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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2012 17:19:54 GMT -5
I've been breeding mice for some a while. I have built my own mouse towers and breed for genetics, color, temperment, and health. I know some tricks for where to get supplies at a low price, which foods are best, etc. If anyone wants advise I can help. Many feeder breeder setups do not take the health of the mice into account. Many chain stores carry expensive less than idea/healthy foods. I know many show breeders and others that choose not to show. I don't want to overstep my welcome, so I'll leave it at this and wait to see if anyone has questions.
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Post by Sherry on Feb 15, 2012 19:09:20 GMT -5
You are NOT "overstepping" your welcome by offering advice on something you happen to be very familiar with Thank you for being willing to share!
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Post by Heather on Feb 15, 2012 20:45:22 GMT -5
Please, advice regarding feeding and care of prey animals is always welcome. Healthier prey....healthier carnivore. So, suggestions regarding care and feeding is always welcome. ciao
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Post by rebel135 on Feb 15, 2012 21:11:53 GMT -5
how smelly are mice to raise and what is the aprox. cost ?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 16:32:28 GMT -5
The feces don't smell, it is the urine. They smell similar to a hamster. I have mine in a closed in room and have a few dozens, so I can smell them and the aspen. HOwever, a little ventilation helps a lot as does a dehumidifier in humid climates. ONce I set up my dehumidifier ($50 on craigslist) I saw an immediate change. TI probably doesn't help that I have two saltwater tanks in the room and the bathroom next door. For food, I buy HArlan Texlad, sold under Native Earth 18% Protein 4018 Rodent Diet 40-lbs www.nationalpetpharmacy.com/Product/9093/Native-Earth-18-Percent-Protein-4018-Rodent-Diet-40-lbs and supplement my pregnant and nursing mice with scrambled eggs, ferret kibble, or an daily insect to provide a bit more protein. However, too much and cause a problem. Some people have access to the 21%, but I don't. I use sani-chips and shreded aspen from the same company and website. The extra food is stored in an old salt bucket from my saltwater tank and the bedding is kept in a slender black kitchen garbage can to keep the room looking nicer and make it easier to reach when cleaning. If you buy feeder mice they usually cost no more than $3. My mice have been treated in the past, so I know they are parasite free. However, you should allow for all the BAytril to leave their system before using them as feeders. As to cost of bedding and food, take a look at the site. I have 9 or more cages at any given time and the bags of bedding take a solid 2 months to go through and the food lasts even longer. The towers I build are much more user friendly than a bunch of 10 g tanks and easier on the back. They probably cost about the same as buying tanks and lids. I really like bin cages. Does do best raising no more than 5 or 6 bubs. The bubs will grow bigger faster as they receive more nutrition. IT is natural for some bubs to be eatten in the wild, so raising a large litter is hard on the mother's milk production. Feeding the ferrets some of the bubs from the start to get the litter down is better for the mice. Days 1-3 they don't have fully developed nervous systems, so many show breeder cull by putting them in the freezer. After that cervical breaks and CO2 chambers are said to by the most humane. It is good to seperate the male and female about 5-7 days before she gives birth; 21 day gestation. This ensures that she will not get pregnant while nursing and allow her body to concentrate on milk production instead of dividing resources between milk production and developing fetuses. For feeders, hooking the male up with anotheer female at that point will help keep production high. However, most feeder breeders will keep multiple females in with a male because the doe will still try to raise all the bubs and it is the total number of animals that matter to the breeder. Multiple males should never be left together and male bubs should be removed from the mother at 4 weeks of age. Having multiple females together can sometimes work, but runs the risk of one female eating the other's babies or stealing them for herself and the baby starving to death. For the mother's best health, many breeders wait up to 4 weeks before breeding her again and will only breed her 3 times before retiring or culling her. Thankfully it is usually very easy to keep multiple females together as the restore their strength for the next round of babies. Mice are very social and live longer when in groups, with the exception that males will fight each other and will knock up every female they can so they get to have a solitary life in my mousery.
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Post by rebel135 on Feb 16, 2012 16:36:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the info!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 19:34:02 GMT -5
Do you give them a wheel and wood chews? Also this is the diet I had my rats on I bet it would make a great addition to the diet. www.ratsrule.com/diet.html Hay is a good addition too for eating and nesting. Im glad u use aspen so they are cozy. Sent from my SCH-M828C using ProBoards
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 20:18:08 GMT -5
I wouldn't add to the lab blocks. They company didn't use to sell to the public. The blocks are very well balance nutritionally and the corn is checked for purity so that no toxic mildews get into the food. It is not like the rodent blocks that chain stores sell. When I started breeding I was mixing my own mix similar to how you posted, but the mice do very well on the lab blocks. I sometimes throw in some Timothy Hay for those that liek to build big nests, but it isn't something they really need. I do keep saucers with many of my mice. Although I don't put them in with does that will be giving birth soon. Removal of the saucer helps avoid accidents and I can keep a better eye on the babies without it in there. Here is where I bought my saucer house combos: www.bio-serv.com/product/Mouse_Igloo.htmlMine have ignored wood chews so I no longer bother buying them. The lab blocks keep their teeth in good condition. Here is a pic of my two mouse towers: and a closeup of a drawer (I was using pellets in the bedding mix at that time.): I've switched to a different water bottle and can now hang the bottles over the edge. However, you can see in this picture how the mesh lid is built into the tower. I never have to deal with removing lids when handling the mice and changing the bedding. It makes things much easier.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 21:07:46 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 21:21:43 GMT -5
Those look fun.
Thank you for the compliments. I really like the rack. It saves me time and a ton of space. I've played with the idea of making another rack, but will probably close in the back of the counter they are on first. I built that as well, but left the bottom front and back open to have full access to the phytoplankton I was growing at the time. Clearing out the clutter in that room is my "project" right now. Hopefully someone will buy the 65g aquarium across from it so I can house foster ferrets in that space. Ah, the plans of mice and men...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 21:31:13 GMT -5
Your welcome was the phytoplankton frog food or for you? I think thats what these people on the show doomsday preppers were growing. You can live off of it alone. Sent from my SCH-M828C using ProBoards
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 21:33:24 GMT -5
I use to raise seahorses. The phytoplankton was fed to the brine shrimp and included in the fry tank to keep the water clean.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 22:51:18 GMT -5
Oh ok my sister tried ghost seahorses but only 1 lived and then died. Funny thing is... Im wearing my seahorse shirt today lol
Sent from my SCH-M828C using ProBoards
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Post by bitbyter on Mar 21, 2012 21:12:36 GMT -5
Jade, how many mice does that tower regularly produce and how many ferrets are you feeding with it?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2012 19:21:48 GMT -5
I haven't gone into full feeder breeding mode. It would depend on how many does you want to keep in bin and which method you want to use. Tell me what method you have in mind and I'll try to calculate it for you. Right now I still have a bag of purchased frozen (no co2 chamber built yet) and am breeding primarly for genetics. However, that still produces treats a few times a week.
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