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spor
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1226 Posts |
 Posted - 19/05/2009 : 22:09:18
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Its funny my kids have been asking when they can pick their pet to have, as i have fish,frogs and snake(very soon) and wife has dog and rabbits.
so emily my daughter wants a hamster and dylan my son wants rats. And i thought it would be great . get a male and female rat and then if babies appeared it would be a nice fresh treat.
i think my son would disown me though if he ever found out LOL.
i guess the thing with the breeding is if it got to the point where many more where being produced than could be eaten, you could maybe do a wee deal with your local rep shop in exchange for bits and pieces? |
0.4.0 Royal Python
1.0.0 Pastel Royal
0.1.0 Spider Royal
1.1.0 Carolina Corn Snake
1.0.0 Normal Stripe Corn
1.0.0 Yellow Bellied Turtle
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Edited by - spor on 19/05/2009 22:10:50 |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 12:40:12
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| there's an idea.... |
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anatess
Sub Adult
USA
669 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 17:57:48
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I only have 4 snakes and I breed my own multis. Definitely better than rats since they don't outgrow my royal.
I found that it is difficult to "sell/get rid of" the extra rats. The stores don't want them because they have a steady supply from a supplier that guarantees quality. They don't want to have to worry about getting a "bad rat" from a small-timer.
I don't freeze rats. I like them to have as long a life as I can give them. They're my pets too.
The multis breed much faster than regular rats - they drop between 12-15 rats every 3 weeks! But, since I only have 4 snakes, I would separate the male out of the colony when I get overrun and have one of the kids "grow out" as a replacement. This slows down the production some. Multis have a very strict social structure. You can't just introduce a new rat in an established colony. The new rat will not last through the night! So, when I get really overrun, I would start a new breeding pair from weanlings using a baby from my friend's colony to get new blood. It takes a long time - about 2 months - to get them to breeding age - so it slows down production a lot.
The rat food (Mazuri 6F lab block) is $23 for a 50-lb bag. This lasts me about 6 months. Then I need aspen bedding which is $15 a bag (I use high quality one) that lasts me about a month. The rest is just effort (checking food and water supply periodically and cleaning their vivs every week). There's a one-time cost for their 10gallon tank, wheel, water bottle, hide and decor. And occassional cost for their chew toys. Most breeders don't do this because their rats don't live as long. They're my pets so they get special attention and I spend a lot more. So, I have 3 tanks - 1 for the breeding pair and their unweaned babies, 1 for the grown females, 1 for the grown males.
Here's a picture of one of the tanks after clean-up day. The chew toys are still getting disinfected so they're not in the tank yet.
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Snake owner since Oct 2008, so yeah, I'm no expert.
0.1.0 pastel royal
1.0.0 spider royal
0.1.0 albino royal
1.0.0 bumblebee royal
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal
0.0.1 wild-type royal
1.0.0 normal western hognose |
Edited by - anatess on 20/05/2009 18:09:48 |
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anatess
Sub Adult
USA
669 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 18:06:41
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On euthanizing:
We use keyboard cleaner (compressed CO2) that we get from Office Depot and a quart-size freezer ziploc bag. You can use a regular ziploc but we found the freezer bag to be sturdier. We blow into the bag to open it and make it "fat". Then drop the rat in the bag then zip it almost closed. Then stick the long nozzle of the keyboard cleaner in the small opening, squirt 2-3 times and zip the bag closed. It takes about 3 seconds for the rat to fall asleep. Keep the bag upright for a minute or 2 (CO2 sinks to the bottom) then feed him off. The rat is still warm so the snake still thinks it is alive.
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Snake owner since Oct 2008, so yeah, I'm no expert.
0.1.0 pastel royal
1.0.0 spider royal
0.1.0 albino royal
1.0.0 bumblebee royal
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal
0.0.1 wild-type royal
1.0.0 normal western hognose |
Edited by - anatess on 20/05/2009 18:11:45 |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 18:28:50
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| thanks for all that info Anatess! you're a star :) |
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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
5741 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 19:07:28
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thats brilliant, thank you Anatess-)
how big do they grow?
what age royals are you feeding?
how many do you feed at one time? |
"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown
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anatess
Sub Adult
USA
669 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 19:33:05
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quote:
Originally posted by wolfspirit
thats brilliant, thank you Anatess-)
how big do they grow?
what age royals are you feeding?
how many do you feed at one time?
The largest non-breeder I've ever had was 55 grams. The breeder female is 65 grams. It seems like when the female gets pregnant, she stays huge even after birth. Hmm... Kinda like ME! 
It takes a while for them to grow up. The rats get weaned around 3 weeks at which time they are about 10 grams. Then it takes another month before they get to be around 30 grams. And then another month to reach full size.
My snakes all eat just 1 rat a week.
My largest royal is 2 years old, about 1000 grams. She takes one of the biggest rats a week.
My other royal is only 10 months old, about 700 grams. He can take the biggest rat but I normally give him about a 40gram rat a week so I can save up the biggest rat for the 2 year old.
My other royal is only 8 months old, about 700 grams as well.
Then I have a western hognose who eats newly weaned ones.
