BABIES! What a night

**DrKym** · 07-06-2006, 11:09 AM

Jess I am so happy to hear that they did well! My rats all live in colony housing so it's a safe bet that Vodka will adopt all of them if bailey well bails (hahaha pun not intended) but if this is Baileys first time with pups she will learn a lot.Just be careful even though they are close that with so many that one of the moms doesnt hide a few of the smaller ones. Also while mine are nursing I always add some chopped boiled egg including shell and some cottage cheese or yougurt my ladies prefer blueberry,along with their pellets and fresh veggies and fruits. Good luck and post a few pics

**moosmom** · 07-06-2006, 11:27 AM

Ooops, sorry!

**Khay** · 07-06-2006, 12:45 PM

Why in hell would you post about that here?

Talk about your pets here, not your pets' food. I don't see why breeding food is welcome to talk about here......

I find it quite offensive, and don't see this as responsible breeding in any way. Better to buy frozen food for snakes etc. than trying your hand at breeding it yourself. Poor animals.

**sasvermont** · 07-06-2006, 01:01 PM

This thread is exactly what we were driving at when someone created the "Fluffy" thread.

What the hell is this about?

**king2005** · 07-06-2006, 02:19 PM

Khay,
Vodka, Bailey & the other girls are my pets, so why is it so wrong to post about the experience I had with Bailey last night?
I'm also excited that their are babies, I shower them with as much love as I give to my pets, right up until the end. If 1 comes out stillborn, then I'll work my butt of trying to save its life, saddly those 2 didn't make it, but I did try my best & was sad that they died.

moosmom,
No sorry needed, its my fault, I didn't state what I was talking about.. my bad.

Dr.Goodnow,
Your saying egg for protein correct? I feed the gals kitten kibble for protein.. is egg better? I did give them all an egg last week, as I dropped it on the floor & I'm picky hehe I washed it off & cut it into chunks so each one could get some.

Will they eat the shell? Thats something I didn't know! Do I have to grind it up & then mix it in, or will they eat the shell on their own? I have a HUGE stock pile of egg shells that I freeze for Axle, so I have lots of that

Logan,
Thanks Logan, I really do care for the babies right to the last moment. I was covered in blood & goo lastnight until quite late & will do it again when the time comes.

buttercup132,
Of course turtles drink milk, you should know that! *runs of giggling*

**.sarah** · 07-06-2006, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by Khay

I find it quite offensive, and don't see this as responsible breeding in any way. Better to buy frozen food for snakes etc. than trying your hand at breeding it yourself. Poor animals.

So you're saying you'd rather buy an animal that has an unknown history? It could have been beaten to death and lived a cruel life, and this is better than humanely raising the feeder animals yourself?

**king2005** · 07-06-2006, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by .sarah

So you're saying you'd rather buy an animal that has an unknown history? It could have been beaten to death and lived a cruel life, and this is better than humanely raising the feeder animals yourself?

Thank you. I tried getting that across in my other post.
Axle also cannot have any toxins in his food, as it effects turtles faster & more deadly then it does to cats & dogs (BHA & BHT is what I'm talking about.. just look at the Bald Eagle & what it did to their eggs). I have to feed him & hes been on a fish diet for far too long & it shows (too thin & not as healthy looking). I do welcome people to my home to see the rats, I have nothing to hide.. well maybe the clean shavings that fell onto the floor that i didn't clean up & then tracked all over my apt. So just don't look on the floor until I sweep it up! lol

**DrKym** · 07-06-2006, 02:45 PM

Yes just crush up the egg a bit with a fork and shell also, I dont use kitty kibble anymore for the girls I have better results with coat and births keeping them on a rat pellet and adding in lots of goodies like apples banana chips eggs certain cereals ( their fave is shredded wheat) of course any healthy leftovers from your dinner bones meats etc can all be given my girls and my boys are in amazing health and their vet teases me that we are breeding super rats! we have a unbelievably low rate of infant mortality so I think we must have hit something rightLOL. and use up those frozen egg shells!

**king2005** · 07-06-2006, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by Dr.Goodnow

Yes just crush up the egg a bit with a fork and shell also, I dont use kitty kibble anymore for the girls I have better results with coat and births keeping them on a rat pellet and adding in lots of goodies like apples banana chips eggs certain cereals ( their fave is shredded wheat) of course any healthy leftovers from your dinner bones meats etc can all be given my girls and my boys are in amazing health and their vet teases me that we are breeding super rats! we have a unbelievably low rate of infant mortality so I think we must have hit something rightLOL. and use up those frozen egg shells!

