&S Bouchard |
"Neo Geshel" <gotcha@geshel.org> wrote in message
news:MPG.19aafe4dc69efa5d989688@shawnews.ok.shawcable.net...
> In article <K8V%a.2405$Ki3.317957@news20.bellglobal.com>, j-
> s.b@nospamsympatico.ca says...
> >
> > You're doing a great job!!!
> > --
> > Joanne
> > Mom to 15 rats
> > http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70
> > j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca
> > remove "no spam"
> >
>
> Thanks!
>
> Noticed that you are in Canada (sympatico.ca), and had a look at your
> photo album. Where did you get those cages from, and how much did they
> cost after taxes?
>
> ...Geshel
It's called Super Pet Deluxe Multi Floor Ferret Home. I bought one online
from Petsmart and it cost me $230 CAD. The other one, I bought at a Petsmart
in Barrie, Ontario. That one cost me $280 with tax. I have tried all kinds
of cages: Martins, Wood Cabinet, but this is by far my most favorite.
--
Joanne
Mom to 15 rats
http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70
j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca
remove "no spam"
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