So, I only need about 16 rats a month which is perfect for 1 breeding rat female. I get overrun sometimes when the snakes go into a fast but it's not too bad.
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Snake owner since Oct 2008, so yeah, I'm no expert.
0.1.0 pastel royal
1.0.0 spider royal
0.1.0 albino royal
1.0.0 bumblebee royal
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal
0.0.1 wild-type royal
1.0.0 normal western hognose |
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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
5741 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 21:23:46
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what age do they breed?
do you have any problems putting strange males in with the other males? |
"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown
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Paulusworm
Fully Grown Royal
Azerbaijan
1550 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 21:48:49
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| Anatess: This may sound like a silly question but are you working in metric grams or is there a US gram? |
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anatess
Sub Adult
USA
669 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 22:03:08
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They become sexually mature at 8 weeks of age. So, from the time the female is born, you have about a 3 month wait before she produces a litter (add 3 weeks of gestation).
When the multis get weaned, I separate them into male and female groups. For some reason, they don't get "established" like this, so adding the next litter to any older rats doesn't seem to be a problem. Sometimes fights happen but they don't become the murderous fights that the female breeder does in the colony. I do have a lot of empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls in there for rats to "escape" a fight if it breaks out. And their viv is multi-level, so when the fight occurs in the tubes (lower level), the other rats just jump up to the 2nd level where there's a hide-out.
My friend said he has ex-breeders that are now 90 grams! These are 18+ month old rats. |
Snake owner since Oct 2008, so yeah, I'm no expert.
0.1.0 pastel royal
1.0.0 spider royal
0.1.0 albino royal
1.0.0 bumblebee royal
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal
0.0.1 wild-type royal
1.0.0 normal western hognose |
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anatess
Sub Adult
USA
669 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 22:06:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Paulusworm
Anatess: This may sound like a silly question but are you working in metric grams or is there a US gram?
Hmm... I think our grams are the same. I have this scale that says ounces, then you push the button and it says grams. So, yeah, I think it's the metric gram. |
Snake owner since Oct 2008, so yeah, I'm no expert.
0.1.0 pastel royal
1.0.0 spider royal
0.1.0 albino royal
1.0.0 bumblebee royal
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal
0.0.1 wild-type royal
1.0.0 normal western hognose |
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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
5741 Posts |
Posted - 20/05/2009 : 22:39:56
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Anatess, could you email me pics of what your gas chamber looks like?
so i can look into building one..
maybe a bit to sensitive to post it here...
how do you know how much gas to use?
my email is
acfbates@btinternet.com |
"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown
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Paulusworm
Fully Grown Royal
Azerbaijan
1550 Posts |
Posted - 21/05/2009 : 08:18:57
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quote:
Originally posted by wolfspirit
Anatess, could you email me pics of what your gas chamber looks like?
They use lethal injection or electrocution in Florida Anne  |
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anatess
Sub Adult
USA
669 Posts |
Posted - 21/05/2009 : 16:14:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Paulusworm
quote:
Originally posted by wolfspirit
Anatess, could you email me pics of what your gas chamber looks like?
They use lethal injection or electrocution in Florida Anne
Hah hah! Lethal injection... well, I'm just worried I won't have the needle sterilized properly, so I'm using this instead:
It does the job if you're only feeding a few rats off. |
Snake owner since Oct 2008, so yeah, I'm no expert.
0.1.0 pastel royal
1.0.0 spider royal
0.1.0 albino royal
1.0.0 bumblebee royal
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal
0.0.1 wild-type royal
1.0.0 normal western hognose |
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lee2308
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
2597 Posts |
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karl
Fully Grown Royal
1069 Posts |
Posted - 21/05/2009 : 22:17:40
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mmmmm, I have loads of keyboard cleaner, never thought to use that. Wonder if the wife will allow rats to be LIVING in the house again (we used to have loads and she got sick of them)
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anatess
Sub Adult
USA
669 Posts |
Posted - 22/05/2009 : 21:00:48
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| Don't tell her it's a rat. Tell her it's this new breed of hamster. |
Snake owner since Oct 2008, so yeah, I'm no expert.
0.1.0 pastel royal
1.0.0 spider royal
0.1.0 albino royal
1.0.0 bumblebee royal
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal
0.0.1 wild-type royal
1.0.0 normal western hognose |
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Paulusworm
Fully Grown Royal
Azerbaijan
1550 Posts |
Posted - 22/05/2009 : 21:04:46
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quote:
Originally posted by anatess
Don't tell her it's a rat. Tell her it's this new breed of hamster.
A very well endowed hamster |
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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
5741 Posts |
Posted - 24/05/2009 : 07:20:03
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quote:
Originally posted by anatess
Hah hah! Lethal injection... well, I'm just worried I won't have the needle sterilized properly, so I'm using this instead:
It does the job if you're only feeding a few rats off.
Anatess, how do you know how much C02 to use? |
"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown
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wolfspirit
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
5741 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2009 : 22:56:26
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Anatess, what size in inches is that tank and how many multis have you got in there?
and when do you seperate them?
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"No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from
now and make a brand new ending."
-- Source Unknown
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Edited by - wolfspirit on 04/06/2009 22:56:39 |
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