Breeder Application
Allow me to tell you a little about myself as a breeder.
I've been an established rattery since 2012 but have bred a few litters prior to that throughout the years.
-I use large cages rather than bins or racks.
-I very seldom hard cull rats (euthanize), I more often than not soft cull and pet place rats that are not 'perfect'. I do hard cull for aggression towards humans, though I will neuter males for hormonal aggression etc.
-I do not adhere to any strict temperament testing, though I do of course watch and evaluate my babies.
-I am also a hands on breeder. I work with and socialize my babies, introducing them to new things and regular handling.
I understand some of those methods are not desirable to other US breeders so I just wanted to fully disclose my breeding practices in case that is off putting to interested individuals. Please note that I do not deny breeders whom have different practices than my own so long as they are humane in their practices and knowledgeable about rat genetics and behavior.
If you have any other questions about me as a breeder or my practices feel free to get in contact, I am very open about everything I do with my rattery and am happy to answer questions.
I've been an established rattery since 2012 but have bred a few litters prior to that throughout the years.
-I use large cages rather than bins or racks.
-I very seldom hard cull rats (euthanize), I more often than not soft cull and pet place rats that are not 'perfect'. I do hard cull for aggression towards humans, though I will neuter males for hormonal aggression etc.
-I do not adhere to any strict temperament testing, though I do of course watch and evaluate my babies.
-I am also a hands on breeder. I work with and socialize my babies, introducing them to new things and regular handling.
I understand some of those methods are not desirable to other US breeders so I just wanted to fully disclose my breeding practices in case that is off putting to interested individuals. Please note that I do not deny breeders whom have different practices than my own so long as they are humane in their practices and knowledgeable about rat genetics and behavior.
If you have any other questions about me as a breeder or my practices feel free to get in contact, I am very open about everything I do with my rattery and am happy to answer questions.
-- ABOUT YOU:
*Your legal name:
*Your full address:
*Do you rent or own your home? (If renting please provide landlord contact information.)
*Do you have a knowledgeable vet available to attend to your rats if they were to become ill? (If yes please list your veterinarian's contact information)
*Where will your rats be kept? (ie inside the house, outside, in a sed, in the garage, etc.)
* Your Facebook Rattery Page:
* Your website (if applicable):
* Have/Do you ever do any type of serology testing (no wrong answer here, just getting to know you)?
* How long have you been breeding?
* What species of animals have you bred in the past and/or breed now?
* Do you keep track of your lines (ie: pedigrees, genetics, etc)?
* Are you registered (Provide registry names and numbers if applicable)?
* What are some other breeder groups that you participate in and why?
* Do you have any breeder mentors that are helping you? Who?
* Would you be willing to adhere to a breeding contract stipulating that you do not adopt rats from my lines to other breeders without my expressed permission?
*What variety are you interested in adopting from my rattery?
-- GOALS:
* What are the overall goals with your breeding program? (Please elaborate, ie: longevity, specific varieties, etc)
* What would be your overall goal/dream regarding your rattery and practices (you can skip this if you’d like)?
--GENERAL CARE:
* What caging do you have available for your rats (Please list all applicable caging, standard housing, breeding housing, nursing housing, weaning housing, etc)?
* What type of bedding do you use?
* What diet do you feed? Does it differ for pregnant/nursing moms/growing babies?
-- BREEDING:
* At what age do you breed a female/male for the first time?
* At what age do you retire your females/males?
* How soon would you re-breed a female after she's weaned a litter?
* How many litters would a single female have within your program?
* At what age do you separate males from females after a litter is born?
* Where do you obtain your breeding rats?
- If from other breeders are they aware? Do they consent to your breeding them? (Please list the ratteries who you have worked with if applicable.)
- If from pet stores/shelters/rescues, please explain your decision to use these rats for breeding. (Again please be specific and list pet store/shelter/rescue names – There is no right/wrong answer)
* Are you open and honest with potential adopters about where rats were obtained, practices you participate in, and the overall health of any given rat/verity being placed?
-- ADOPTION:
* Do you adopt the babies out or keep them?
- If adopting them out please answer the following questions:
* Do you require adopters to fill out an application or sign a contract?
* What are the requirements to adopt from your rattery? (ie: specific caging/ tanks, specific bedding, etc)
* Do you allow an adopter to adopt both males and females? Why or why not?
* Do you allow an adopter to adopt males if they already have females (and vice versa)?
* Do you adopt out single rats or require adopters to adopt in pairs?
-- Temperament Testing:
* What type (if any) temperament testing do you do?
- If you do, where do you get the information to temperament test your rats?
* What happens when they do not meet your expectations (if applicable, and again, there’s no right or wrong answer here)?
* If yes to any of these, what are your age requirements for passing any said test?
- Do you have a specific guideline you go by for testing? How does this work with ages, outcome, etc?
* Are you a hands on breeder who socializes your rats or are you a hands off breeding who maintains limited contact with your rats?
-- CULLING & FEEDERS:
* What method of euthanasia do you use (ie: Home methods, Vet, etc – please explain your answer)?
* Do you keep retired breeders, rehome, and/or cull them?
* Do you breed for or sell “feeder” rats or “pet” rats? If both, are they from the same lines? Why or why not?
* Do you cull litters down in size, why or why not?
* For what reason would you hard cull (Euthanize)?
* For what reason would you soft cull (Pet place)?
