inbreeding

[Clear]

right now i have 1male mouse with 6 females, 3blacks, 2browns, 1gray/silver. I bought them all from petco (only place i could find that sold mice live) so i am sure they are all related. How bad is inbreeding?

[dacalio]

I think inbreeding rodents for more than 2 generations can have some adverse effects. I am not sure how well your mice grow and breed but obtaining good stock is important. I have seen slow growing and producing mice that tend to get sick a couple of times at pet shops.

Your best bet is to get breeders from a large rodent breeding facility because they tend to have good genetic diversity. Even better drop the mice and switch to african soft furs. On the other hand, if your mice breed and grow well I wouldn't worry about inbreeding for a couple of generations.

This is why you should get a very large rodent colony with a diverse gene pool. Look at this as a great opportunity to expand your rodent colony and with it your snake collection.

[phrack3r]

i just got 1.3 collection at my hourse a few weeks ago all three a pregnant and 2 should pop any day now im not sure about there relatives since i got from petco but ill post when they do on how it went.

[Clear]

I want to get both rats and asf, but I wont to try my hand with mice first! I have been looking for people around here to buy mice/rats/asf from and there isnt many places, and the places that do sell are expensive, $10+ for a small rat!

[littleindiangirl]

You can successfully line breed for many generations. (line breeding meaning father to daughter, or son to mother) It's how many famous mouse or rat lines are created and maintained. Through minimal outcrossing and line breeding.


I would say you can safely go up to the fourth generation on line breeding, then you should outcross.

[Clear]

Ok thanks!

[Brandon Osborne]

I think inbreeding rodents for more than 2 generations can have some adverse effects. I am not sure how well your mice grow and breed but obtaining good stock is important.

Actually, it makes no difference. Obtaining good stock is where it counts. Inbreeding doesn't matter. I have seen and done inbreeding for hundreds of generations. And it doesn't matter whether its father to daughter, mother to son, or brother to sister. You can inbreed and inbreed mice however many generations you want.

Your best bet is to get breeders from a large rodent breeding facility because they tend to have good genetic diversity. On the other hand, if your mice breed and grow well I wouldn't worry about inbreeding for a couple of generations.

Again, in this case, a rodent breeder would be the worst place to get genetic diversity. Most hold back animals to replace stock as they become "worn out".

This is why you should get a very large rodent colony with a diverse gene pool. Look at this as a great opportunity to expand your rodent colony and with it your snake collection.

If you start with good genes, there is no need to diversify. There are several strains of lab mice that are bred for maximum production. By diluting the genes of these strains, you are altering the productivity.

You are probably going to ask me how I know this. Well, I used to work for the largest rodent supplier in the U.S. You know who it is, but I'm not going to say. I worked there before he went "pro" and I took care of the snakes. A good friend of mine obtained a group of 5.20 mice from Harlan Labs around 10 years ago. These mice were all approximately 28 days old when he recieved them, and they began producing within 3 weeks. Since then, he has produced 100s of thousands, if not MILLIONS, of mice from the original 25 mice he purchased. His adults retire at about 8 months old and 50-60grams each. That's rather large for a mouse. He currently supplies several raptor sanctuaries, a zoo, and lots of individuals. So, in some cases, genetic diversity is not the best idea.

BTW, this post was not meant to be offensive to the original poster. I mearly wanted to post it as informative. I hope this helps.

[truthsdeceit]

I want to get both rats and asf, but I wont to try my hand with mice first! I have been looking for people around here to buy mice/rats/asf from and there isnt many places, and the places that do sell are expensive, $10+ for a small rat!

You'll make the 10 dollars back with your first litter. I'd say it's worth it.
*shrugs*

[M&J in NC]

You can successfully line breed for many generations. (line breeding meaning father to daughter, or son to mother)

That's not line breeding... That's inbreeding.
Breeding daughter to father and mother to son is in fact inbreeding. Line breeding would be breeding an aunt to her nephew or a niece to her uncle.

[RichsBallPythons]

When it coems to Inbreeding rodents it does not matter. as long as teir healthy thats all that matters. im on my 6 generation of inbreeding and its non stop babies. im euthanizing 60 mice a month.