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Mice not raising

harleylarry883
03-15-2005, 12:50 AM
I have a group of 4 mice together 1.3 they are in a 40 gallon tank, I give them fresh water and food daily and keep the tank clean. They have been together for about 8 weeks and I haven't got a single baby yet can some one tell me what the problem might be.

Taceas
03-15-2005, 01:14 AM
Either the male could be too young or infertile, or the females could be too young. It could be any number of things. I'd say just give it some time longer before scrapping them and starting over.

It sounds as though the husbandry isn't an issue. Did you acquire these mice as "pet mice" from a pet store, or from the feeder bin? Feeder bin mice usually are there for a reason, and any I've bought in the past never proved to be a healthy addition and were culled shortly afterwards.

Depending on the age of the mice and the introduction, I've never really had it take longer than 6 weeks for the females to show signs of pregnancy. Usually they've gotten their pecking order established, the male isn't too hen-pecked, and the ball starts rolling.

The cage sounds huge in my honest opinion, so that could be the problem. Limit anything that would otherwise distract horny mice, such as wheels, toys etc until the babies start popping out. Make themselves the only source of exercise. If you can, cut back the cage to a 10 gallon for a month or so to see if that helps matters any. Mice from my experience tend to do better when cramped, from our perspective of being cramped. Once they get used to the idea of what they're supposed to be doing, then you can add things back in.

Let us know how it all works out. =)

harleylarry883
03-15-2005, 01:26 AM
Thanks, the tank size might be the problem and they also have a wheel that they are always on. I'll put them in a smaller tank tomorrow and take away the wheel.

Taceas
03-15-2005, 01:33 AM
Probably. I had a wheel when I first started out...and most of the time it was a hindrance to pregnancy. Its hard to mate when a female is running non-stop I'd imagine. ;)

I told the mice I wasn't running an "Exercise Club". You either breed and have babies for my snakes, or you go to the snakes directly...and with that took out the wheel.

I'd almost bet that's the problem. Even in humans too much exercise can significantly decrease fertility. Let me know how they do in the next few weeks. =)

harleylarry883
03-15-2005, 01:50 AM
Do you think if my girl friend an I got a wheel for our teenage daughters it would help with our worries? 0.4 teenagers

Taceas
03-15-2005, 01:53 AM
Heh, it might. It'd definitely make them look weird enough running in it that no sane boy would be interested. ;)

Rosebear
03-15-2005, 01:53 AM
:laugh01:
Hey, with four teenage daughters, ANYTHING is worth a try!

Godzilla2000
03-21-2005, 08:50 AM
Hmmm...when I was a child we never had issues breeding mice when we had a wheel in our mouse tank. I guess some mice like wheels better than others.

Cornfan
03-21-2005, 09:13 AM
I have a wheel in one of my mice cages and they don't even use it!

Gintha
03-21-2005, 06:25 PM
I find a lot with mice that when you keep the mates together all the time, they don't breed as often, wait for the fems to gel then put em with the sire =)

Taceas
03-21-2005, 07:25 PM
find a lot with mice that when you keep the mates together all the time, they don't breed as often, wait for the fems to gel then put em with the sire =)

I don't see how that can be accurate. After a female mouse has given birth, within 30 mins to 2 hours later she's going into estrus again. And during that time, the male is relentlessly mating with her. So whether you base your observations on physically watching them go at it or not, I don't know.

Also, when you remove a male after the deed, then after she's given birth before reintroducing him you waste time waiting for her to go into estrus once more and you also have to re-acquaint the mice. That in itself is a hassle most mouse breeders wish to avoid.

Upon the introduction of a new male into any of my colonies, it takes a good 2 full months before everyone has settled down enough with everyone to actually work on business.

The only thing that negates any of what I said is if you're breeding show mice, rather than feeder mice. Then at the expense of continually pregnant females, you remove the male after the deed has been done and move him to the next cross down the list. That way the females don't get overbred, overworked, and overhassled.

princess
03-22-2005, 01:18 PM
The most hilarious thing is watching mummy mouse running on her wheel with 3-4 little 2½ week old pups hanging on to the outside for dear life! You can try all you like to pull them off, they just keep getting back on!