* In general how often do you hard cull (ie: almost never, 2-4 rats a litter who fail temperament testing etc)?
-- GENETICS:
-This portion is just to give me an overall grasp on if you have any idea what you are doing, again don't feel too pressured, if you are still learning feel free to say so, I'm happy to help and share my knowledge!
* What are the two base colors?
* Give me 3 examples of a dominate gene?
* Give me 3 examples of a recessive gene?
* What usually happens when a rat has one dominant and one recessive gene?
* Do you understand how double rex differs from hairless (Please explain your answer)?
* What's an example of a C-Locus rat?
* Are you aware of the physical genetic markers that can be linked with megacolon (please explain)?
* Do you outcross, line breed, or inbreed and why (there is no right/wrong answer, the question is geared towards your understanding of what this process provides/eliminates)?
* What would you do if a recessive gene popped up that you weren’t expecting (ie, who would you go to for help, how would you figure out what it could be, etc)?
*Your legal name:
*Your full address:
*Do you rent or own your home? (If renting please provide landlord contact information.)
*Do you have a knowledgeable vet available to attend to your rats if they were to become ill? (If yes please list your veterinarian's contact information)
*Where will your rats be kept? (ie inside the house, outside, in a sed, in the garage, etc.)
* Your Facebook Rattery Page:
* Your website (if applicable):
* Have/Do you ever do any type of serology testing (no wrong answer here, just getting to know you)?
* How long have you been breeding?
* What species of animals have you bred in the past and/or breed now?
* Do you keep track of your lines (ie: pedigrees, genetics, etc)?
* Are you registered (Provide registry names and numbers if applicable)?
* What are some other breeder groups that you participate in and why?
* Do you have any breeder mentors that are helping you? Who?
* Would you be willing to adhere to a breeding contract stipulating that you do not adopt rats from my lines to other breeders without my expressed permission?
*What variety are you interested in adopting from my rattery?
-- GOALS:
* What are the overall goals with your breeding program? (Please elaborate, ie: longevity, specific varieties, etc)
* What would be your overall goal/dream regarding your rattery and practices (you can skip this if you’d like)?
--GENERAL CARE:
* What caging do you have available for your rats (Please list all applicable caging, standard housing, breeding housing, nursing housing, weaning housing, etc)?
* What type of bedding do you use?
* What diet do you feed? Does it differ for pregnant/nursing moms/growing babies?
-- BREEDING:
* At what age do you breed a female/male for the first time?
* At what age do you retire your females/males?
* How soon would you re-breed a female after she's weaned a litter?
* How many litters would a single female have within your program?
* At what age do you separate males from females after a litter is born?
* Where do you obtain your breeding rats?
- If from other breeders are they aware? Do they consent to your breeding them? (Please list the ratteries who you have worked with if applicable.)
- If from pet stores/shelters/rescues, please explain your decision to use these rats for breeding. (Again please be specific and list pet store/shelter/rescue names – There is no right/wrong answer)
* Are you open and honest with potential adopters about where rats were obtained, practices you participate in, and the overall health of any given rat/verity being placed?
-- ADOPTION:
* Do you adopt the babies out or keep them?
- If adopting them out please answer the following questions:
* Do you require adopters to fill out an application or sign a contract?
* What are the requirements to adopt from your rattery? (ie: specific caging/ tanks, specific bedding, etc)
* Do you allow an adopter to adopt both males and females? Why or why not?
* Do you allow an adopter to adopt males if they already have females (and vice versa)?
* Do you adopt out single rats or require adopters to adopt in pairs?
-- Temperament Testing:
* What type (if any) temperament testing do you do?
- If you do, where do you get the information to temperament test your rats?
* What happens when they do not meet your expectations (if applicable, and again, there’s no right or wrong answer here)?
* If yes to any of these, what are your age requirements for passing any said test?
- Do you have a specific guideline you go by for testing? How does this work with ages, outcome, etc?
* Are you a hands on breeder who socializes your rats or are you a hands off breeding who maintains limited contact with your rats?
-- CULLING & FEEDERS:
* What method of euthanasia do you use (ie: Home methods, Vet, etc – please explain your answer)?
* Do you keep retired breeders, rehome, and/or cull them?
* Do you breed for or sell “feeder” rats or “pet” rats? If both, are they from the same lines? Why or why not?
* Do you cull litters down in size, why or why not?
* For what reason would you hard cull (Euthanize)?
* For what reason would you soft cull (Pet place)?
* In general how often do you hard cull (ie: almost never, 2-4 rats a litter who fail temperament testing etc)?
-- GENETICS:
-This portion is just to give me an overall grasp on if you have any idea what you are doing, again don't feel too pressured, if you are still learning feel free to say so, I'm happy to help and share my knowledge!
* What are the two base colors?
* Give me 3 examples of a dominate gene?
* Give me 3 examples of a recessive gene?
* What usually happens when a rat has one dominant and one recessive gene?
* Do you understand how double rex differs from hairless (Please explain your answer)?
* What's an example of a C-Locus rat?
* Are you aware of the physical genetic markers that can be linked with megacolon (please explain)?
* Do you outcross, line breed, or inbreed and why (there is no right/wrong answer, the question is geared towards your understanding of what this process provides/eliminates)?
* What would you do if a recessive gene popped up that you weren’t expecting (ie, who would you go to for help, how would you figure out what it could be, etc)?