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Separating male and female rat litter mates - (Jul/13/2009 )

Hi. When should I separate male and female rat litter mates? On weening? :)

-TRA-

Rats reach sexual maturity at about 6 weeks, so you want to give yourself a good buffer. I think ~3 weeks would be okay, but I'd want someone to double-check that. I was a mouse guy, not a rat guy.

Cheers,
-Carlton

-Carlton H-

Rats and mice are the same. They should be weaned at 3-4 weeks of age. Some strains of rat (and mice) sexually mature as early as 5 weeks. Also if the animals are permenant breeding pairs, they will have post-partum mated and by three weeks after the birth of their litter they would be ready to drop their next litter anyway.

Cheers

Sandie

-Animaniac-