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Cannibal mice

ghosthousecorns

ghosthousecorns

Well-known member
I've been messing with feeders for a little over a month now, I bought a male (fancy) mouse and three female (feeder) mice, I wanted to get all fancy but the pet store I went to only had fancy males. Since then each of the females had a litter, one died after her first one, and I fed one off to a snake because she kept on eating her babies, so now I have a 1 male and 1 female mouse (I am only doing this because a couple of the snakes I have will only eat live pinkies, as I also have a freezer full of frozen pinks) I was wondering what makes these mice eat their own babies? The male only did it once and it was the first litter,which he didn't sire, now that they are his he fusses over the babies more than the female does! But my remaining female has already eaten one of her pinkies just like the other one I got rid of, Is there some diet need of theirs I am not meeting? Have been giving them the hamster/gerbil chow from the petstore, it's just so gross that they eat their babies, I am not sure if I should get new females and start over or just can the whole project. Does this happen a lot?
 
It happens quite often in new colonies. Let them go for about 2 months and they'll stop. I had the same problem, but with this last time starting up a colony, left them go ahead and eat their babies...Now they're great mums and I don't have a problem. Usually eatting their own babies is due to stress and first time mothers. Rivalry between males can also be a cause.

At this point, you should add a few more females to the colony (if space allows) and leave them alone for a month or two. Feed, water and clean them. That's it. Don't pull any babies that survive. Just leave them be to get adjusted.
 
the same thing happens with gerbils that become over run, i used to breed them about 5 years ago and the females used to eat the older males or those born with deformaties.
 
The male will eat them if they aren't his. The females will sometimes eat them if the have died. If she has only eaten one then there may not be a problem. If she is eating a bunch I'd wait and see if she stop with the next liter. If she continues I'd get a different female and kill her off.
 
Thanks all for the info, I have them in a 10 gal tank, I was thinking of getting just one more female, but they already have a litter right now won't that really stress the mom out? I also want to find a better female this time, I got what I paid for buying feeder females I guess. Do they do better in big colonies, or is one male and two females enough? I guess I will give the female I have one more chance, but what I don't want is mice with a taste for blood (shudder)
 
Adding a new female will stress the original female out. You will basically be "starting over." The original female may start killing off her offspring again and/or fight with the new female. You have to be patient and let things smooth out for a month or so. A 10 gallon is only big enough for 1.2 mice. If you had more then that, their is a possibility that is a reason for the cannibilism.
 
Blckkat, thanks... I will try to be patient! So could I let them raise this litter and keep a female baby instead of getting a new female, or would the inbreeding be a big issue? She has eaten one and she has 7 left if she doesn't eat them.
 
That should work ok. I've done it. To prevent to many problems with inbreeding, I switch in a new male every year. Almost all my female mice are related in one way or another.
 
I think I will try that, it seems to be the least disruptive thing, and at least at this point they are both caring for the pinkies, one keeps them warm while the other eats! it is kind of cute.
 
I don't know what sort of strains you are working with. But pure white lab mice have been inbred for centuries!

They have been done to that they are all the same, hence lab mice. You couldn't test mice that are all different.
 
good point! *lol* I think I've figured out though that my current male is partially sterile (at least not as prolific as my other males)...he's going to be replaced here soon...
 
The male is a 'fancy' mouse from petco he is white with tan spots and I guess the female is one of those inbred white lab mice, she came from the feeders bin. The babies look like they will be a solid dark color. So far they haven't eaten any more -the other female I killed off was snacking on a pinky every few hours though!
 
Well, my colony has failed... the last female died on New Years' eve, I decided not to get new mice to replace these, luckily my snakes that would only eat live pinkies have each gone for a frozen one. I felt bad for the male mouse but, I fed him to my anery Poseidon.
 
Fascinating article, I finally had a little time to read it. I must say I am very glad I'm not a rat after reading it. Thank you for the info. I think my colony turned to cannibalism because they were new to each other and I had too many mice for a 10 gal. I'm still just sticking to frozen mice and all my snakes are just fine with that. There are a couple that will constrict their frozen thawed mouse to death which is kind of funny but as long as they eat it ...I guess the killer instinct is stronger in some animals.
 
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