Neat, I'll make an egg & shells for them tonight!
I found this really neat mixed Rat food. It has all kinds of grains, & dried fruits in it. Also has those rat pellets & seeds. But I add frozen veggies..On hot days I give it to them frozen & they like to play with them lol I also give them the heels of my 12 grain bread (I hate the heels). I do keep healthy scraps from dinner for them. & I spoiled them with a french fry, I swear it was ONLY 1 lol I couldn't resist they could smell it & all of them were squeeking & hanging off the cage lol

I have also been spoiling the 2 mommies. I gave them breakfast in bed this morning!! I gave them 4 different kinds of veggies (put them in their nest so they wouldn't have to get up lol, it was a little chilly & i didn't want them getting up to get breakfast).

I was collecting the egg shells cause I had saved up to get a blender. I wanted to make Axle Fish Gelleton Cubes & load them with egg shell bits & add his vitamins to it. Now I just need the gelleton (I hope that stuff isn't some stupid price lol).

**JenBKR** · 07-06-2006, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by .sarah

So you're saying you'd rather buy an animal that has an unknown history? It could have been beaten to death and lived a cruel life, and this is better than humanely raising the feeder animals yourself?

I'm with you on that sarah

**IRescue452** · 07-06-2006, 03:24 PM

I'm sorry you have to go through ignorant people putting you down because of what you have to do. Its not like snapping turtles in the wild go looking for frozen and processed foods. Some people need to put their emotions asside and deal with life as it is. Congrats on the babies. I have been reading up on raw diets for animals other than dogs lately. I read an interesting study that show rats on a processed diet and on raw and their pancreas size. On raw it was .165% of body weight, on processed pellets it was.521% (very enlarged). Perhaps giving more fresh foods will provide more healthy litters to come. I'll bet that eating real prey is better for the turtle too.

**king2005** · 07-06-2006, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by IRescue452

I'm sorry you have to go through ignorant people putting you down because of what you have to do. Its not like snapping turtles in the wild go looking for frozen and processed foods. Some people need to put their emotions asside and deal with life as it is. Congrats on the babies. I have been reading up on raw diets for animals other than dogs lately. I read an interesting study that show rats on a processed diet and on raw and their pancreas size. On raw it was .165% of body weight, on processed pellets it was.521% (very enlarged). Perhaps giving more fresh foods will provide more healthy litters to come. I'll bet that eating real prey is better for the turtle too.

Well isn't that super neat info!
So what would be considered a raw diet? Besides removing the kitten kibble? Should I stop using the mixed food aswell? The only processed stuff in it are these green O's & the rat pellets (those inch long greyish ones, not those green rabbit ones). Would my 12 grain bread be healthy for them on a more regular bases? I already give them veggies & banana. Would raw or cooked chicken be good for proteins? I cannot eat chicken, but I already buy it for Axle & in bulk its dirt cheap. I think hamburger would be too fattning for the rats & I know chicken is healthier for people.. What about fish? I buy frozen Sardeans for Axle, so I have those.

I;m almost finished my bag of mixed food, so if I can get lots of info on raw, I'll go that way instead!

Its funny how all my pets eat better then i do lol

**Khay** · 07-06-2006, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by .sarah

So you're saying you'd rather buy an animal that has an unknown history? It could have been beaten to death and lived a cruel life, and this is better than humanely raising the feeder animals yourself?

Actually my main point of my post was to not post about this here.

I come to these pet websites for enjoyment, not to hear about breeding animals for food

I'm sure there are forums around like that somewhere else.

**JenBKR** · 07-06-2006, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by Khay

Actually my main point of my post was to not post about this here.

I come to these pet websites for enjoyment, not to hear about breeding animals for food

I'm sure there are forums around like that somewhere else.

Then perhaps you should have PM'd her about it. Personally, I see nothing wrong with her posting about it here, especially since the momma rats are pets.

**Khay** · 07-06-2006, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by JenBKR

Then perhaps you should have PM'd her about it. Personally, I see nothing wrong with her posting about it here, especially since the momma rats are pets.

Well if posting about breeding pets for food is fine around here, perhaps this is simply not the forum for me. I see it as nothing but respect to keep something like that off the boards of avid pet lovers.

Good luck to everyone and their...."pets."