Leaving babies with mum?

I started a new colony a few months ago for the first time. At first they were great and had no problems. I culled the babies as necessary and ended up taking all of them pretty much ALL the time... then I saw someone mention on here that they leave a couple with their mum.

The next group of babies I spotted got culled and I left 3 babies in there... The next day they were gone! The little boogers ate them! I was pretty torqued since those could have gone to my snakes and then I just decided to attribute it to "first time mommies" and leave it at that.

Then with the next babies they had I did the same thing, and left two with them and those disappeared too!

The temps in the room are around 74 degrees at all times and they always have plenty of food and water. Not only that but their cage is pretty decently cleaned at least once a week (to keep the smell down since they are my only mouse colony and they live in my room).

What am I doing wrong?

My best guess would be that they aren't getting enough calcium / protien. Feed them meat babyfood and see if it happens again. If it still does, then it's not their diet. It's something else. :shrugs:

Sometimes when new mothers get disturbed and frightened they will eat their babies and other babies. I have 4 colonies of mice. Most breeders leave their males with their females, I do not. I do not require a lot of mice at this time. I do leave them together when I need a lot of pinkies for hatchlings. I do not disturb mother until after my youngest babies are 4 days old. Then I then them taking out all the 4 day olds and a variety of the older ones leaving 5 -6 babies for each mother. I thin them again at 2 weeks and at 3 1/2 weeks I separate the males from the females. I put down the males and let the females grow for older snakes. I hope this helps you. Good Luck.

Devilscat, just so you know, mice typically aren't done nursing until 4-5 weeks. They can survive being pulled sooner though.

Adam.

Adam, If you notice I said I separate males from and keep the females till they are older.

Devilscat said:

I separate the males from the females at 3 1/2 weeks. I put down the males and let the females grow for older snakes. I hope this helps you. Good Luck.

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They actually are eating on their own at this age. When males are left in with mothers, the mothers are constantly feeding and having babies.

I also put down 1/2 of females at 5 -6 weeks old, rest at 8 weeks unless I am keeping them for replacement breeders.

They don't transition from milk to seeds all at once. It's a process that takes atleast a week.

I always read to wean them at 21 days. I have been doing that for a few months so far with good results but I am also fairly new to breeding mice so I may just be lucky.