dead momma

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I was so upset to see one of my two mommas was dead this afternoon. HUGE surprise... she looked VERY healthy. She lived with another mom, and they have a combined of 20 fuzzies about 2 weeks old.

Question! now I have one mom trying to nurse 20 babies!!!! I tried to introduce another female that had JUST weaned her babies, and the remaining mom attacked her! So I took her back out.

Is there anything I can do to help this momma mouse? Can 1 momma mouse keep 20 babies alive without killing herself????

[J.Vandegrift]

She will do fine with the 20 babies. You have only got another week or 2 until they are weaned.

[MarkS]

The way I see it, you have two choices. Cull 8 of the pinks, or move those 8 pinks to the other female that just weaned her litter. Moving the old mother in with the new one caused a fight, but moving the babies in with the old mom would probably work out better. It IS possible for the mother to raise 20 offspring by herself, but personally I don't let it happen.

[littleindiangirl]

Agreed, why not move the babies into a seperate enclosure with the Foster mom?

[Mike Cavanaugh]

she has been without babies for 4 days now. will she still produce milk?

[JeffFlanagan]

she has been without babies for 4 days now. will she still produce milk?

You could give her a couple of the babies and see how it goes. They'll make noise if they're not getting milk.