Culling

I am going to look at the difficult and emotive subject of culling. I approach this topic with a good deal of trepidation, for it is a subject that raises all sorts of passions in people (and rightly so). It is not my intention to write a prescriptive or judgemental piece, yet I fear that it may not be possible to write on such a subject without showing my own bias.

If anything this piece is designed to give hope to those who feel personally or morally unable to cull their kittens, and yet may hear (as they take their first steps into breeding) that they will never be able to produce quality rats if they choose not to cull. I heard this when I was starting off. I was suspicious of this statement at the time, and now know it is not true. I would say that you are unlikely to produce quality rats is massive quantity if you choose not to cull, because of all the work needed to safely home your babies, follow them up, keep records, care for older adults etc.

If you are going to breed rats you will have to decide what you are going to do with kittens that you do not want to keep. In the purest sense 'culling' simply means "removing from the breeding programme". All breeders do this. We select for desirable characteristics (temperament, health, physical traits) and breed only from those rats that fulfil our criteria. We choose not to breed from rats who do not perhaps possess the same qualities. However, in popular usage it has come to mean the practice of killing surplus animals. Within the rat fancy this can include unwanted kittens and adults who are no longer needed in breeding programmes, but for the purposes of this article I will use it to mean the killing of surplus kittens only.

Reasons often given for killing surplus kittens:

• To reduce litter size in order to give the remaining kittens the best chance of optimum growth.
• To prevent over-burdening the doe with a large litter.
• To dispose of kittens who are surplus to requirements.
• To prevent large numbers of unwanted rats for whom homes may not be readily available.
• To remove rats with obvious defects.
• When working with new varieties or unknown lines, to prevent a host of 'unknown' problematic rats ending up in pet homes.

Let's look at some of those points in more detail.

Some breeders have historically argued that the only way to produce large rats who reach their full physical potential is to reduce litters down to maybe around 6-8 kittens. A lot has been said about raising large litters 'causing' such physical problems as matchstick tails and general lack of bone structure and substance. Enough breeders have raised enough large litters (up to 18 kittens in litters that I am personally aware of) to show this to be false. To a large extent physical qualities are inherent within lines of rats and where nutritional input equals nutritional needs, then maximum potential will be achieved (assuming no illness or adverse environmental factors). Matchstick tails (and related problems) may well be caused by nutritional deficiencies, but they do not have to be an inherent part of raising large litters.

It is certainly true that to some degree this nutritional input is not fully within our control, as it relies on the doe adequately 'feeding' her young, both in the womb and prior to weaning. However, most good sized, fit, robust does (and they are the ones we should be choosing to breed from) will be more than able to adequately feed their young. From observation I would suggest that physical under-development (lack of bone structure, substance, square tail) may be the result of breeding from rats that display these qualities, or raising larger litters without adequate nutritional support. If nutritional input is less than nutritional requirements, obviously physical development will be affected, but increasing nutritional input is not beyond any well-informed breeder.

The doe herself, providing she is fit and well nourished prior to giving birth, can usually be supported nutritionally regardless of litter size. I say "usually" because there seems to be the occasional doe who feeds continually and weans her kittens late, and who is physically 'drained' by the process. With excellent feeding throughout, even these does will only take a few extra weeks to return to pre-pregnancy condition. While providing good nutritional support for does nursing large litters (and subsequently their kittens) requires extra time, effort and expense, it is nevertheless perfectly possible.

The issue of reducing litters so as not to have to home the surplus babies is one, which I find particularly difficult. The reason for this is that we live in a country where huge rodent farms churn out large quantities of rats without thought or consideration to breeding choices, adequate nutrition, socialisation, health, stress; to fulfil a market for pet rats. At the same time breeders producing good quality rats from healthy lines, with good temperament, who have the potential to be well socialised and well fed, are culling them. Many times I have had people approach me for kittens, who have ended up buying from pet shops because they didn't want to wait for the weeks (or even months) it would take to get rats from a breeder (even though I often pass people on to other breeders when they have available kittens). The UK definitely needs more rat kittens from sound, healthy, breeders lines, not less.

It takes a good deal of time and effort to find and 'vet' potential homes for one's kittens, and to build and maintain relationship so that those kittens can go to their new homes at 6 weeks without anxiety on the breeders part. I aim to maintain contact with all of my babies' humans throughout the rats' lives. In this way I know how they are, what problems they encounter (if any), and can monitor the temperament, health and longevity of the rats I breed. I am aware that none of these things are fully possible if I cull. Having peace of mind as a breeder is not about finding homes for my babies, but about finding the right homes. Again, hard work, but perfectly possible, and reaps enormous benefits. If I could no longer find homes for my kittens I would have to ask myself "why?" and "why am I breeding?"

Sadly a very few kittens are born with (or quickly develop) obvious defects or disease. Sick kittens have just as much right to veterinary treatment as sick adult rats. And those who aren't treatable can be pts humanely (there would no doubt be much debate as to which methods are humane). However, I know a number of breeders who have a particularly special rat at home whose future seemed very uncertain as a kitten. Given the chance, many of these babies survive without ongoing problems, and make wonderful pet rats (probably because of all the extra attention when they were young).

It is certainly true that unknown lines, and new varieties can have inherent problems, and this is often used as an argument for culling these lines heavily. Obviously there is some logic in this - is it fair to 'inflict' your unknown kittens onto some unsuspecting family, for whom this might be their first experience of rats? What if they develop temperament or health problems at an early age? But consider the alternative. The family go to a pet shop and buy what? An unknown kitten from unknown lines, with just as much (?more) likelihood of experiencing health and temperament problems, but without the excellent start (socialisation, nutrition) that a breeder can give their kittens. I also wonder how it is actually possible to find out what problems there are in a line if one is culling litters. Keeping and raising what could potentially only be a half (or even a third) of a whole litter would seriously skew any 'conclusions' one might draw about the health, and temperament of the rats, unless mapped out over a long period of time.

It is possible to select pet homes to suit the kittens concerned. No animal can be taken into one's home with any sort of guarantee of future well-being. Responsible owners take on a pet with the same attitude as is currently reflected in the marriage vows "for better, or worse, in sickness and in health, 'til death us do part." As breeders we have an obligation to be honest about known problems, and certain litters are perhaps better homed with more experienced owners, but since all rats are potentially going to be problematic, how can we justify that potential as a reason for killing them? I am certainly not advocating indiscriminate breeding of unknown varieties/lines, as often happens when a variety appears that is unusual or attractive. As breeders we need to be responsible and do our very best to monitor and 'contain' these varieties until we are sure of their problems, as well as their desirability! This can be achieved to a large extent by careful selection of pet homes, and (very) cautious placement of any kittens into breeding homes. Mentoring inexperienced breeders can also help.

One very positive benefit to breeders of not reducing litters is that they will have maximum choice of which babies to keep within their own ratteries once those babies reach 6 to 8 weeks.

In conclusion, I am convinced that there are alternatives to culling litters for those who choose to explore them. More time and effort? No doubt. I am excited that there are now a number of ratteries around the UK who have proven results over generations, raising full litters of quality ratties.