A couple of ideas.


Get younger mice and raise them up so they get used to you. I give my new mouse breeders to my daughter for the first couple of months. She gets them out every other day or so and lets them crawl around on her hands, shoulders, etc. This gives them a chance to interact and become used to people, they eat well and just enjoy.

Then I put them into a 10gal with 3 sides covered (makes the corners real dark) - introduce a male for about a week and then remove him...so far I have had zero deaths and the mice will let me stick my hand in their cage, touch their babies, etc (no difference then my rats)

Not to mention when my daughter checks on them they will actually leave their litters and climb up on her hand.

I think like Balls, mice get really stressed so you have to associate with them first.

Just an idea.