JM :o)
05-02-2005, 10:43 AM
I'm planning on retiring several old/slow breeders today. Really past time to do it, the ones I will be retiring to the freezer were started in Spring 04, and they really just do not produce much anymore.
But I have a delima. I've got one male I purchased in Dec 04 that is the CUTEST mouse! He is a seal point (I'll try to attach a pic) and is just the cutest guy, and being so cute~ I named him. "Fat Boy" He should be right in his prime breeding his 5 girls. However, he is hands down the WORST breeder I have ever owned. He has maybe produced 4 or 5 litters in just over 5 months~ and the litters he does produce do poorly. (I don't believe it is the girls, as they are from my stock and my stock usually produces very well). Usually I would retire him~ but did I mention he is the cutest mouse? And he has a name! I don't kill anything with a name~ so retiring him will mean moving him into a private tank and waiting for him to get old and pass on~ or finding him a home where he can be a pet.
I really want more Seal point mice~ but is it worth trying to keep any of his very few pups~ or will they be just as bad as he is? I did buy him at a pet store~ and I've heard before that some stores do *something* to them to keep them from breeding well~ is that true~ or a story?
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12812&stc=1
But I have a delima. I've got one male I purchased in Dec 04 that is the CUTEST mouse! He is a seal point (I'll try to attach a pic) and is just the cutest guy, and being so cute~ I named him. "Fat Boy" He should be right in his prime breeding his 5 girls. However, he is hands down the WORST breeder I have ever owned. He has maybe produced 4 or 5 litters in just over 5 months~ and the litters he does produce do poorly. (I don't believe it is the girls, as they are from my stock and my stock usually produces very well). Usually I would retire him~ but did I mention he is the cutest mouse? And he has a name! I don't kill anything with a name~ so retiring him will mean moving him into a private tank and waiting for him to get old and pass on~ or finding him a home where he can be a pet.
I really want more Seal point mice~ but is it worth trying to keep any of his very few pups~ or will they be just as bad as he is? I did buy him at a pet store~ and I've heard before that some stores do *something* to them to keep them from breeding well~ is that true~ or a story?
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12812&stc=1