Can mice and balls be kept in the same room?

I just started breeding mice and I know the wood shavings are not good for balls so can the mouse set up be kept in the same room? I have the mice in a rubbermaid tub with a top on it and holes.

thanks in advance

Welcome to BPnet. I know many people who keep small feeder colonies in the same room as their snakes. Most don't report any problems with it. Especially when both collections are fairly small. If you start having any problem eaters in the future, first thing I'd do is move the mice.

I can attest to not having problems, if anything it may possibly help because the room is always prescented and if it is supper time they seem to eat faster.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by onlyjays9p

I just started breeding mice and I know the wood shavings are not good for balls so can the mouse set up be kept in the same room? I have the mice in a rubbermaid tub with a top on it and holes.

thanks in advance

---

How big is the room? Also, are the tanks a considerable amount away for each other or close by? Just curious to know. I'm thinking about breeding mice myself, and this is a good fact to know for future reference! :)

Yes (been there done that ;))

The cages are about 8-12 feet apart from each other depending on which snake :).

Thanks everyone for the help. Cant wait for baby's this will be so much easier on me No more ordering fuzzies or pinkies live and having to wait a week to go drive 20 mins away to pick them up:banana:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by onlyjays9p

I just started breeding mice and I know the wood shavings are not good for balls so can the mouse set up be kept in the same room? I have the mice in a rubbermaid tub with a top on it and holes.

thanks in advance

---

Ok, wait. "The wood shavings are not good for balls"? What kind of wood shavings are you using for your mice? Generally speaking, if they're not good for balls, they're not good for mice either.

The main thing you have to watch out for is the oils in softwoods such as cedar and pine. A high quality kiln dried pine shaving should be ok for mice but not the snakes. Never use cedar for snakes, mice or rats.

Aspen shavings are ok for the mice AND the snakes. (I use it for both).

With all that said, I don't really like having the rodents in the same room with the snakes, but I currently do, and I'm not experiencing any problems at all.

Steve

Its called soft bedding or something? for small animals I got it at petco its a blend of pine spruce and fur its really soft. I use aspen for my balls. I heard that the bedding for mice and hamsters or whatever is not good for snakes. This small animal bedding is much cheaper than aspen so thats why I am using it.

The bedding from your rodents should not cause problems for your snakes if used in small amounts... if you are using any pine mix then make sure there is adequate ventilation. Think that your rodents are close to the bedding and the smell/oils will get trapped low to the ground.

They need excellent ventilation if you are using any pine mixture.

I use a mix, I put a bit of pine (not much) in to cut the smell but I also mix that with Yesterdays' News and pine pellets (and a small bit of finely torn newspaper for nesting/birthing).

Bruce

There is really nothing wrong with it but personally I would not do it. I do not want my snakes smelling mice all the time. It can weaken their feeding response or it can make it difficult to reach in a tub to handle them. When they are not used to the smell, prescenting the room can be effective. I would not want to live in the kitchen of an Outback and only get to eat when the cook brings me something. :rolleye2:

I have some Roborovski hamsters in the same room as my ball, albeit on completely opposite sides of the room, hamsters up high, ball on the floor. I didn't really think about the whole pre-scenting issue as far as making him more likely to bite if I reach in to handle him. Hmmm... should I consider moving them?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Slim

Welcome to BPnet. I know many people who keep small feeder colonies in the same room as their snakes. Most don't report any problems with it. Especially when both collections are fairly small. If you start having any problem eaters in the future, first thing I'd do is move the mice.

---

I have a decent sized breeding colony in my snake room. I would like to move them to a different room I just need to make room some where else.

I do not think it would hurt but I would suggest you do it else where if possible.

I hope this helps some.

Mike

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FatBoy

There is really nothing wrong with it but personally I would not do it. I do not want my snakes smelling mice all the time. It can weaken their feeding response or it can make it difficult to reach in a tub to handle them. When they are not used to the smell, prescenting the room can be effective. I would not want to live in the kitchen of an Outback and only get to eat when the cook brings me something. :rolleye2:

---

In my experience it makes their feeding response INSANE!!!:taz:
I use a spray bottle of room temp water to keep them from trying to nail me. Helps with humidity too:gj:

I keep my mice in the same room for now. I beleive the issues with the shavings is the oils in the wood. cedar is incredibly toxic to all smaller forms of life, but kiln dried pine is pretty decent. I know of several big breeders who have kept their BPs on it for years.
my $.02

I know this is an old post but I recently did this and got some instant feedback from the snakes. Every snake except my shy male pastel is alert and in the "he's about to feed me I know it" position. They with out a doubt can smell the mice. One user said his snakes had an increased food response. I will be able to report how 7 snakes respond to this in 2 days from now but for the past couple nights they know the mice/rats are here.

At petco they have the mixed softwood bedding but theu also have the big bag of aspen shavings from the same company. The bags look the same but ones only aspen. Its like 11.99 or something. They should be right next to each other at the store. Get the aspen for peace of mind next time

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Izzys Keeper

At petco they have the mixed softwood bedding but theu also have the big bag of aspen shavings from the same company. The bags look the same but ones only aspen. Its like 11.99 or something. They should be right next to each other at the store. Get the aspen for peace of mind next time

---

Sorry just realized how old this post was

Mice and BP in the same room; generally not an issues. Mice and almost any other snakes in the same room; usually not recommended.

I have seen rooms with aggressive eaters and mice in the same room and it not be an issue too though. I have also seen snakes that if the smell is even in the house anywhere they will hit anythin warm that comes close to them. Neither of those situations were bps though.