[Chivahn]

I'm out of town until tomorrow, and according to my roommates, Charlotte had babies! They put the babies in a tank like I told them to, but every time they tried to pick up Charlotte they got bit (of course, my most un-people-friendly rat got pregnant.) so I had them put the box of babies (8 so far!) back in the big cage.

The guys say that she seems attentive to them, but I am really worried about my other girls. There are 5 girls in there....should I be super worried about the babies getting eaten???

 

[camel24j]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant, and I'm out of town.

im no expert but when we breed all are females wanted the baby's for themselves that can also cause a problem if they dont have milk to feed babies. i would say from my little experience that there is a small likely hood of the other harming the baby's but not knowing your rats to well it is hard to say. i will hope for the best for you and hopefully you get back to them soon.

 

[Matt]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant, and I'm out of town.

im no expert but when we breed all are females wanted the baby's for themselves that can also cause a problem if they dont have milk to feed babies. i would say from my little experience that there is a small likely hood of the other harming the baby's but not knowing your rats to well it is hard to say. i will hope for the best for you and hopefully you get back to them soon.

False. They will not harm the Babies. All of our Many Breeder Females never kill the other moms babies. if anything they help her out by moving them. eventually they will get fed because he momma ratties knows how many there are and will look for them.

If I was you I would just leave them alone. Trust me, they'll be fine.

 

[Brain]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant, and I'm out of town.

I don't know Matt, depending on the other females and their age, they could be confused and want to have them as there own, and may steal them keeping them from the mother and potentially harming them by a tug of war over the babies or keeping them malnourished.

Try and get your roommates to move the mom, get some garden gloves or if they are very scared try and get her to go into a box and move her into the tank. It sucks to be bitten, but when the boys I rescued needed their cages cleaned and they always bit, I was still determined. If it means the babies lives, try and get them to move her, like I said, garden gloves, or coax her in the tank.

 

[Kimmiekins]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant, and I'm out of town.

I would not take the chance. I know you insist on that, Matt, but just because you've been lucky doesn't mean everyone else would. There are people who HAVE had problems with other females in the cage with babies.

Tell them to find a hand towel and pick her up with it. Gloves could also be used, but I've found my biter actually gets angry with the gloves.

 

[mopydream44]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant, and I'm out of town.

I agree you should try to remove the momma and babies! I heard a story about a rat that came to a rescue pregnant, she gave birth, and ate them all! They all looked in good health but she ate them!!

I've read that they will do that purely out of stress, and I know I'd be quite tense if I had 8 babies and 5 roommates trying to "help" by moving them here or there.

There is a big chance it will work out but it's not worth the risk! Ask a woman in labor! I think most women in that situation would prefer a private room!!

 

[Stephanie]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant, and I'm out of town.

Ask a woman in labor! I think most women in that situation would prefer a private room!!

LMAO!!! I kicked everyone out of my room during the birth of my son including two fo the nurses!

 

[Chivahn]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant, and I'm out of town.

Allright, I'll pass it along. I guess she's moved the babies within the cage 3 times, and is chowing down like she hasn't eaten in days. The roommies sent me pictures...I think there's a lot more than 8 of them. Heh. I think I count 11? It's tough, it's a big pink mass right now, heh.

Here's some pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/toxicheart/sets/72157600918346931/

 

[Kimmiekins]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant, and I'm out of town.

I count at least 11, too.

 

[Chivahn]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant EDITics added pics

I'm gonna try the towel thing when I get home tomorrow. Even if the girls are nice to them, I worry about them being dropped through the wires (They're in a FN, reinforced all the way around by chickenwire) while being moved around while I'm at work and either starving to death or being eaten by the cats.

I'm glad to see that their tummies are all white and full of milk though

 

[lilspaz68]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant EDITics added pics

I see a lot of dark eyes and some pink/ruby eyes...nice milk bellies.

 

[Chivahn]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant EDITics added pics

How can you tell eyes allready?

 

[Chivahn]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant EDITics added pics

Ok, I'm home!

With some utility gloves, some chasing and craftiness, Charlotte and her NINE babies are in a 20 gallon tank by themselves. I could've sworn there were more in the pictures, but I searched e very corner of the FN, under all the fabric bedding....I got each baby out.

Charlottes not happy with me, but she's being very attentive to the pups, and started making them a nest already in a box I put in the tank.

Whew!

 

[ratastic]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant EDITics added pics

Are these her first litter?

 

[Chivahn]

Re: So, Charlotte WAS pregnant EDITics added pics

Yep. She was the crafty one that kept ending up with the boys in the top of the FN

 

[Chivahn]

Finally got a clear picture. There's 10. I got momma out and counted.

This is Charlotte:

And any of the boys could be fathers, heh. I have a BEW (though he has a few black hairs on his head), beige hooded w/ pink eyes, PEW, Double rex, and black hooded boys.

 

[Brain]

Look at those little butts!
Seeing that there heads are kinda dark, Im sure that they could have the fathers genes from one of your black hooded rats. Then again, I could be wrong.
Dont forget to make sure she gets lots of protein in her food, or else she may eat em. :[[
I liked to make home made balls for my pregnant hamsters, just some plain oatmeal that has been mixed with some water so I can roll it into a ball. I mixed assorted goodies in there that normal rat mix doesn't have, like bits of chicken, ect ect and they loved em and it kept the babies full.

 

[Chivahn]

Yeah, there's definately some that are hooded, and some that don't have any dark on them at all. So hooded and PEW, I'm thinking. Jack and Spork. Crafty brothers. I think it would be cool if any of them picked up Curly's traits though (my double rex), he's such a handsome fellow XD

How long till they start getting hair/open their eyes?

And I've been making sure that Charlotte has been getting lots of protein and extra fruit and veggies and stuff in addition to what I usually feed, which is my homemade version of the Ratatatts mix.

 

[twitch]

3 weeks i believe but could be wrong. its very late at night and i'm very tired. most sites that talk about how to care for a litter and momma will have it though.

 

[ratastic]

Is Charlotte very protective?