I just got my first couple litters of babies and have a question on moms and babies... I keep 2 females in a tub together and so far each litter has been about 11 babies. So the questions...

Do I have to worry about some babies not being fed because one mom steals all the babies? When I check on the rats they seem to all be together in one heap.

Will the moms take turns nursing?

If I separate them will one just take them all back?

They will both take care of the babies and if you separate them they will still take care of them even if they are not theirs........

Exactly what Phil said. They are communal breeders. All moms take care of all babies. It is actually better in my opinion to keep a few females together with litters. Just make sure you watch for rogue females eating the babies.... I have found if they do this past their first litter (which is common) she is rogue and needs to be removed ASAP....

Exactly what Phil said. They are communal breeders. All moms take care of all babies. It is actually better in my opinion to keep a few females together with litters. Just make sure you watch for rogue females eating the babies.... I have found if they do this past their first litter (which is common) she is rogue and needs to be removed ASAP....

I agree and I have found females who haven't even had babies yet tending to anothers babies as well. I'm sure they aren't getting anything but they seem to let them attach anyhow. To they always seem to like to have all the babies in one pile most of the time. I did have an older female once that would take a few to the side and care for them but in general they mostly keep them all together and work together from what I have seen.

Thank you everyone! The babies seem to be growing OK so I was assuming everything was going fine and they were all getting some food. My first litter was a mom by herself(her cagemate died with a belly full of babies, not sure why??) and her babies have just opened their eyes and are so cute. My fiance loves going in to pet and hold the baby rats which she swore shed never do:lol: ... couple more questions.

I believe they are just about to be 3 weeks old... This is when I should be offering them lab block correct? Is it OK to leave them with mom till day 28 without a water bottle? I was planning on taking them away from her next weekend and putting them in a outgrow tub with lab block and a water bottle. Is this a good plan? Thanks again everyone.

I do not remove mine from mom until they are nice size hoppers and I notice them eating the adult food.

I agree and I have found females who haven't even had babies yet tending to anothers babies as well. I'm sure they aren't getting anything but they seem to let them attach anyhow. To they always seem to like to have all the babies in one pile most of the time. I did have an older female once that would take a few to the side and care for them but in general they mostly keep them all together and work together from what I have seen.

Those are wet nurses and will start milk production to help feed the litter. In most cases you can pull a litter and put with an adult female and she'll start producing milk to save the litter.

I don't keep track of days, but pull the babies when their ears perk up and they are running around well on their own (not merely crawling).

I'm with Scott, I don't pay too much attention to how old they are but once I see them eating the lab blocks, or the mix that I'll give them for a little while when they first start eating, and not nursing at all anymore I'll separate them from mom. I usually keep the females separate when they're getting ready to have babies but that's just because I found that they fight over the babies sometimes and I don't want any of the little ones getting hurt by a couple of big ol' mommas fighting.

Those are wet nurses and will start milk production to help feed the litter. In most cases you can pull a litter and put with an adult female and she'll start producing milk to save the litter.

I didn't know that...I mean I saw it happening but didn't actually know they where getting something as I always kept the original mom with the litters...Pretty cool and thanks for explaining that :yourock:

when i used to breed the both moms helped whith all the babbies and they took turns :yessir: