I totally lost this link, and finally found it again. wow.. random, but I have so much to update, I don't even know where to starts.. hmm..lets see. we are looking for a house in NY, we are currently living in Rochester, NY moved here in april 2011.. so about a year ago..CRAZY!

We are looking for a house with land, so that the rats can have their own house, and I can start building my riding stable, where I can give lessons, and board horses.. ahhhh..the dream.


Other then that, nothing left really.. Rats are doing good, Haven't updated pictures lately no time or anything, but will try to get them up sometime in april..lol I know its a wait but will give my Roans a chance to fade out some. All the lines are doing great.. So here is my update will try to update more often again.. wow lucky I found it.

I can't believe we are moving, ARS will be in NY the end of March, its crazy, the rats are all well , what would you say just chillin. I have adopted out several rats to get my numbers down to like 10, I have 5 rats going to TRD. She's become a really good friend and will be helping me breed the Kinky's its great to have another brilliant breeder work with that line, as I can't do everything myself. So Kinky's will be out West sometime in April. woo hoo..

I have decided to take 4 cages with me, my bin cages are easy to carry and keep the bedding inside the cages vs the wire cages. So I plan on having my big girl bin cage, which is made of 3 bins and a tunnel. huge compared to the rest of them, and then my little boys bin cage, and my big boys bin cage, and a nursery cage, can't really keep them all in my new apartment but the few that I have I can stick in a closet since I have like 5 closets so they will be out of the way, and I can leave the closet doors open all day and not worry about the cats jumping on the bins knocking them over. So thats a good thing, Apartments just never have enough room, I was like if I got a 3 room apartment they could have their own room again, but I can't afford a 3 room in NY its EXPENSIVE!!! so a two bedroom with like 6 closets..LOL don't know how they figured that out, but hey what ever works, I plann on putting my litter box's in a spare closet too.. see how well that works, nothing will be in the way other then my little girls toys.. LOL

So ARS is moving cross-country and we are excited, new people already filling up the waiting lists, found out Rochester Area only has 1 other rat breeders, so thats great won't be as crowded with breeders as it is here, Finally an area where its not flooded by wholesale rat breeders who breed 3 litters every freaking month, My adopters will miss me, but I really need a new change of pace and a new area, Plus being closer to family members will be a huge benefit. Josie can visit Grandparents every day now..LOL

well thats all that is new at ARS right now.. will update right after our move, with some pictures of the new rattery set up..

Yep its that time of year where everyone around you starts to get sick and sneeze, cough..and etc. But don't forget about your ratties they too will get sick, sneeze and etc. So make sure you boost up the vitamin C in their water..

I'm happy to say that my meds are doing an awesome job, keeping me happy and healthy and I have actually started redoing my breeding plans. Granted i'm not going to do probably more then 4-5 litters a year, just to help further my lines and to keep them going, but I believe I shouldn't dive to hard into my breeding plans just encase I relapse and have to go on stronger meds. I mean really my hubby loves animals but he is far from being a rat lover like I am.

Besides studying in school and getting As, I've been working really hard to get the BRBB rat registry working. Is the BRBB's free rat registration database, granted I love NARR and a lot of breeders out there swear on it, I"m a cheapy..LOL If I can save money on something to help buy better food, and better bedding for my rats I will. So when I stop being to lazy I will register all my rats with BRBB.. This of course is in NO WAY a replacement for NARR as they have the largest database of rats registered since they become fancy. but its a start for our new breeders who are just getting started to register their rats in BRBB before paying the yearly fee for NARR..

Other then that nothing going on in the rattery really, i'm in the process of enlarging both the male and female cages so I can go from 4 cages to 2, I have 2 litters in the process for Xmas, all sold to a lovely family who have been valued adopters since I started breeding rats in 2002 in CO.. so I can't complain, I'll be keeping Harley's and rex's from each litter possibly just a girl and boy, one of each, depending on what catch's my fancy

I also have to adopter out several of my older rats to free up space, but its sooooo hard, I love them dearly and I think if I can just get that bigger girls cage done it wouldn't matter feeding 5 extra little rat mouths.. My oldest rats right now are just about 1yr and 5 months old.. and they are my rescue girls Rock and Pop.. so woo. for ratties..LOL..

so that is all for my update right now.. happy colder days, and if I don't write anything before then.

Happy Holidays Ya'll

LOL
~ Janine

So as my homepage states, I will be closing my rattery temporary to deal with some personnal health issues, this bumms me out really badly, I"ve found homes for all my rats and i'm just keeping my roans , torts, and several older females as pets.. Breeding right now is kinda up in the air as I have to see if I can give all the babies the individual attention they will deserve when I start my new meds, which last time rendered me totally zombiefied and I was on bed rest for almost a year. Give or take a few months when I refused to be in bed all the time.

