Mouse babies!

[tweets_4611]

I finally got my first litter! (I don't have any pictures seeing as my camera is dead, but should be able to get some over the weekend)

I got a male and 3 females several weeks ago from PetCo. They were intended as feeders but since my big girl won't eat, I made sure to keep mostly females. The first night there was some major fighting going on, and one of the females chewed up the others ears... one poor girl didn't have much left But since then I haven't seen or heard any more fighting, so I'm not real sure what that was from.

The two girls that got chewed on didn't seem to be doing very well over the next few weeks, and since they seemed too small to get pregnant, I went a head and fed them off when I saw they weren't growing and were getting scruffy.

About the time I fed them off I ended up with two more extra mice (I really wish my big girl would eat... ) I thought they were a male and a female, but both looked much healthier than the ones I had, and also much larger. When I checked the sex though, they turned out to both be females! ^_^

The female the store told me was a male (she was in the male's tank) was pregnant I guess from the store... she gave me 8 babies the other day! So far none have been eaten that I can tell. I had to clean the tub today, and was a bit worried about it, but last I checked they were all still there and doing fine!

However, I really don't think my male is getting the job done. He's definitely male, but neither of the other girls look pregnant at all. If these babies are weened and no one else is looking pregnant, I may be in the market for a more productive male. I was thinking at first that he may be too young, since I don't know how old they are coming from the store, but I've had him at least 3 weeks now, and having been a decent size when I got him, is definitely old enough.

Anyways, I was just excited about the babies, and the fact that they are still alive! ^_^ I'll post pictures when I get them... there are 3 that are going to be dark, 2 that are light, and 3 that are going to be multi colored

[Jay_Bunny]

Congrats on the litter!

As far as the male not getting the job done. Sometimes its the male, sometimes its the female. I have a 1.2 group right now and so far only one female has had a litter. The other female is not looking pregnant at all.

With the aggression in the beginning, are you sure the mice that got chewed were female? I've never had females cause damage like that. A little squeaking, some rolling around, that's about it. No blood. I only have gotten bloody fights from males who are around females.

[tweets_4611]

Yeah, it was definitely the bigger of the females... the other two females and even the male had blood on their ears. I'm sure she is a female too... she is the only one of the original three that I still have since the others weren't doing well. She hasn't caused any problems since then, so I'm assuming it had something to do with the move. She is one of my more social mice, or at least, the only one that will willing come up into my hand.

However, her name is Nip I couldn't come up with anything else, and it seemed appropriate, if a bit gruesome

[Jay_Bunny]

How did you introduce the group? It was one male and three females or one male and two females? Or did they come together already having been housed together?

[tweets_4611]

They came from the pet store (I so wish I had another choice) but all the females had been housed together, so the only new introduction was of the male. It was a rushed when I put them in their tub, but they had been together for a few hours (while I was feeding the snakes then getting their tub together) but when I put them in their tub and went to class that night, when I came home they had been chewed on.

[tweets_4611]

So I found batteries that work and got a few pictures! ^_^

The whole 'colony'. They are getting a bigger tub this weekend, and a better wheel. A absolutely *love* Geegee's golden color (that's how she got her name...Golden Girl) I hope she will make some pretty babies... Oreo is checking out his reflection in the tub, and Molly is in the wheel. If you look close enough you can see lil Nip making her way under the wheel.



The babies and Nip. She seems to be the nanny... she is always the one with the babies if momma isn't there.



The different colors at 4 days old... Dark, light, and a mix ^_^



The other two multicolored babies... the one on the right has an adorable lil head spot!



Momma (Molly) is the dark one, and the male, Oreo is the other one in the wheel. I wish I could say he's the dad, but I don't think he is.

[NotaMallard]

Congrats on the litter! Everyone's really cute. I like the chocolate colour on the momma of the litter, and Geegee is pretty too.

[boasandballs]

If you want to breed mice keep some of the babies and let them grow up together. Feed them a high fat content food. We use 11% fat.

[tweets_4611]

I plan on keeping several of the babies... at least the one with the lil head spot ^_^ I'll be keeping a male if Oreo doesn't man up before too long, and I may try and start a second little colony. Although, if I do end up keeping 2 or 3 girls for breeding, I'd like to get an unrelated male for them, and put a boy from that litter in with the females I have now.

[boasandballs]

I find if you can bring them up together it is better so they don't fight. (after they are weened) I know you don't want to inbreed but if you can't find a male that is younger it is better than them fighting and killing each other.