Eating the babies...

I've had a few groups I have fed off with baby killers, I give a second chance but after two dead litters they get fed off. If it's happening with multiple groups at once I would look at food and how crowded/stressed they are, usually well kept mice are pretty easy to breed with few losses.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Lab blocks are not expensive

Here is the example since the OP uses Fiesta rodent food:

Price $5.99 for 2lbs (that’s $2.99/lb)

I pay 23.99 for 50lbs of Mazuri 6F (that’s $0.48/lb)

Even if Lab block were more expensive which they are not you also look need to look at it this way, you can buy inexpensive junk and have a low and un-healthy production (if they even produce at all.)

Or you can pay more and get a high production of healthy feeders.

I average 13 to 18 mice per litter and would not do so by feeding junk or pet store food, they also eat less when fed lab block.

Remember the feeders you produce are the ones that will be fed to your snakes.

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Since I have to drive 45 minutes to the only local supplier for lab blocks and pay $6, plus tax..That is expensive for me. I get large parrot food for about $7 for 8 pounds and don't have any problems. Considering I get $20 a month and have to spend money on college food, I can't afford $6, and buying a 50 pound bag is simply absurd for less than 25 mice.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Chubby does not mean healthy, you seems to be feeding high fat content when they really need high protein content.

Mice as well as rats need quality food designed for the purposes (generally speaking most food found in pet stores are not quality and definitely not designed for a breeder/feeder colony)

The major factors in cannibalism are

• Low quality food
  
• No water available
  
• Stress
  
• Over-crowded enclosure

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Add to this list:
* breeding back-to-back. It's hard on the females and some just can't handle it. Especially on a lower quality diet. They will then eat the young to get back some protein that their body is starving for after producing the young and also being pregnant again.

If you want to try again with the same mice, get them on a higher quality breeder diet and make sure they have a hiding place for them to build a nest. You might find that your current mice then do just fine.

Thank you for all of the responses! :gj: I decided to just go ahead and feed them off, especially since I'm moving next month (and might not have a good place for rodents). I fed the male and smaller female to my corn last night, so just the two pregnant girls are left... I'll wait until they give birth, then freeze the pinkies for my baby corn & feed off the moms. And that's that! :cool: I'll definitely keep your advice for reference, though, since I will probably start up again in the future.

Also check out your local co-op or feed store. I get a 20lb bag of forti diet for $25. Still kind of pricey, but much better than paying 3x that at a pet store.