Post by Mil on Oct 30, 2011 12:46:00 GMT -5
Transferred from The TRRQ Discussion Board Formerly on Facebook:
Samantha Margeson
Hey all rat lovers, the age old question boys VS girls.
I have had girl rats in the past and loved them. I had two males but one passed away. I loved having girls for all the playtime and getting to buy pink stuff but my boys are so cool! I think I would love to have a fixed female and a fixed male, one of each. Has that worked for anyone? To add even more fun, what are your favorite colors of rats?
about 9 months ago
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Merika Dopler
That is a tough one, both have pros and cons. I'd have to say both. I have had fixed rats in the past and present, so far spaying girls seems to help keep the numbers of tumors down and makes for having mixed groups fun. In the past I had 11, 8 girls and 3 boys, the guys got neutered and the girls stayed intact because of the numbers. Up until Jan 22nd I had a spayed female in with my current boys and she was in with 2 intact boys and a neutered boy and everyone got along great, the only minor tussles were over the fact my gal Fayth would go about stealing every ones daily cookie
My other couple was a spayed/neutered combo in the past was a gal petrified by everyone during introductions, no blood no foul nothing more than a pin down scared her witless of most of the other females, so I introduced her to a very grumpy (to people) rescue boy who didn't care who he was with and very gentle with other rats. This worked so well my male Golly -never- got along with anyone else once Serenity passed on and those 2 were the only rats I ever trusted with another gal of mine named Zippo when she had a series of strokes they helped care and groom her when I had to work.
As for color
I have 8 boys and only one isn't black, white or B&W marked. Tho I would love to have another blue. Guess I like black and white.
about 9 months ago
----------------
Samantha Margeson
I love black and white hooded. Marley is a "broken" black and white hooded. Means on his back instead of having a solid black line he has a cluster of black spots. Zombie, who is in rattie heaven, was also a "broken" black and white hooded but on his back he had a spot that looked like a dolphin. Marley is a normal sized rat but Zombie was a runt. I bought them from the same litter at 6 weeks old. Marley is 2 years 5 months. I think I like the boys more because I since I got them as babies I had more time to bond with them and socialize them with me. My females were about a year old before I got them so I had to make up for lost time and some of them were just fine if I left them alone. I would love to have a fawn hooded or a orange rat. There is a picture of a cute orange rat in the pictures of rodent reader quarterly. I will always fix my rats but its my choice and recomend it to others but understand everyone is diffrent. Marley has a 5 foot tall hand made cage that I call the play boy mansion (older man in a big house lol) I NEED to get a pic of it and post it on here.
about 9 months ago
--------------
Merika Dopler
I currently have 2 down under boys (speckled black stripes on back and belly) named Loki and Gareth, a rex (curly) albino Deagol, a black hooded Maverick, 2 solid blacks Helyon and Knightly all affectionetly called 'the youngsters' Maverick's the oldest at approx. a year and a half. The last 2 are 3+ the old men, Ahrok is a rex fawn hooded (best of 2 worlds baby soft and golden!) and Zedd is harder to describe, a show might label him a banded wedge blaze, also black and white my most 'dramatic' looking boy along with my down unders
I spay all new girls since most of my first group passed from cancer troubles, 7 different -types- out of 8 girls the 8th was stroke/pts. The boys I neuter only if the situation calls for it my first rule "no blood no foul", Maverick was neutered for being a dominating pest the final straw was him actually leaving a 2" bloody gash up a spayed girls thigh/backside. My second rule "as long as they aren't being chased from food and water or being in general terrorized" Helyon recently broke this rule and Knightly joined in on it, working on introducing them to Maverick who won't put up with them trying to terrorize him!
I need girls to put these boys in their places!
about 9 months ago
----------
Dantes Zaatara
where can one see pics of all the colors ? does anyone find color related to health , or temperment ?
about 8 months ago
-----------
Samantha Margeson
Some albino rats have an even harder time seeing than most. I know there is more with other colors/breeds but thats the only one I know for sure.
about 8 months ago
-----------
Merika Dopler
www.spoiledratten.com/varieties.html some good pics of the colors with genetic info too.. Any rat with pink/red eyes has a hard time seeing, this article is very in depth but at the bottom are 3 great pics on what rats see www.ratbehavior.org/RatVision.htm
Health wise there are quite a few but linked more to markings than color. High Whites are a good example and linked with megacolon. Some hairless lines fail to lactate or have skin troubles. This can also be affected on where you live too. Differences in genetics between US, UK, Australia, etc.
about 8 months ago
---------
Dantes Zaatara
www.ratbehavior.org/RatSpecies-
found v good research on this link !
thanks for reply, Merika! Samantha !
about 8 months ago
--------------
Samantha Margeson
No problem, any time! I am always up for a good rat chat!
about 8 months ago
--------
Merika Dopler
No problem. Need to brush up on my genetics one of these days.
about 8 months ago
---------
Merika Dopler
Everything I've ever read about genetics tells me this : i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll48/jvanree/DSC04273.jpg can NOT happen, but it does... A new strain that was discovered in a German lab and currently being bred in Holland. Very pretty even on a blue www.dwerghamster.nl/fotoalbum/fotos/overige/Ratten/20090426-rat69.jpg
about 8 months ago
Samantha Margeson
Hey all rat lovers, the age old question boys VS girls.
