setting up a colony

I recently set up a colony of mice. 1.3 in a 20 gallon long tank. Two of the females became pregnant and it was quie visible. I fed the male off to one of the corns because I wanted to keep some babies from the females and purchase two unrelated males next month or so after these babies were raised. Last night I was feeding and could not help to realize that the pregnant females were no longer pregnant. I have set up rat colonies as well and they seem to be going well...so what did I mess with the mice?
Thanks
Scott

It's possible that the females ate their offspring. It's not unusual with first time mothers.

I wouldn't have pulled the male until the colony was well established.

They could have eaten the litter, or even re-absorbed it and never given birth at all. This can happen sometimes, usually due to stress, overcrowding or lack of food or water.

Obviously overcrowding was not the problem.

I don't have as much experience as Flagg, but it could have been the removal fo the male. Once a colony is established it is better to leave the adult alone, at least for me.

blckkat said:

I wouldn't have pulled the male until the colony was well established.

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I must agree...mice like their family structures, by removing the male, you basically shattered the family group, this may have made the females insecure and may have caused the eating or reabsorbtion of the babies.

Also, if you wanted to remove the male, it would've been better to do so later, when the babies born were about large fuzzy/hopper size. My male mice don't fight with the younger males when they are that young and you are giving the original male a chance to impregnate the females again before culling him off.

thanks

I went and got another male and I will leave him well enough alone. The girls I suspect also need some bonding time as they each sleep in a different corner of the tank and the male seems to go where ever he is welcome for the night. Most times I have seen the girls all huddled togther with the babies in a big pile. If nothing else after a month or so I can feed them all off if nothing works and set up another trio of rats. They seem so willing to bond and breed, but of course my younger snakes cannot even handle a rat pink yet.
Again my thanks
Scott

You might try putting little hisey places in for them, like paper towel tubes, boxes... this ight bring them together.