The babies are born!!!!!

[cornsnake234]

:crazy02: My first baby mice are born this afternoon!!!! i'm so excited!! I wish the parents won't eat them. They are soo small and very cute!!!!! I will post pics as soon as i can, but for the moment i'll try to don't disturb them too much! The only thing i'm worried about is the temperature, it's very hot outside and inside about 98 F!!!! I've putted an ice bottle outside my tank near of the nest and it stay cooler at this place... about 73F, the other mice are always there so i guess it will help.

[Skye]

congratulations! first babies are always very special

[lil' corn]

Cool, but are u using them as fedders

[cornsnake234]

Yes, i use them as feeders. I still don't know if i will be able to kill them, I think i'm falling in love!! :crazy02:

Here's a pic of a little 3 day pinky that escaped the nest!! don't notice my bedding please, i know it is very messy and dirty but i don't wanted to disturb the little cutie!!!! i will change and wash everything when the will be older.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/cornsnake234/Pinky.jpg

[Taceas]

I've found that mice will ALWAYS give birth right before you are scheduled to clean their cages out. I think they're psychic about it. =P

Anyway, I've found that if you leave the nest area and 2 inches on all sides of the nest and then just clean out the rest, and just replace everything else they do pretty good. As long as you leave the familiar scents and whatnot alone, I've not had a problem changing the litter. Sometimes I can reach in and grab the entire nest; babies, material, and all in one handfull and let it sit in a bowl till I'm done, then put it back afterwards.

One of my colonies is so sensitive about their babies that if you even get in the nest and root around searching for the right sized baby, they'll spend hours packing the babies from one spot to another. Usually it's one female who'll insist on the babies being in the food bowl, and the others spend their time putting the babies back in the nest. I still haven't figured that one out.

But I kind of operate under the assumption that they're going to be disturbed for various things throughout the course of their lives...might as well start now. ;)

[DAND]

What I find the most funny is when two or more have babies around the same time and there are two nesting sites. One goes to the other's pile of babies and takes one as the other is doing the same. Usually this ends up with only one nesting site but it's funny to see.

[cornsnake234]

LOL!!!:roflmao: Mice are very funny animals!!

Mine don't do those weird things for the moment! ;) it is my first experience and they seem to do very well. I was afraid that they would eat their babies but i'm lucky right now!! I have only two females, and the second one just had her litter tonight. She putted them in the same nest, so they feed each other pups, and the dad seems to also take care of them. I don't know if i am right, but while my second female was still pregnant, i saw her feed the babies of the other female!!! :eek1: is it possible?!

Thx for replies :rolleyes:

[DAND]

LOL!!!:roflmao: Mice are very funny animals!!

I don't know if i am right, but while my second female was still pregnant, i saw her feed the babies of the other female!!! :eek1: is it possible?!

Thx for replies :rolleyes:

Yep, you are right. They usually end up with a community nursery with all the mothers (and mothers to be) feeding and cleaning.

[lil' corn]

So Cool, They best way i find to feed them to wait till there the size want take half of them and just stick then a ziplock and throw them in a rezzer then wait till the other half gets to the next size and frezze those :cry: :sobstory:

[cornsnake234]

Tonight i've clean around the babies nest and i've removed the adults from the tank... so i've been able to take few pics of all the pups. If you are able to count them... tell me how many you see! :crazy02:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/cornsnake234/Montagnedepinky.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/cornsnake234/Montagnedepinky00.jpg

The father in the hands of my boyfriend
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/cornsnake234/Thefather.jpg

[Sean22]

theres more than 15 there for sure

[Krenna]

Grats!!

[newt]

cornsnake234, you dont have to kill them just throw them in with your snake the size of a pinkie is no challenge for the snake they will just swallow it without killing it first. It might sound creul but to freeze them without killing them first is crueler, by doing it that way they sufurcate first then die but my way they only skweek once then they are dead. I used to breed my own feeders and Iv have never froze them. If you dont want to see them die that way just leave the room.

[cornsnake234]

I won't give them alive to my snake. First they are too small, my corns eats adults. Second, i prefer to kill them first and to freeze them after to make sure they have no internal or external parasites that can harm my snakes.

I will never put them in the freezer to kill them, it's to cruel!! :eek1: