So, Sarah, how's that breeding coming?

[SarahMB]

Oh, you know, having 200 mice tends to produce a few litters here and there. So I guess you could say it's going a lot better than it was...

[SatanicIntention]

Haha, just a few, here and there. You know! Everyday business

[jamesw]

wish i had that luck.
I breed rats fine, but i got a few breeder mice and they keep eating the babies.
Not my calling.

[sweety314]

WOW!! Wished MY mice would have done that....little buggers kept eating their babies.



I'm going to have to try again, and this time spend the $2.50 / ea. for the 1.2. Maybe THEN they'll breed successfully.

I envy you your babies, Sarah!

[SarahMB]

Haha, just a few, here and there. You know! Everyday business

Finally, right?? I got off to a rough enough start, seems to be my M.O! lol

[SarahMB]

WOW!! Wished MY mice would have done that....little buggers kept eating their babies.



I'm going to have to try again, and this time spend the $2.50 / ea. for the 1.2. Maybe THEN they'll breed successfully.

I envy you your babies, Sarah!

Girl, lemme tell ya! I spent 45 cents on each of these, and they are the best breeders so far! This picture is my biggest pile of pinkies, but all of my maternity tubs have 3 litters and I've got maybe 10 more pregnant moms right now.

The one tub of 'old' (my first) breeders still has a few pregnant moms, but the others in that tub have birthed, killed the babies, and been put into feeder tubs. I don't know what I was doing wrong with my small breeding colonies, but this mass rack of mice has been so much more successful!

[MPenn]

WOW!! Wished MY mice would have done that....little buggers kept eating their babies.

It is possible that the mice were not getting enough protein in the diet?
Also, have often were you changing the male out of the cage? Were you always using the same male? Did you happen to have two males in the colony?

I have had my best success by just keeping the group together. I do not move pregnant or nursing mothers out of the enclosure to another one.
If for some reason you must add a new male to the colony, remove any little ones out and feed them off or freeze them. If you know anything about lions, mice and rats can be the same way.

[tmlowe5704]

WOW!! Wished MY mice would have done that....little buggers kept eating their babies.



I'm going to have to try again, and this time spend the $2.50 / ea. for the 1.2. Maybe THEN they'll breed successfully.

I envy you your babies, Sarah!

the hardest part for me was not feeding off those. If I didn't feel like going to the store, I would just feed em off.

[sweety314]

It is possible that the mice were not getting enough protein in the diet?
Also, have often were you changing the male out of the cage? Were you always using the same male? Did you happen to have two males in the colony?

I have had my best success by just keeping the group together. I do not move pregnant or nursing mothers out of the enclosure to another one.
If for some reason you must add a new male to the colony, remove any little ones out and feed them off or freeze them. If you know anything about lions, mice and rats can be the same way.

Nope, it was one male and they were all together in the 10g. I left 'em be. The first litter I had to disturb, b/c I needed two pinks to feed. Two days later they were all gone or pieces. The 2nd time, there were 3 litters all at once. I had left them undisturbed for about 3, maybe 4 days. Came back and all dead. At the time they were getting the mazuri blocks, and the rat food/seeds. I've since switched the rats (and the mice I've been feeding off) to Becky's mix that's been modified for my critters' tastes.

I haven't tried to breed mice since. Thought I'd try again, but my baby balls are eating mice, and even when I buy 6-7 at a time, I'm feeding 'em off faster than trying to breed them. (Doesn't help either when one out of every purchase is dying the day after getting 'em home! ....The feed store and I have had a talk about that one!)

[SarahMB]

I'm not sure how much of a difference it made, but the pet store feeders I was breeding were the ones killing thier babies as well. The mice I am getting now are from The Big Cheese, and of much higher quality. Maybe they aren't as inbred as the ones from the pet store?

Is there anyone around you that you could get some good, quality breeders from?