I do what to thank all my friends in the rat community that have stepped up and adopted my guys, I hope they do me proud and produce awesome babies like they have for me. I know that most of them will be loving pets and will pass on the best genetic codes they can. I will miss all my rats, but I had to make the decision to down size dramatically not only for my health but for my rats. I would be unfair to them to keep everyone and not give them the play time they are used to and that isn't right. so I love them enough to let them go to new homes and that is all that matters right now


as far as , my winter litters as I have a roan and ivory litter planned, those are very tentative and my not even be bred, If I do.. its basically to keep the line going as my females are getting up in age, and I don't want to lose the line at all. So I will see what I do about that breeding, if I do breed, of course I will adopt out most of the babies and keep a breeding pair from the litter to further my own lines. its just a little hard for me to think that far right now.

Also my trip to CA is still on. we expect to be in CA the 11th of Sept, where I will drop off most of my rats to thier new homes, also dropping off rats in AZ, that will be going to a breeder in UT.. so i'm excited to meet all my new rattie friends and i'm sure we will have fun talking in person..

well that is all for now..
~ ARS

So this summer has been one filled with nasty bugs, spiders and these really small things that don 't die no matter what you use on them. I have come to the conclusion that maybe the house it's self is sitting on some weird bug hive.. ugh.. annoying..

okay enough of the bug vent..LOL

All rats are doing good, we have some small things going on.. RiverRock got bit or stung by a mosquito or deer fly and developed an abscess on his back right between the shoulder blades..as nasty as it was to drain he is doing good and it seems to be on a good mend..

In fact to the all the boys I have, they are all too sweet, I have never had any rats that are more loving than this bunch. I have actually decided to call them my mellow tribe I mean literally they could care less if I put a new boy in the cage even one that comes from another rattery, No fighting squeaking and etc.. I just think they don't know any aggression what so ever, which is the best I have ever had. I'm truly blessed by this rattery.

My girls are all doing great, all on the large side, my tort line is still on the slim side but slowly getting them where I want them, which is big but not overly huge for does..

The rattery in general has gone this summer with no illnesses, despite the small allergies that seem to through when the cotton wood decided to seed.. I have like 3 rats allergic to cotton wood pollen. o.O i find that really wierd, but you know what if humans can have allergies then why not rats.. I mean nature has its way I guess.

Now on to the news of the road trips and incoming rats. I'm excited to no end about this Sept.. I'm getting Roans, DU's, Fawns, Russian Blues, and more little dwarf carriers..LOL.. wow wee.. how exciting..

Sept. can't come fast enough, it just seems now that it is dragging on and on..and the month seems to be taking its time coming around, Kinda like when you have huge plans for the day, but it just drags on and on.. yeah that feeling.. very annoying..

So that is about it.. right now.. nothing really exciting going on in the rattery.. other then everyone is happy and healthy, and living it up.. spoiled guys i mean really..

OOO before I forget, we will be celebrating our first silkie batch in a few weeks.. woo can't wait to see my baby silkies being born.. my two breeding pair birds are like blue ribbon winners so I know that the babies they produce will be outstanding..

okay that is all.. until the next news update..LOL yeah when ever that will be. I really don't update this that often..but i'm lazy like that..
~ Janine

I had a chance today to answer that all time favorite question that funky people ask me.. and that is

"Why do you house your rats in home-made cages?" well the answer is always the same, from my point being, hand sized nasty bugs that will kill my rats..and the bin cages are the safest things for them, as these huge nasty bugs can't get into the cage.. soo to prove my point.. here is a picture of a desert centipede that live in my area, this one was killed by my cats in the rattery.. which i'm greatful for as these guys always come out of the wood work when I have babies..they seem to find easy prey the best..but the fact that the bin cage the nursery cage is on..is slicked down with spray on veg. oil kept this ugly bug from crawling up into my cage..

so enjoy.. or not.. its very nasty!!!


next to a dollar for size comparison



Next to my left hand for size comparison ( so happy this ugly thing was dead!!)



The deadly mantibales.. these bugs are toxic aka poisonous.. so they can kill rats, small birds and even mice.. anything small.. they sent my little girl to the hospital for 4 days after she got bit..so NO fun to be around..they are nasty and aggressive things..they are hard to find and usually only come out at night.. so yeah.. not the best thing in the world.


Being sick is NO fun for any child..and please for you critter keepers out there.. DO NOT keep these bugs as pets.. they are very dangerous to small kids.. And Josie was very lucky that she came away unscaved.. Sever infection! lots of antibiotics and etc.. NO fun..

Okay so this wonderful Colorado weather has me getting sick on and off, as well as 2 of my other ratties.. sniffing, sneezing, and minor discharge, but I can't really blame a few of the rats getting sick with the temperature going up and down, and up and down.. I mean even I'm getting sick .. Its April 26th and I woke up to snow out side O.o I mean really snow.. ugh.. i'm so tired of winter isn't it suppose to be spring, nice warmish weather.. O well.

