asf's and mice nursing

Came home from the pet store today with some feeders, go downstairs and found that one of my asf was giving birth.
So I picked up 3 mouse pinks today for 1 of my guys....he did not want any, I could have gave them to someone else but I wanted to see if the asf mommy would take them in with her new litter. I pulled all the adults (1.3) out and placed the mice in with the asf's for a few minutes to hopefully get some of the smell on them.

I then placed all the adults back in and they immediately picked the new guys out right away and after a few hours I checked in on them and the 3 mice along with everyone else were nursing.

I was concerned that they would destroy the entire litter but after seeing the momma let them nurse Im now wondering if they will continue and raise them.

It is so weird to see very pink asf's and light color mouse pinks nursing.

What do y'all think????

ASFs will foster mouse and even rat pups. They won't kill young babies. The mothers anyway. It isn't in their nature at all. I've done it before too. Just be sure to pull those babies as soon as they wean if you don't feed them off. The ASFs will raise them up with no problems though.

As long as there are other nursing ASF babies in there, you can always put other rodent babies in safely if they are young enough.

I had given rat pups to an ASF mom and she treated them like her own. Unfortunately, the ASF could not produce enough milk to sustain the pups and they died. :(

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

I had given rat pups to an ASF mom and she treated them like her own. Unfortunately, the ASF could not produce enough milk to sustain the pups and they died. :(

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This is very true.. In the case of rats, no more than 1 or 2 should ever be put with a nursing ASF in an emergency situation or you'll endanger the lives of all her babies as well. They can handle baby mice easily tho.


I had an older ASF colony that wasn't producing much and when they did, babies would disappear. I eventually figured one of them must be killing babies for some reason. I allowed the pregnant female to have her last litter and gave them all to a different colony to raise before cycling out that old colony.

ASfs are great fosters.

I believe I counted 12 in her litter. So I don't think the 3 mice will be a nuisance to 2 nursing mom's. What would happen if I leave them together or make a 1.2 colony with hopefully a male mouse and place them in a separate tank? I know i have read that they won't breed but has anyone tried?

I know a girl that actually tried for many months to hybridize ASFs with rats and mice and they never did breed. Doing it with mice seems kinda pointless to me though. Why would you want to try to create an even smaller animal? It would make more sense to hybridize ASF with Norway rats if it were at all possible.

Even if it actually worked, chances are the offspring would be infertile just like most other hybrids whose species are that far gone from each other.

No reason, just to see if it would happen :D

norway and asf.....hummm :P Anyone?????

It would be the ideal size for BPs but only a male ASF to a female Norway would work. I don't think anything would come of it or even if the female would allow the ASF to breed her but if you wanted to try, they would have to be raised together as weanlings.

They can't hybridize, but they can live together. I often sell my female ASFs as companions for male mice show breeders, or pets since they cannot be housed with other male mice, and they aren't always being bred.
I too have fostered mice on ASF milk.

Rodents amaze me at how maternal they are to all babies. It is very sweet.