Rattery Ethics
​We are a heavy-cull rattery. We cull for health, temperament, litter size and variety. We also breed snakes, and do not (generally) purchase feeder rodents from outside sources. When we made the decision to breed and feed reptiles, we also assumed the responsibility of making sure that their "food source" was treated with care and respect. Rodents are living creatures with value and purpose, and who feel. We wanted to make sure that any rodents used as food were treated with the love and kindness they deserve.
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BREEDING
Females are not bred until they are at least 12-16 weeks old. Some of our girls are smaller and grow more slowly, and some are larger and grow more quickly.
Females are retired when they are 8-12 months old.
We only allow our girls to have 3 litters MAX before they are retired, regardless of age.
Litter sizes are culled to keep mommas at 8-10 babies. Some does, especially the smaller ones, are kept to even smaller litter numbers.
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MATERNAL AGGRESSION (MA) AND HORMONAL AGGRESSION (HA)
Any does displaying any level of MA are retired from breeding programs, and the babies are not bred, nor are they made available for adoption. The only time does with MA or their offspring are kept for breeding purposes is in the event that we do not have many individuals of their specific variety, and need them to continue a line. This is done rarely, and only with does who exhibit mild MA.
Bucks who exhibit HA at any age are immediately removed from breeding programs, and their offspring are monitored closely. Offspring from these lines will not be made available for adoption for several generations to ensure the issue has been eliminated.
Any rat exhibiting aggressive behavior toward humans, or biting for any reason is immediately culled.
Rats who are not biters, but who are excessively axious/skitish/on-edge are also culled or the line is kept as a feeder line until the issues can be resolved.
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HEALTH
We want healthy, robust rats that are here for the long haul. For that reason, rats exhibiting excessive sneeziness, FTT, MC or any other general unthriftiness is culled.
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HOUSING
Adults are separated by sex, and are housed in numerous "gen pops" in Prevue 528s, large bins and a CN.
Paired individulas are housed in racks until females are visibly pregnant. At that time, the females are move into individual bin enclosures and the males are placed back into gen pop.
Females are kept in the individual bin enclosures with their litters until babies are 5 weeks old.
At five weeks of age, babies are separated. Males are placed in a "baby grow-out" enclosure (a Prevue 528) with what we call a "manny" male. Females are kept with their mother and another nanny female and are also moved to a Prevue 528.
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BEDDING
All of our rodents are housed on kiln dried pine pellets and shavings.
We do not recommend the use of paper bedding or fleece as a primary substrate. If you need to see studies on why these options are absolutely terrible for rodents, we'd be happy to provide them!
All enclosure also have deep bedding to allow the rodents to exhibit their natural burrowing behaviors.
CULLING METHODS• We follow AVMA guidelines for the humane euthanasia (culling) of rodents.• We primarily use titrated CO2 via a regulator.