Firstly, sure. I can understand the concern. But the number of litters a breeder has is nobody's business but their own.
A breeder isn't "better/more ethical" if the have fewer litters a year. Each breeder has their own set of goals and expectations in a line, and as long as a breeder is following a set of goals... Then I see no problem with having more than 2 litters a year.
Each breeder may be working on more than one line. I, myself, currently have 6 in total. These are all different varieties with different characteristics I want to work on. Some of the lines may be active lines I've been working on for quite some time, while others might just be starting up or are test pairings to determine which direction I would like to go with the line.
I have goals for each line.
Expectations.
I've done my research and I'm not just breeding for the "sake of".
If anyone was to ask my anything about any of my lines. I would be able to explain to them where I am now, and where I want to be in 3 to 5 generations time. Of my 6 lines I currently have, only 2 are ready for pet homes. I'm still actively working on the others to ensure that they meet all my goals and expectations.
No. I am not breeding for the public and specially for pet homes. I am breeding for myself, I am breeding to an incredibly high standard that I have set for my rats.
Yes. It would be incredibly easy to just breed the rats, over socialize, and sell them to pet homes. But that's not how I conduct myself in my rattery. I believe in breeding sound genetic temperament, and working on this takes time.
So what happens to the rats I don't adopt out? They are humanely euthanized as per AVMA standards and donated to a reptile and owl rescue/rehab.
Because I have 6 lines, this means that I will have more than 2 litters a year in order to reach my goals. If anything, I might have 2 litters PER LINE per year. If I only had ONE line I would understand this "only 2 litters a year" stance. But to say I'll should only have 2 litters when I have so many lines to work on is ridiculous. How do you progress and achieve your goals?
Breeders breed. It's how we get to where we want to be. I'm sure there are many breeders who feel the way I do, especially those working on more than 1 line. But for us to sacrifice our progress and our goals because a select few have deemed that only having 2 litters a year is a thing to strive for, is incredibly unrealistic.
PS. If anyone ever has any questions regarding my breeding practices, my inbox is always open. I don't have anything to hide.
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Picture credit: Imagine Photography
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Originally written by Imagine Rattery on 22 Feb 2020
https://www.facebook.com/imagineratterysa/photos/a.182950725728534/489660325057571/?type=3&__tn__=-R