Any whom, other then the 2 sniffing, sneezing ratties the rats in the rattery are doing great, all happy fat little pigs.. I think the lab blocks just promote ratty fatness..LOL but as long as they are not over-weight i can hang with some fat little pigs specially the hairless girls look like little pot bellied pigs its funny. Specially when my hubby goes into the rattery and goes " oink oink" to the hairless girls and they start bruxing..LOL

other then that nothing really new happening in the rattery or around the area.. except the snow.. waaa!!

O.. I had an adopter ask me why I didn't work with other CO breeders.. here is a simple answer for anyone wondering the same questions

I chose not too. I've learned over the years in living in CO that most of the breeders here are two-faced lying deceitful people, who say one thing but do another.. I've been burned tooo many times by CO breeders to risk my awesome bloodlines in their hands.

I like working with level headed people, not people who can't keep their word or stick to a contract..So yeah my main reason.. I'm German and I don't have time to fall into the CO breeder politics and many of them are just again two faced back stabbers..

Plus it's not fun if you can't find someone in the hobby of rat breeding who will help you in the same way you help them.. right.. its like going to a toy convention and you have an old fart yelling at kids for looking at the oldest G.I. Joe doll still in the box.. I mean come on.. don't need that stress.. if you have any questions as always feel free to email me.. LOL specially if your a new CO breeder.. I can discuss it with you.. but more then likely the answer is going to be No.. not being rude or mean just been burned too many times by breeders in my own state..

- ARS

Oh the longer days, the warmer sun that shines in the sky is just lifting my spirits..

All rats are doing great in the rattery, we had some one decide that play time was the time to take the carpet out of the corner o.O .. so we have to replace the carpet in that area come here soon.. The babies from the roan litter are doing wonderfully, growing slowly as to be expected as both parents were 5 months old.. They have also not started roaning yet.. wooo.. which is great. I don't want them to roan out too early..just makes for better rats.

We did have some sneezing going on last week, couldn't tell if it was the change of the bedding, or because the cotton wood trees out side are starting to bloom, or the dust that is being kicked up by the daily wind storms.. in either case its not something I'm really worried about as there was no staining around the nose or eyes..

The rattery has now had the windows open for almost 3 weeks straight day and night.and the rats seem to be enjoying it majorly..and of course you can't complain about how awesome their fur is starting to look as they are molting into the summer coats.. I wonder sometimes that people who live in warmer states have the same process go on. at least I know my guys go through two major molts a year.. winter and spring. its very interesting. and always will be..

I happy to announce that this year we will be in-porting some nice rats!! super excited about that. as well as exporting some nice rats to fellow breeders.. Always excited..

The rest of my litters for the year is planned and I think I will keep the planned litters the way they are. unless, i have better pairings come up.. but right now it is what it is.. so yep happy about that.

other then that nothing else going on.. I hope everyone is enjoying the nice new warmer longer days.. I know I am..LOL
- ARS

Okay so I totally over hauled the website again, I think I like this one more and I will probably keep it this way, it looks more clean cut, and is much much easier to navigate. So yeah.. Hope you guys find it as easy as I believe it is.

New litters are being planned, I have them written down but not listed yet.. as I may change them here and there depending.. LOL

okay thats it nothing too new..lol

-ARS

Yep, we can't be more happier that the cold days of winter are slowly vanishing into the hills and spring is showing its beautiful face.

I can't tell you all how excited I am about the warm weather, I'm soo tired of being cold its not funny, and I bet my rats will be happier too as then they can go out and play.

So this summer we have plans, we are working on our roan line getting some new color in the line.. so far we have produced blacks, agouti, and cinnamon, we have slowly been working in Quicksilver but as its pretty recessive its been hard work and we just had our first ever quicksilver roan doe born a few weeks ago.. she will be paired later with her daddy to produce a litter of quicksilvers..

I have also been working my tail off on a new line of dumbo rats.. this may not be something for most to be celebrated about, but this line is totally different then most dumbos.. as with the selective breeding we have been working on getting the ears bigger and floppy.. right now they are in the " mouse " stage , meaning they have huge ears like mice.. but we are hoping that within this year we will have the first ever floppy eared dumbos out for pet adoption.. This has been slow hard work of selective breeding..and I don't have to say that selective breeding is hard work as we have been keeping every baby from every litter to make sure we only have the best rats for that line.

we have also been working on our harley line trying to get it back to how it was in 05, when debbie first found the first harley rat.. we want the fur to be just as plush as it was meant to be.. we have been working on a lot with the line trying to get the fur longer and thicker. its still a huge work in progress and slow going..

other then that nothing too new.. keep a look out on our availables page as we will be putting several rats up for adoption who are not making the breeding cut in the rattery and they will be available for pet homes only.. most have homes lined up already but I will post them regardless as i would love them to have at least 2 homes reserved per rat.. this way I don't have to worry about anyone ending up homeless so to speak.

that is it from ARS.. sorry this update took a while, but nothing has really been going on that is news worthy..LOL

oo.. we did have two successful litters of torts and calicos.. they were just awesome, and all babies found good homes. we have kept 7 babies from the litters for continuing our line. Next calico and tort breeding will take place in the fall sometime.

- ARS