This article is from the WSSF 2016 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

By Karen Robbins

Jozzette Hagemann, Jozzy’s Rat Pack Rattery
Q I have been working on the Powder Blues producing a litter and neither doe seems to be getting pregnant. What can I do?

A Sometimes you need to leave the rats together until she gets pregnant rather than just putting them together for one night. Also, try pairing them up with different males rather than with the males you have tried. Our article in the WSSF2010 newsletter Male Rat Won’t Breed gives other tips when it is taking a while to get your rats bred.

Mayumi Anderson, Bii Rattery, CA
RE: Gray Rats: Russian Platinum or ?? in the WSSF 2015 issue
Q I have tried to put together Pearl, Mink x Gray over 15 times. Girls were in heat but never got pregnant. The boy got very sick and I needed to put him down. The Gray line has very bad respiratory problem. I kept one boy and three girls. The boy showed already respiratory problems. I put him with other big boys yesterday and the baby got stressed. I have three Pearl and two Mink girls but they do not get pregnant. I have tried almost three months. I have the same lines since 2004. Do you think because of the line breeding for a long time it is creating the problem?

A Sorry to hear about the problems with the new color. Hard to say if line breeding is the problem since when they do get pregnant they have lots of babies for you. The labs do heavy inbreeding for many generations without issues. Usually if litters are very small in numbers all the time, then an outcross is needed. I know if they are lacking in Vitamin E they will have problems but don’t know if that is the case with your rats since you give them a varied diet. I do know weight can be an issue and make it harder to get females pregnant, so females need to be in good weight and not fat. Females of good size can be bred at 4 months and sometimes if you wait too long to breed a rat, she won’t get pregnant.

Jozzette Hagemann, Jozzy’s Rat Pack Rattery
Q Can a pregnant rat lactate?

A Yes, if she is already nursing a litter (got pregnant right after delivering the first litter).

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