# Rats retaining sperm...no denying it now.



## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Right if anyone wants to say it's not possible I can honestly say that they do retain sperm....

I have a rex agouti doe here. She was mated, left with buck for 12 days, gave birth 14 days after I took the buck out. She had 8 young, 6 rex and 2 normal coated, all healthy.
I have just gone to seperate bucks from Mum and does today, this being they are 1 calendar month old, she was giving birth when I went to take them out.

Here is the way I did it with the buck and doe.

1/6/09 put vari buck with agouti dumbo rex doe.
13/6/09 seperate them and put doe in her own birthing box.
27/6/09 Doe gave birth to 8 young...2 normal coated and 6 rex coated.
27/7/09 go to seperate boys from Mum and girls to find she is in the middle of giving birth.

I took all 1 month old babies out and then seperated the sexes. The doe has given birth to around 7-8 babies and is doing well.

I know 100%, I will put my grandchildrens lives on it, that this doe has had no contact with a buck since the 13/6/09.
She has not been in a 'cage' beside bucks, she has been in a plastic storage birthing box, at any stage.

I think, due to the size of the original litter, that she must have retained sperm and thus given birth again.


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## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

Yep. I've posted before that some of mine had done the same, nice to see its happened to someone else as I was accused of being too dumb to accurately sex my rats when it happened to me.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Issa said:


> Yep. I've posted before that some of mine had done the same, nice to see its happened to someone else as I was accused of being too dumb to accurately sex my rats when it happened to me.


 
Me the same.
I've been told I 'sleepwalked' and mated a syrian hamster who was in a shed outside in my back yrad before today.
I didn't sleepwalk, although I do in the house, I'm certain the hasmter in question retained over the colder months. She had not been mated since the October and gave birth in the following February.

I've had it happen with most of my rodents over the years.
Hamsters, mice and rats.
I know of mice owners who have had it happen before.

This doe has not been in with an adult rat since the 13/6/09. her babies re only 1 month old, they could not have possibly impregnated her, she gave birth this afternoon. This is 44 days since she has been within 6 foot of a buck who would be capable of getting her pregnant.


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

I've had this happen twice on seperate occasions but with rabbits. Went to remove babies at six weeks of age only to find
Mum with another litter! Once with a
Lion head and the other with a netherland! Spoke to vet about it and was told it couldn't happen and buck must of got to them. As they were kept in cages on other side of the room it wasn't possible. Bought a mini Rex eight weeks ago from a lady in darlington - told her the story. A few days later she phone as the mum had given birth again!


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## felix93 (Feb 5, 2007)

This is interesting.

It happened to me too, but I just thought I am being dumb, not experienced enough although I have kept rats for years. Mentioned to so call experienced ratties breeders, they all said the same thing, I didn't take the male out on time, or even an escaped male have gone into the Mum's cage. It's pretty impossible as my males are not in the same room as the females.:whistling2:

I mated my hairless, took Mum out before she was due in a week time and put her in with another nursing Mum at the time (run out of nursing cage but both Mums are best friends, so no problems). She nursed her 9 babies very well. Babies are 5 weeks old this Wed but I took the babies out when they were 4 weeks old since they are eating well already and Mum did look a bit "fat" :gasp:. Last week, just one day after I took the 9 babies out, Mum gave birth to another 8 babies. One week on, babies are doing very well, growing nicely. 

She has no contact with any mature males at all for at least 5 weeks.


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## BoaQueen (May 3, 2009)

Wow that is absolutely amazing. I am breeding my rats at the moment. Everything has gone smoothly so far, but glad to know about this in case it happens to me!!!


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## mattm (Jul 18, 2008)

I think with the Syrians Saxon it was more of a shock because there is no documented evidence of Syrians ever having this ability, in labs or otherwise. Of course that doesn't mean it isn't possible...I believe that your Syrian did retain as I find the other possible scenarios very hard to believe.

With rats though, i'm not sure if it is a known fact that they have this ability or not? Either way, it seems a lot of people have experienced it now!


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## baby_glass (Jul 3, 2007)

I had this happen once when i had rats,i was told that one of the babies must've mated with mum,they were removed at 4 weeks so how exactly?? Some people just don't want to believe things like this can happen and come up with the most ludicrous reasons on how it must've taken place,why can't they just accept that yes these things do happen!


