Hi everyone
My name is Caroline and I run the hub rattery in the West Midlands, Broadwaters Rattery & Friends.
The rattery is set over the ground floor of a house on Broadwaters Smallholding where I also mix my own feed system called Lawsons Complete - Rat Pick n Mix.
I have circa 45-50 rats plus bubbas!
I have been an animal breeder my whole life and over the past 20 plus years Broadwaters Smallholding hasn't always specialised in rats.
So I have the absolute pleasure to have gained experience in keeping and breeding the following species:
Meerkats, Skunks, Cape Genets, Raccoon Dogs, Parma Wallabies, Richardsons Ground Squirrels, Short Tailed Opossums, African Pygmy Hedgehogs, Emins Pouched Rats, Gambian Pouched Rats, Greater Egyptian Jerboas, Kangaroo Rats, Baluchistan Pygmy Gerbil, Persian Jirds, Bushy Tailed Jirds, Nile Rats, African Pygmy Dormice, Harvest Mice, Wood Mice, Duprasi, Sundevalls Jirds, Tristrams Jirds, Mongolian Gerbils, Fancy Mice, Winter White Hamsters, Campbells Hamsters, Syrian Hamsters, Angora Ferrets, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Bearded Dragons, Rankins Dragon, Leopard Geckos, Corn Snakes, Axolotl, Pygmy Goats, Pigs, Ponies, Geese, Chickens, Ducks, Pheasants, Barn Owl, Java Sparrows, Pigeons and Turkeys .
In 2020 I decided to concentrate on dumbo rats for a few years because I was so upset by their decline in health and average longevity over the years.
Our population may be permanently damaged but I refuse to accept this without a fight! Rats deserve for us to fight hard for their health and to never find it acceptable that a species we KNOW can live for 4 years in captivity is now only living to an average of 2 - 2.5yrs.
I refuse to accept that 'all rats get cancer and all rats are prone to lumps and respiratory infections'.
Broadwaters Rats are not bred to exhibition standard, they are a population of dumbo rats bred solely for health and longevity. In fact due to their genetic diversity, they are all very individual looking and would be a show breeder's worst nightmare due to the wide variety of genes they carry!
So while all the wonderful exhibition breeders out there take good care of the amazing array of colours and patterns, we hope to develop the most diverse and healthy gene pool possible which may in future be of service to the show sector and also to the top eared rat population!
If you are interested in learning more about the breeding model and have an interest in breeding Broadwaters Rats, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Particularly if you are located in the North, East or South of England, or Wales or Scotland.