I have had girl rats in the past and loved them. I had two males but one passed away. I loved having girls for all the playtime and getting to buy pink stuff but my boys are so cool! I think I would love to have a fixed female and a fixed male, one of each. Has that worked for anyone? To add even more fun, what are your favorite colors of rats?
about 9 months ago
---------
Merika Dopler
That is a tough one, both have pros and cons. I'd have to say both. I have had fixed rats in the past and present, so far spaying girls seems to help keep the numbers of tumors down and makes for having mixed groups fun. In the past I had 11, 8 girls and 3 boys, the guys got neutered and the girls stayed intact because of the numbers. Up until Jan 22nd I had a spayed female in with my current boys and she was in with 2 intact boys and a neutered boy and everyone got along great, the only minor tussles were over the fact my gal Fayth would go about stealing every ones daily cookie
My other couple was a spayed/neutered combo in the past was a gal petrified by everyone during introductions, no blood no foul nothing more than a pin down scared her witless of most of the other females, so I introduced her to a very grumpy (to people) rescue boy who didn't care who he was with and very gentle with other rats. This worked so well my male Golly -never- got along with anyone else once Serenity passed on and those 2 were the only rats I ever trusted with another gal of mine named Zippo when she had a series of strokes they helped care and groom her when I had to work.
As for color
I have 8 boys and only one isn't black, white or B&W marked. Tho I would love to have another blue. Guess I like black and white. about 9 months ago
----------------
Samantha Margeson
I love black and white hooded. Marley is a "broken" black and white hooded. Means on his back instead of having a solid black line he has a cluster of black spots. Zombie, who is in rattie heaven, was also a "broken" black and white hooded but on his back he had a spot that looked like a dolphin. Marley is a normal sized rat but Zombie was a runt. I bought them from the same litter at 6 weeks old. Marley is 2 years 5 months. I think I like the boys more because I since I got them as babies I had more time to bond with them and socialize them with me. My females were about a year old before I got them so I had to make up for lost time and some of them were just fine if I left them alone. I would love to have a fawn hooded or a orange rat. There is a picture of a cute orange rat in the pictures of rodent reader quarterly. I will always fix my rats but its my choice and recomend it to others but understand everyone is diffrent. Marley has a 5 foot tall hand made cage that I call the play boy mansion (older man in a big house lol) I NEED to get a pic of it and post it on here.
about 9 months ago
--------------
Merika Dopler
I currently have 2 down under boys (speckled black stripes on back and belly) named Loki and Gareth, a rex (curly) albino Deagol, a black hooded Maverick, 2 solid blacks Helyon and Knightly all affectionetly called 'the youngsters' Maverick's the oldest at approx. a year and a half. The last 2 are 3+ the old men, Ahrok is a rex fawn hooded (best of 2 worlds baby soft and golden!) and Zedd is harder to describe, a show might label him a banded wedge blaze, also black and white my most 'dramatic' looking boy along with my down unders
I spay all new girls since most of my first group passed from cancer troubles, 7 different -types- out of 8 girls the 8th was stroke/pts. The boys I neuter only if the situation calls for it my first rule "no blood no foul", Maverick was neutered for being a dominating pest the final straw was him actually leaving a 2" bloody gash up a spayed girls thigh/backside. My second rule "as long as they aren't being chased from food and water or being in general terrorized" Helyon recently broke this rule and Knightly joined in on it, working on introducing them to Maverick who won't put up with them trying to terrorize him!
I need girls to put these boys in their places!
about 9 months ago
----------
Dantes Zaatara
where can one see pics of all the colors ? does anyone find color related to health , or temperment ?
about 8 months ago
-----------
Samantha Margeson
Some albino rats have an even harder time seeing than most. I know there is more with other colors/breeds but thats the only one I know for sure.
about 8 months ago
-----------
Merika Dopler
www.spoiledratten.com/varieties.html some good pics of the colors with genetic info too.. Any rat with pink/red eyes has a hard time seeing, this article is very in depth but at the bottom are 3 great pics on what rats see www.ratbehavior.org/RatVision.htm
Health wise there are quite a few but linked more to markings than color. High Whites are a good example and linked with megacolon. Some hairless lines fail to lactate or have skin troubles. This can also be affected on where you live too. Differences in genetics between US, UK, Australia, etc.
about 8 months ago
---------
Dantes Zaatara
www.ratbehavior.org/RatSpecies-
found v good research on this link !
thanks for reply, Merika! Samantha !
about 8 months ago
--------------
Samantha Margeson
No problem, any time! I am always up for a good rat chat!
about 8 months ago
--------
Merika Dopler
No problem. Need to brush up on my genetics one of these days.
about 8 months ago
---------
Merika Dopler
Everything I've ever read about genetics tells me this : i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll48/jvanree/DSC04273.jpg can NOT happen, but it does... A new strain that was discovered in a German lab and currently being bred in Holland. Very pretty even on a blue www.dwerghamster.nl/fotoalbum/fotos/overige/Ratten/20090426-rat69.jpg
about 8 months ago