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## butterfingersbimbo (Jan 26, 2008)

It's a miracle! :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

Well I do have to admit, While my "miracle" litter were living with me they were all named after deities (And my other half was forced to endure a torrent of jokes about the second coming of christ in rodent form...........)


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

baby_glass said:


> I had this happen once when i had rats,i was told that one of the babies must've mated with mum,they were removed at 4 weeks so how exactly?? Some people just don't want to believe things like this can happen and come up with the most ludicrous reasons on how it must've taken place,why can't they just accept that yes these things do happen!


Even if a baby boy did mate with it's mum the mum wouldn't have another litter two weeks later it would be at least 20 + days! 
I've never heard of this at all when my rabbits had a second litter and I asked about I just told I was talking rubbish.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

animalstorey said:


> I've had this happen twice on seperate occasions but with rabbits. Went to remove babies at six weeks of age only to find
> Mum with another litter! Once with a
> Lion head and the other with a netherland! Spoke to vet about it and was told it couldn't happen and buck must of got to them. As they were kept in cages on other side of the room it wasn't possible. Bought a mini Rex eight weeks ago from a lady in darlington - told her the story. A few days later she phone as the mum had given birth again!


*It is well know that rabbits will retain sperm..My friend has one doe who will give birth to three litters from one mating.*





felix93 said:


> This is interesting.
> 
> It happened to me too, but I just thought I am being dumb, not experienced enough although I have kept rats for years. Mentioned to so call experienced ratties breeders, they all said the same thing, I didn't take the male out on time, or even an escaped male have gone into the Mum's cage. It's pretty impossible as my males are not in the same room as the females.:whistling2:
> 
> ...


*Same here. I would bet my grandkids lives ont he fact that the doe has not been near a buck since the 13/6.*




mattm said:


> I think with the Syrians Saxon it was more of a shock because there is no documented evidence of Syrians ever having this ability, in labs or otherwise. Of course that doesn't mean it isn't possible...I believe that your Syrian did retain as I find the other possible scenarios very hard to believe.
> 
> With rats though, i'm not sure if it is a known fact that they have this ability or not? Either way, it seems a lot of people have experienced it now!


*She went on to have yet another litter but as I was basically ridiculed I just kept that quiet. I dont' go on the site anymore now. *

*I've had it happen with all my rodents. Funnily enough not rabbits even though they are know to do it. My rabbits dont' even breed when I want them to!!!!!!*
*I think I have the only celebate rabbits in the UK.......:lol2:*


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

I've never seen anything about rabbits having a second litter and both vets I spoke to said it was impossible. If you know of any places it's be documented I'd love to know and have a read.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

animalstorey said:


> I've never seen anything about rabbits having a second litter and both vets I spoke to said it was impossible. If you know of any places it's be documented I'd love to know and have a read.


I've not read about it but I have a few friends who breed rabbits and most of them have had it happen.
I'm sure there have been cases documented but as I dont' breed rabbits it's not something I've researched properly.

Just googled the possiblity and there are loads of documents but most you have to subscribe to. It does indicate that rabbit do retain though.

I googled.........can rabbit does "retain sperm"


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

At our sanctuary we were asked by social services to take in 4 rabbits which a family couldn't afford to look after.

We were told they were 4 females - of course 1 was a male, so the 3 females were all pregnant! The male was removed immediately and put into another stall in our barn - no way could he have got out.

The 3 females duly gave birth and when the kits were 4 weeks old, one of the mothers gave birth to another 4 more kits and we know for certain there wasn't a male anywhere near her!


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

The same thing happened with a rabbit in the pet shop I used to work at... She was with a male when she came in, so of course she was pregnant. They were separated right away and she gave birth to a litter and had another litter three weeks later.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Amalthea said:


> The same thing happened with a rabbit in the pet shop I used to work at... She was with a male when she came in, so of course she was pregnant. They were separated right away and she gave birth to a litter and had another litter three weeks later.


Which is even more odd as they are meant to be pregnant for at least 28 days.

Anyway my little 'retainer' llitter are doing great. There are 8. She's such a good Mum.
I should have guessed there was something going on because the day before she gave birth to the second lot she was scrapping with the older babies.


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