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starting mouse colony

james

james

jaycub69
Hi guys as part of my breeding project for next year I was thing of starting my own mouse colony . So how should I begin this is 1:2 ratio OK to start with as I don't want to over breed .The mice that are produced will be for the hatchlings as my female corn is now on weaning rats and I can't breed rats as I hate rat don't mind mice or what other rodents would be suitable .Plus how do you kill the rodents if you don't have a co2 chamber.
 
I would start off with 1:4 or 1:3 only because you will go through alot of pinkies. All you have to do with pinkies is put them in the frozer. If you have to kill bigger mice just break the mouse's neck.
 
ok thanks how long does it take for pinkies to die in freezer and I'm not sure if i could break their necks .
 
I usually bop all my rodents. I don't like the idea of freezing a baby animal (or any animal for that matter) to death. With pinkies just flick them in the back of the head, kills them instantly. If you don't have a CO2 chamber you can bop them, it's how I break the necks, and it's how I was taught to humanely kill a mouse. It sounds horrible, but it is instant if done right. All you do is take the mouse by the base of the tail and swing it into something solid, like a cinderblock. So basically it hits its head on the block, which severs the spine from the skull. You'll know you did it right if the mouse urinates (signaling death). Another way to do it is to place a screwdriver over the back of the mouses head and pull quickly on it's tail, if done right this also severs the spine from the skull. I have noticed that I get a lot more nose bleeds with the second method, which is not fun for anyone.

Also, it takes a while for mice to really get going with their breeding. I've had mine for about four or five months now and just one of my females has started to really pump out babies. I have a 1:3 ratio right now, soon I will be increasing to 1:4 after removing a female who has not produced for me at all.
 
james said:
ok thanks how long does it take for pinkies to die in freezer and I'm not sure if i could break their necks .
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Pinkies in the freezer take about 10 minutes to be done then just add them to some luke warm water if you need to feed right away or just keep them in a zip lock bag. What we do is just remove the pinkies put them on a cookie baking sheet then put them in the freezer. As far as Thumping you can also get a snake bag put the mouse in the bag and just thump him against something. But when you breed huge amounts like we do we just gas them....
 
Sinisterrodents said:
When you breed huge amounts like we do we just gas them....
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Gassing is definitely the best option when you have a lot, I typically only have two or three at a time. I have heard that you can make a CO2 chamber with dry ice, but i am not sure how to go about that.
 
I know it sounds bad, but I take mine (rats or mice) and if they are adult or large rat pups (my bps eating rats just larger then adult mice) I take them by the tail and throw them down onto the concrete floor head first. They have all died on impact and urinate within a second or two. I have had a few nose bleeds but after they are killed they go strait into baggies and into the freezer so no bloody mess. It may sound barbaric but they all have died immediately no painful agonizing death.
 
dry ice works but to do it humanely you have to create a barrier between mouse and ice otherwise it creates a painful death by freezing before the are unconscience
 
Pinkies go right in the freezer like fatman suggested. Mice, Rats, and Asf's get thumped then spinal seperated. A screwdriver or pencil behind the head. I euthanize about 30 a week, so be able to take the euthanization part.. because some are just darn cute. If not then build you a gas chamber. They save time and emotions.
 
I will be breeding my corn next year so it will be pinkies for hatchlings my female corn is on weaning rat pups and I can't do rats so buy them for female corn .
 
co2_002.jpg

Best way to make a chamber is to get yourself a remote coil hose used for paintball plus a tank. This will be the most expensive parts you will buy. Then get yourself a locking lid sterlilte i think when we started we used a 30 something qt i don't remember. drill a hole in the lid for the air to leak out since the co2 will press the oxygen out. Small hole in side the lower the better to get the remote coil hose in. here is a pick of what one could look like it will be a life saver once you start needing larger mice and need to put down alot more. Here is a pic of one i found online to give you a rough idea on how it should look...
 
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