this bothers me. (re: rat/mouse breeding)

[Ginevive]

I guess that for some people, breeder female rats/mice never need a break. Case in point: I recently talked to someone who keeps their mice in pairs, all the time. So, basically, the male mates with the female before she is even done nursing her pups; let alone has had some recovery time between litters.. virtually, the female is always either pregnant or nursing, constantly.
I do not think that this is right. I give my rattie moms a respite between weaning their pups and being re-bred. I do not keep the males in with a preggo female so that he can re-breed her as soon as she has her babies. You?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I rotate the males so no back to back breeding the males returns 1 week after the babies are weaned.

Some people do keep mice together because they have better results with their colony, some mice colony when disturbed have a higher rate of cannibalism which is why some chose to keep the same group together at all time.

I don't keep them together at all time I rotate the males and I never had any issue, no cannibalism, healthy females giving birth to 12 to 18 healthy babies per litters.

Like for everything else I think people need to experiment and do what work best for them and their animals.

[monk90222]

I keep my male mice in all the time. I have had great success with this method....any time I put new males in an established group of females, they always kill him. When the group is established at the same time, I always have perfect litters and no cannibalism...

[frankykeno]

With my regular rats the males are only in with the females for breeding purposes. As soon as the females show indications of being pregnant, the male goes back to the bachelor pad. The females rest after weaning their litter based on the size of the litter they raised.

With the ASF's the male stays in with his two females all the time. I've been told that with these rats, removal of the male from the established colony can result in problems trying to reintroduce him. Because the two females share nursing duties on all the young no matter who birthed them, it seems to be working out that no female is overly stressed. The father is very involved in the parenting and does his turn with managing the nest, keeping the young corralled and doing the regular face and butt washing duties while the females go off to nap and feed.

[Ginevive]

So it is ok to power-breed mice? I am just getting into mice, though I have bred rats for years and give those females respite between breedings. But actually if it works for mice, I would rather breed back-to-back; higher productivity.

[monk90222]

I keep the 1.2 mice together all the time...I always hold back some girls from all of my litters...if some of the breeder females look ragged, I feed them both off and replace them with 2 new females..I usually get 3-4 litters back to back before I change up the females...I've done this for some time now, and it has worked well for me...

[Stewart_Reptiles]

So it is ok to power-breed mice?

I think you need to experiment and see what works for you, Charlie keep his together and has great success, I don't and have great success too and 0 problem.

Try both and see what work best so you can decide which method you prefer for you and your animals.

The way I keep them is 2 to 3 females per tubs (6 tubs total) and 2 males rotating between 3 tubs each spending 2 weeks at the time in each tub. (all are retired after 5 litters).

[Ginevive]

I will experiment. My female mouse is still robust and healthy after 2 litters; she was finishing up nursing one when I got her, had her 2nd litter thereafter and is almost done weaning them.
Any problems breeding sons back to moms? This had to have happened here, since my friend left the babies all in with mom after they were weaned and sexually mature. So the babies now are from mom x son, and are all robust and healthy. And we breed BPs back to parents.. just wondering.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I don't have it happening as soon as the mice are 3 weeks old they go in an holding tub where they stay until they are fed off.

However I have held back males and bred them back to their mom or sister and half sister never had a problem however I only do it for one generation, after that I go and get new males at the store.

[TekWarren]

As Jo said those breeding ASF rats have found that the social structures created are to tight to mess with more often than not. This can be the case rodent colonies in general but do what works for you the best. I usually tell people to make sure they think through their breeding group sizes and size their enclosures appropriately...starting with basics like these will help you prevent stress on the animals.