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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2016 12:20:38 GMT -5
So, When I picked up Ron from the petstore, I also grabbed a Male and Female mouse. They didn't have any "Pet mice" out and only had Feeders. So, I got to save two little lives  This is my first time trying something like this, (Breeding mice for the purpose of food for my ferrets) I thought starting out with one of each gender would be proper. I decided to make this thread, so that I can ask questions to current breeders, and share my experience. Meet the Mice; ( I will try and get better photos!) Female (Bonnie)   Male (Clyde)   Current Mouse Home; This is the current little home I have for the two  And then I have a smaller one for when she has babies (What I brought them home in)  My questions: Since I only have 1 male and 1 female, is it fine that they live together (Removing the female after birth is something I plan on doing) Should I have more mice? Or is the 1m and 1f okay? I plan to get more later, But right now, I wanted to start off slow. What is the proper size of home for mice? Any tips/tricks/advice? |
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Post by Sherry on Feb 8, 2016 12:34:37 GMT -5
Definitely NOT an expert by any means, but the usual ratio is one male per 3 females. The other females often act as nursemaids for the newborns, helping the new mum out.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2016 13:03:09 GMT -5
Thank you @sherry ! Ill have to go get 2 more females then. Just to start out at least.
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Post by Sherry on Feb 10, 2016 0:52:12 GMT -5
bitbyter, you can  give much more informed info here than I could
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Post by Sherry on Feb 10, 2016 0:52:58 GMT -5
Also, read through some of the other threads on here for decent ideas on numbers etc.  |
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Post by bitbyter on Feb 10, 2016 0:56:00 GMT -5
You are not going to be able to use those cages for raising mice. The babies will easily escape. Weaners can fit through 1/2" square hardware mesh and jump about 6 times their height. Tubs paired with 1/4" hardware mesh are needed for mouse breeding.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 11:37:57 GMT -5
You are not going to be able to use those cages for raising mice. The babies will easily escape. Weaners can fit through 1/2" square hardware mesh and jump about 6 times their height. Tubs paired with 1/4" hardware mesh are needed for mouse breeding. What would you suggest as a starter tub? |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 13:02:49 GMT -5
You are not going to be able to use those cages for raising mice. The babies will easily escape. Weaners can fit through 1/2" square hardware mesh and jump about 6 times their height. Tubs paired with 1/4" hardware mesh are needed for mouse breeding. What would you suggest as a starter tub? I use 16qt tubs with 1/2" hardware mesh for my rats, it'd work well for mice too (but with 1/4" of course). You do need a 3:1 female:male ratio if you're keeping them together, but I'd suggest using multiple tubs to keep them and only placing them together to breed, that way you know when they get pregnant and know when to expect babies. I'd be really careful, especially with pet store mice, when they have their babies. Many lines of mice will eat their babies, especially if they're stressed or not getting enough protein in their diet (don't go above 18%). They'll do well in a low-traffic area, but mice stink really bad, so I'd suggest finding somewhere with good ventilation. I would recommend trying to reach out to local feeder breeders to potentially get higher quality breeding stock. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 13:24:34 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 13:40:22 GMT -5
The two mice should be fine to start out with. A tub would be better suited and more safer for the young babies.
You could also keep the male in with the female if you wish. I've been doing that for the past 2 of my litters. Most males will help raise the babies. ^^
Keep an eye on both incase you get any of them eating the young. If all is well, then the little guy should be fine to stay with the female. You could also keep some females from the first litter and or purchase new females also if you would like. ^^
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Post by bitbyter on Feb 10, 2016 21:03:28 GMT -5
Tubs must be completely smooth on the inside (no angles or ridges) or they will chew out. 1/2" hardware mesh must cover any vents on the INSIDE or again, they'll chew out. See here for some examples: www.metalmonkeyexotics.com/blog/?page_id=982 |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 21:33:49 GMT -5
Tubs must be completely smooth on the inside (no angles or ridges) or they will chew out. 1/2" hardware mess must cover any vents on the INSIDE or again, they'll chew out. See here for some examples: www.metalmonkeyexotics.com/blog/?page_id=98210/10! This is the same guide I used for my tubs, followed step by step and they turned out amazing! |
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Post by bitbyter on Feb 10, 2016 22:04:33 GMT -5
Also, you can't leave male mice together past sexual maturity or they will start to fight one another. That and the smell were the two main reasons I moved away from mice (I only breed ASF's now). This basically means that pretty much 99% of your males are culled sooner (which equals smaller) than the females.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2016 22:44:24 GMT -5
Also, you can't leave male mice together past sexual maturity or they will start to fight one another. That and the smell were the two main reasons I moved away from mice (I only breed ASF's now). This basically means that pretty much 99% of your males are culled sooner (which equals smaller) than the females. I never had issues with male mice after they reach sexual maturity if they were no where near a female. I made a wrong judgement on sex at one stage and a male turned out to be female, then I find a few males dead. Wonderful.  Another reason why I want to start and stay with rats is because rats reach meal weight faster compared to the young male mice. |
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Post by bitbyter on Feb 10, 2016 22:49:04 GMT -5
how do you keep males away from females as long as they are in the same room? It's the smell of the females that starts the fights.
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