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Post by msav on May 5, 2014 13:44:27 GMT -5
Ok I got 2 cages, one with 4 females and 1 male and one with 3 females and 1 male.
I have had this setup for about 2 months now.
I have yet to have any baby mice.
I know that there is probably more to this that I am aware of. But Mice are suppose to be prolific breeders so I am missing something.
I am keeping them on top of a ferret cage. all the mice are calm and are not skittish around us. I don't think they are stressed. They have gotten pretty chunky off of the rodent mix recipe I got off this site.
Any pointers someone can give me?
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Post by Heather on May 5, 2014 13:50:34 GMT -5
I had to take them away from the ferrets....just my mice. No, they didn't appear stressed and yes, they too were getting fat. Once away from the ferrets...things happened
ciao
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Post by msav on May 5, 2014 14:12:51 GMT -5
Ok Will try that. Makes since why they would not want to make babies over the salivating lions den. Especially since Mogwai is always sniffing at them from underneath when he is hungry.
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2014 14:23:29 GMT -5
I am guessing it is the stress of being close to the ferrets, but also, is there a place to give birth. Mice need a 'hide den' to do so. Also, watch the others. If you know you have a prego female mice can be cannibalistic. I have had one female that kept eating babies. They say they only do it if there's something wrong, but as soon as she was removed we had several healthy pups. The males can do it too, but I feel like it's usually the females.
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Post by kraesmom on May 5, 2014 18:15:45 GMT -5
Whew! I'm glad you understand the basics and we didn't have to start with "well, there are boy mice and girl mice and..."  |
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Post by goingpostal on May 5, 2014 20:25:23 GMT -5
How much space do they have? I've had better luck running 2 females per cage, any more I see to get babies eaten or lost. Can take awhile to get a good colony started though.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2014 11:47:18 GMT -5
I'm Adelost, to leave this post alone
So, my advice will be Cheesey...
Book them a room at the Paris Stilton
Put on some mood music, a little R N Brie
close the door and Edam alone
That's should be Gouda enough for some little babies
I'm finished now
I Caembert it any longer.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2014 11:52:43 GMT -5
Literally laughing out loud @ @poncesmom
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Post by unclejoe on May 6, 2014 14:22:09 GMT -5
mmmmmm cheeeeese....
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Post by Awaiting Abyss on May 7, 2014 20:18:59 GMT -5
When you say cages... do you mean tanks? Or wire cages?
Wire cages aren't good for mice at all, and especially aren't good for breeding. Mice are escape artists for one, and they are also sensitive to drafts.
Personally I keep my mice in the same room with my snakes, rats, and gerbils. At one time my ferrets were in there too and it didn't make a difference.
I keep my mice in 10 gallon tanks and bin cages with nothing in them but 2 to 4 inches of bedding.
With my pet store mice, I set up breeding groups of 2 to 10 females and 2 males. The number of females I breed at a time depends on the cage that they're in, but I usually do 5 females or less. The number of females doesn't typically matter. Its the number of babies. If a female has a large litter, babies will be culled, especially if there isn't another female to help out with nursing or if that female also has a large litter.
With my show mice, I am only breeding with a single male per tank because I'm not familiar with the lines yet and I won't try breeding for friendly boys until I know the line more.
Sometimes it will take mice a while to get started breeding. It sometimes takes females a while to accept the male.
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Post by msav on May 8, 2014 9:08:02 GMT -5
I currently have them in this. I am trying to find a place to relocate them off the ferret cage. I still have not found a spot so I am going to have to make room. www.petsmart.com/small-pet/cages/super-pet-crittertrail-begin-connect-habitat-zid36-14578/cat-36-catid-600022?var_id=36-14578&_t=pfm%3DcategoryI have 3 of these cages and they are away from any drafts and are behind my curtain that covers my ferret cages. I have had no escapees yet. The 3rd cage is for separating if I need to. There have been no fighting or squeaking coming from the cages and they all seem to sleep together inside a little ball. I have given them some small boxes but the seem to prefer the hanging ball. None of them have been banished from the ball. |
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Post by Awaiting Abyss on May 8, 2014 20:06:02 GMT -5
I'd strongly recommend not using those kind of cages for any creature. They're dangerous, small, don't provide good ventilation and are especially bad for breeding.
I've heard too many stories of their little critter getting limbs caught in those cages.. My own cousin had her hamster's leg get caught and she had to take it to the vet- which Petsmart had to pay for since they sold her the cage and told her it was "perfect."
Baby mice will be able to get out of the bars.
I recommend tanks or bin cages (just a plastic tote and use 1/4 inch mesh on the top).
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Post by gfountain on May 9, 2014 9:33:05 GMT -5
I don't know about mice, but my gerbils would chew through that cage in about 5 minutes!
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2014 8:11:13 GMT -5
Storage tubs work a charm. Just cut out windows & rivet mouse mesh on the inside of the windows (else the mice chew out). I Keep 1-2 spare ones for cleaning, so all I do is make up a fresh tub, empty mice into them & then clean the old tub out.
For my own setup, I keep about 1 male per 3-5 females. Any new stock bought off other breeders or even from a petshop ought to be quarantined & fed up for 3 weeks before being thrown in a colony, just in case they carry something nasty.
Also, if they are not breeding, they may simply not be accepting of the male. Mice run in colonies that are controlled by the females, unfavourable males are ignored, chased off or killed. I'd set up a females only tub, take out both groups of females (maybe add a some new girls in also), give them a fortnight without a males attention & then reintroduce them to their respective males. You may get success with that.
Something else, they could be giving birth, but someone is eating the pups. Sometimes it happens, & you really just have to watch carefully who gets fat or even keep a diary of when you put them in, when you saw the male mating with them, then when they should be due (21 days) & remove them to nursing tubs of their own a few days before (bit of a hassle).
Ferrets ought to not make a difference, my 8 colonies are next to the ferrets & they breed quite well & I'll often pop out to 40 odd wriggling pinkies, but I've been doing it 6yrs so they may be beyond it.
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Post by msav on May 28, 2014 9:34:26 GMT -5
I'd strongly recommend not using those kind of cages for any creature. They're dangerous, small, don't provide good ventilation and are especially bad for breeding. I've heard too many stories of their little critter getting limbs caught in those cages.. My own cousin had her hamster's leg get caught and she had to take it to the vet- which Petsmart had to pay for since they sold her the cage and told her it was "perfect." Baby mice will be able to get out of the bars. I recommend tanks or bin cages (just a plastic tote and use 1/4 inch mesh on the top). OK I am not going to argue that this is a bad cage. It was cheap and I was not sure If I was going to continue this breeding idea. This was a trial run. SO far it has been unsuccessful and has not been worth the hassle. The cage is wire at least 75%.(only bottom is solid and top is 75% Lexan with a wire lid in the middle. Plenty of ventilation, a lot more than a tub. with mesh lid (even if the lid was entirely mesh). The bottom of the cage is Lexan up about 2 inches, There is no way a baby mouse is going to fall through the cage bars. I have watched the mice in this cage. they crawl up the sides and I see no place where those tiny little feet could get caught in the bars. Plenty of space between the bars and the feet. There has been no escapees and they seem content in the cage and have done no chewing to get out. I only read about using a storage bin after I already started this project. Yes that would have been less expensive. I am Currently looking for a location to put them that would be away from ferrets. I added a few wooden huts as I thought that they did not feel they had a safe place to nest. I still have has not progress. I know they Mate at night so I know I am not going to get confirmation until I see little pink babies. I am at the point now where I am not going to put any more money into this project. Not that it is any better but this is the cage I have not the one above. I picked the wrong product from petsmart's web site. www.superpetusa.com/product-list/crittertrail-starter-habitat.htm |
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