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breeding size?

D

Dirk94

New member
Hey all,

Well I recently purchased two mice to start a very small breeding project. I am just wondering -- How much will they usually weigh when they are able to start breeding? I'm just wondering because my male is 27g and my female is 30g. Will they breed at this weight or does it mean they are too young?

Thanks,
--Mike
 
I normally don't go by wieght. Do you know the approximate age? I breed mine around 12 weeks. This is a "safe" age from what the breeder that I got them from told me. However from what I understand they will breed at a much younger age.
 
I put them or leave them together from as early as possible. For me they seem to breed when they are ready. I do not know exactly, but it seems like 3-4 months of age when they start reproducing.
 
I'm really not sure how old they are. The only place near me i could buy live mice was from a pet store.

--Mike
 
Not a big deal Dirk. Like Mike stated usually when they are ready, they will breed. There are so many ways that people breed and raise there rodents and all of them are good ways, Or they wouldn't work. Each different way usually fits the need of each person. Some need a lot of pinkies, some need full grown mice, some need only a few mice a month and some require a lot.
I would go ahead and introduce them to each other, if you haven't already. See how they interact, as long as they get along, Keep them together until the babies slow down. The good thing about getting a young group ,or couple, is that you should get right around 8-9 good months(sometimes a little more) of litters from the females.
Good luck on your venture, and there is nothing wrong with pet store mice, a lot of people use them and have great success.
 
Thanks for the useful tips and positive reinforcement Buzzard! Yes, i have already introduced them to eachother and they seem to like eachother a good amount. They will interact and cuddle in corners together. I just have two questions though...

1. When i first introduced them, he was always trying to mate with her but she would just squeak and run away. Now, two days later, he hasn't even tried anything like that. Could that mean that she's already pregnant from him, or could she just not be in heat anymore?

2. I read somewhere around here that pine is a no-no for bedding. I checked what kind of bedding i bought right after i read it, and it said it was a mixture of pine, spruce, and fir. It says it's a bedding for mice and other rodents, but I just want to make sure it will not harm the mice at all.

Thanks all,
--Mike
 
Hi, Mike! I don't know about the first question--my guess would be she's pregnant now (congrats!).

As for the second question, pine is bad... Not as bad as cedar, but I wouldn't risk it. Try switching to something else--aspen would be convenient, if you already buy it in bulk for your snake(s). I've been using aspen, but now that I've gotten my mice switched from a wire cage to an aquarium (still waiting on a male, though!!), I've started using a mixture of Carefresh and aspen. I wouldn't know what's best, though... I've only used the two. Good luck. =)
 
Thanks Floof.

What problems might pine cause? Haha now i'm going to have a giant bag of the stuff and nothing to do with it *sigh* waisting money. Should i just keep it in their until i can change it out or maybe just like shred up some newspaper?

Thanks,
--Mike
 
Okay, I just emptied the bedding that was in their and replaced it with the aspen I use with my snake. I ended up finishing off the bag of aspen, so I'll have to return to Petco to get some more. Do you think if I really complain to petco that the stuff they are selling for mouse bedding is toxic to them, that I could get them to replace it with a different bag of bedding?

Thanks,
--Mike
 
She is more than likely "Knocked Up" congrats. Yes pine is not the best, However I am guilty of using it in the begining too. It can cause respitory issues. Aspen, carefresh are the best. Do a google search, There is some neat research on it out there. Like Floof I mix my Aspen and Carefresh, Great minds think a like..
 
Just wondering -- where do you guys get your bedding for snakes/mice. I currently buy my aspen at PetCo, and it's 11.00 for an 8 quart bag (like 8.8 L i believe). Is that overpriced? I'm just wondering if bedding is cheaper at somewhere like WalMart.

Thanks,
--Mike
 
Let me fix the last quote; Pine that has a lot of dust can cause respitory issues. I know a few breeders that use pine with no dust(low dust). They have never had issues according to them. I buy bulk aspen for snakes so I have it readily aval. and mix it with the carefresh.
 
Oh, well the pine I bought is mixed with fir and spruce and isnt dusty at all. Does that mean that it won't really affect the mice? Haha I wish i would have known that before I used the last of my aspen on the mice XD

Thanks,
--Mike
 
Co-op(tractor store) down here orders it for me... I get a monster bag. Not quite sure the actual size , I have used half a bag in 3 months. Changing 6 snakes and 6 mice cages every week. I payed 25.00 for the bag.
 
Wow, it appears that I am gettin ripped off then! But I don't have any tractor supply stores near me... any other suggested places to buy?

Thanks,
--Mike
 
Dirk94 said:
Wow, it appears that I am gettin ripped off then! But I don't have any tractor supply stores near me... any other suggested places to buy?

Thanks,
--Mike
Click to expand...

Look for local "reptile" specialty stores.. Or, something along those lines. I've started getting my aspen in 5 pound bags for $5 from The Bean Farm. The Bean Farm is somewhat local, but I don't think they have a physical store, so I just load up on the stuff when I go to expos... Between shows, I'll just grab a big bag at Petsmart. Also, you can get aspen bedding in the "small animals" section at pet stores... They sell it in MUCH bigger bags, for MUCH cheaper. The only difference is the stuff in the reptile section tends to be a much finer shred.

Lol! I only started to mix the aspen and carefresh because I hated how that gray carefresh looks and had some left. It seems to be working well, though. =)
 
I get bedding from PetCo.

Go to the rodent section and get the Aspen chips. You can get a HUGE bag of it for $15... which to me is a pretty good deal. :cool:
 
Since the aromatics of pine and cedar are a problem for herps, I'd avoid using pine or cedar in bedding for mice that will be fed to herps. Inhaled compounds that are metabolized by the mice or oils on the fur could conceivably be passed on to the snake who eventually consumes the mice. There are lots of herp-friendly types of bedding around, so avoiding pine and cedar for the mice isn't a big deal.
 
Okay all, bad news kind of...

My parents are forcing me to finish up the bag of bedding that consists of pine/spruce/fir. They think it won't affect the mice or the snake, and they say I can't buy any more bedding until that bag is finished up. So, do you guys think that the small amount of pine mixed in will affect the mice/snake in a negative way?

Thanks,
--Mike
 
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