From my understanding, mice will run on the wheel to relieve tension and boredom which might otherwise be taken out on each other or the babies if not there. I had 1 wheel and 2 breeder groups and would wash the wheel and give it to the other cage every few days. I found that after 3-4 days they'd lose interest and so I'd swap it over and the others would go nutso on it for a few days...kept everyone happy!

Gintha
03-22-2005, 08:02 PM
Not always Tac.. been breeding squeakers for 12 almost 13 years, depending on the type of mouse estrous can occure immediately after burth or 4 to 6 months later. Just posting about my personal experience.
EDIT = I breed pet mice, and my fems are pregnant most of the time.. 2 month cool down a year to prevent a twisted uterus... but other than that.. LOTS of babies. Well over 4000 or 5000 a year (I have 250 breeding females) thats the final sell number.. not including what my ex steals to feed his reps, or what the mommas eat when the exs kids bug them ~.~

Rosebear
03-23-2005, 01:56 AM
Hmmm...you folks give me plenty to think about. With a 1.4 situation in the mouse dept., I'm thinking that Curly Bill (the male mouse...the "founder of the feast" so to speak...-ouch! That tomato almost smarted!!!) has his paws full, and those girls can't all be runnin' that wheel at the same time! I thought we were 1.3 until I took a good solid look...I see no evidence that any one of the 4 white mice are males. I happened upon a gray and white fancy (oh yeah! no jokin'!) male yesterday, and bought him to add to the colony. If he's fertile...FABULOUS!! If he isn't....*sigh* he's a feeder.

TripleMoonsExotic
03-23-2005, 04:43 PM
I agree with Taceas, the only time I've been successful with mouse breeding is keeping colonies together. Adding/Removing mice has only caused me to lose production weeks and individual mice due to aggression. Also, I have never had a female go more then 6 weeks without having a litter.

TripleMoonsExotic
03-23-2005, 04:46 PM
Gintha, wanted to ask. How to you house all of those mice? Racks (I use lab cages for my 20)? How do you deal with the smell (BF's complaining that my "rodent room" smells...though I don't think so...and I use Yesterdays News and Timothy Hay for there bedding...PLUS have a Deoderizer in the room)?

Gintha
03-23-2005, 05:36 PM
They are all litter trained, change the box 3 times a day, so there is virtually no smell =) They are all housed in handmade homes in my exs basement, 25 fems to a tunnel (tunnel being a mouse viv) all on tables around the perimeter of the room with a big tunnel in the middle for the off breeders. Usually 200 on, 50 off at a time. Get births of 40 of so runts per fem per breed, most end up being bottle fed hehe

Joejr14
03-23-2005, 07:26 PM
They are all litter trained, change the box 3 times a day, so there is virtually no smell =) They are all housed in handmade homes in my exs basement, 25 fems to a tunnel (tunnel being a mouse viv) all on tables around the perimeter of the room with a big tunnel in the middle for the off breeders. Usually 200 on, 50 off at a time. Get births of 40 of so runts per fem per breed, most end up being bottle fed hehe


Wow, you must spend a lot of time changing little bowls or whatever they are.

Quigs
03-24-2005, 01:41 AM
They are all litter trained, change the box 3 times a day, so there is virtually no smell
Get births of 40 of so runts per fem per breed, most end up being bottle fed hehe
Are we all talking about the same thing here? Somehow I doubt it.

Rosebear
03-24-2005, 03:16 AM
They are all litter trained, change the box 3 times a day, so there is virtually no smell =)

Sorry kids...I need elaboration!

Gintha
03-24-2005, 09:12 AM
Litter training mice is easier then litter training cats hehe... just put the box in the mousies regular "toilet corner" and they train themselves =)

TripleMoonsExotic
03-24-2005, 09:22 AM
My mice (and my rats) don't have a "toilet corner," they go everywhere in there cage. Hamsters and gerbils on the other hand, I have seen have "toilet corners."

Gintha
03-24-2005, 09:38 AM
All of my mice have always had a "toilet corner" as have all of my other rodents. Will try and get some pics of the "Arc" sometime =) (Yes the "Arc" thats what the vets call my house hehe. Had over 75 different species of pets at one point =D)

Cornfan
03-24-2005, 10:45 AM
I can't say I've ever noticed a particular toilet corner either - they tend to poop everywhere! lol