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Keeping Mice

ButtersCorns4life

ButtersCorns4life

New member
OK I was thinking that it might be a good idea to keep feeder mice, but my mom says "NO!!!" So I just wanted to know the pros and cons about them. I know that it will cost a lot less to feed my snakes. But do they smell really bad? Can they easily get out? And what would some of the things that I would need for them? And is it pricy??? :)

Thanks, Butters
 
I don't think I've had any get out, at least haven't seen cats licking their chops. :sidestep: I am extremely worried about escapes so I use river stones on almost everything to help keep lids on.
How many snakes do you have? Some people say they smell more then rats, I'm not sure the rats are a little questionable. Overall I don't think either smell really bad.
10 gal tank with lid will work good for 1.4 mice, the regular rodent water bottle, food, bedding, hides of some sort. I ask all enighbors to give me toilet and paper towel tubes, my mice love these and if there is a little paper left on even more. Can't think of much else. susang
 
ok sweet, has any of your rodents gotten out??? I have 4 snakes. More coming next breeding season. And I was thinking of mice, rats are to big... And they scare me... lol :D

And what do you mean buy 1.4 mice. so does that mean if I get a 20gal I can have 2.8??? That seams like a lot of room for mice. Do they like company???

And since I only have 4 snakes would it save me money or end up costing way to much???
 
iN a 20 you can 1.6, 8 ( I have a 1.8 colony and over all they don't seem to produce more then the 1.6) but 2 males not a good idea as they will fight. You also need somewhere to hold weaned males until they are feeder size.
Nope never an escape. I too didn't like rats, but I have some now and they aren't to bad. As for size the rat pups are pretty close to small feeders, so in that respect I'm hoping once I get the rat colonies going, I won't have to raise out feeder mice. susnag
 
With pelleted bedding and weekly cleanings, they don't smell too bad at all. It's the male urine that has a distinctive pungent odor, but with just 1 male it doesn't get too bad. Using a good pelleted bedding is key. If you use carefresh or even just plain aspen shavings it smells a lot worse.

Rats don't work very well as feeders for corn snakes, they grow too big too fast and require a lot more space. Plus, they are so sweet and tame that I don't like using them for feeders.
 
oh ok, well that answers most of my questions,

but I still want to know what 1.6 means, like grams??? And since I only have 4 snakes, would it be a good idea to breed mice???

Thanks for the other info though.
 
A question for Flagg

I don't want to hyjack this thread but have a question I have been attempting to box train my rats. The advice I read was use something different in litter box like pellets or crushed corn cob. So far the rats are doing well. I have noticed, since I jsut cleaned some of the mouse tubs today they pee in the same spot. Do you think putting a small box in that area would work, at least removing the pee spots once a day would help a lot. Also I tried the pellets and my mice didn't much like it, they actually spoke with me about :sidestep: Not really but they didn't nest and tunnel as much. I agree carefresh doesn't work, plus it is so expensive. Even the pellets are getting spendy here.
 
ButtersCorns4life said:
oh ok, well that answers most of my questions,

but I still want to know what 1.6 means, like grams??? And since I only have 4 snakes, would it be a good idea to breed mice???

Thanks for the other info though.
Click to expand...


Same as snakes 1 male. 4 females. It depends on how much you pay for mice, here they are $1.00 no matter what size. Also availability is also a problem. Paying $1.00 for a day old pink x the number of hatchlings?? For me with 13 snakes four on 1-2 pinks, 1 on day old, 7 on various size feeders. It saves me money, plus I enjoy it. I don't much like the culling however, but that is getting better. susang
 
Sorry, can't help with litter training, I haven't tried it with any of my rodents. I currently use wood stove pellets for the mice and asf feeders, and provide some kind of bedding material like paper towel strips. They also chew up their paper towel tubes for a nest as well.

The pellets may not be as comfortable as other beddings, but they work so well on odor that I use them anyway. My mice have never known anything else, and seem to breed fine on it. They either make a nest with paper towel and cardboard, or push the pellets away from the nest area and keep litters on bare tub floor. The ASFs have a PVC connector hide as well as an igloo that they always overturn and sleep on that. Litters usually end up in a corner with the pellets cleared away.

The wood pellets break down to wood particles over time, which I imagine is a little more confortable.
 
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