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Not Much Luck?

P

Pythonron2005

Pythonron
Hello, I'm new here... I have a question maybe someone can help with??? I've been trying to breed my own mice now for about 4 months... Right now I have 1 male to 3 females in a 10 gal. tank. In the past 6 or 7 weeks I have had 3 litters, 1st litter hade about 7 pinkies, the adult mice ate all but 2 and they had no tails looks as if they were chewed off... 2nd litter had about 9 after 3 days only 4 were left, all missing tails, and some with 1 or more legs missing... next day all were dead and gone... 3rd litter Friday morning 9 babys, went to feed last night 3 left, all with no tails... It seems one female is the only one giving birth... any suggestions? thought about feeding them all to my slithering childern and starting over... I'm so frustrated.
I wanted to raise my own feeders, but still have to go to Petco one time a week and buy 2 mice, 3 fuzzies, and a rat... (live mice $1.99 ea., fuzzy's $1.59 ea., Rat $8.99 ea.) I could live without the rat, I guess but my big girl eats about 4 or 5 adult mice or one rat a week.... My daughter Is saving her money for a Savannah Monitor, right now only $50 bucks, but she wants it she pays for it... So I will need the extra mice for that to, but I produces 2 feeders in about 4 monthes. what an I doing wrong?
I clean mouse tank 1 time a week, aspen bedding, I feed Kaytee Forti-diet, says 21% protein... I think its good food? $4.99 for 2 Lbs. Plus I give them some adult science diet dog food about one time a week... I'm at a loss, if anyone has an idea lay it on me.... :shrugs:

Thanks Ron

1.1 Ball Pythons
Pacific Gopher snake
(soon to come) Savannh Monitor
 
I was having the same problem. I also feed the Forti-Diet and I think it is a little low in fat. What I did was get a hamster/gerbil seed blend and add that. The problems stopped and production went up. If you can get your hands on 8 in 1 Wild Harvest Hamster/Gerbil blend, that is a very good food. It is almost exactly the nutritional requirements of mice/rats. The Forti-Diet is high in protein, low in fat...which isn't bad but I noticed better mice with the other added as well as the Forti-Diet.
 
Usually I would suggest leaving them for a couple litters and let the momma mice take care of the cannibal. The Momma mice are programed to protect those babies and generally after a couple of killed litters the good Momma's will kill the cannibal. If you've already gone through three litters and it is still happening you may have more than one cannibal, or your alpha female (biggest, baddest girl), or even the male may be the culprit.

Try this~
Put the mice next to your TV set (or next to your PC, or somewhere you can see them casually for a week or two). While watching TV just generally watch the mice too. You will see a lot of baby swiping (good momma's will steal babies back and forth) but if you spot the one killing the babies~ feed THAT mouse out. Watch to be sure if she is killing them, or swiping them and cleaning them (it's hard to tell, so pay close attention when you think you know who the cannibal is, and remember, Daddy mice will sometimes swipe babies, clean them and sit on the too). Then when you get a new litter of pups that survives, don't feed any out until they start to hair out a little. Just after they get a little fuzz you'll be able to tell the boys from the girls by the nipples (either male mice do not have nipples, or they just don't show through the peach hair like the girl mice do). Feed out all the boys and keep all the girls. Let them grow up in the colony. The good momma mice in your colony will teach them how to be good Momma's (they really are very social for such nasty, vile little critters) and the Daddy mouse will insure they produce the next generation of mice for you. If the male is the culprit you can do the same thing, but hold back two or three of the "no nipple" mice until they are weanling size and then decide which one to keep. (if the male is your culprit you may just want to cull the colony and start again)

Don't try adding new mice to an existing colony unless your bringing them up from pups they way I just described. Mice are nasty and vile (mentioned that didn't I?) and they will kill a new addition, you will see a lot more cannibalism, and your production will drop dramatically.

Good luck!
 
not much luck to worst luck

Well... Last night I got home from work, went in there to check on my mice, one pinkie left, this almost don't seem worth the time, effort, and cost... I went to Petco and bought some more feed, I mixed seed type ( hamster feed, higher in fat) with the block type I was feeding before(high in protein) I put a little wooden type house in there enclosure with them they seem to enjoy it... I'll give them one more chance... then there snake chow! and I start over!
I have another set up ready to go been saving it for when I start rats, maybe I'll try to start another mouse colony? and see what happens, its about a 20 gallon how many female mice should I start with? or maybe I should just move on to Rats?
How about Rats? :shrugs: are they harder to deal with? Do Rats do the same thing, eat their young? maybe Rats are the way to go.... cause for as much effort as I have put in to it, mice sure are frustrating...

Thanks Ron

1.1 Ball Pythons
Pacific Gopher snake
(soon to come) Savannh Monitor
 
Cheryl, that was all really good advice! When/if I start a mice colony, I will remember all of that. (I really should start one!)

Ron, I hope things work out.
 
At one time I used only 10 gallon tanks to breed my mice...1 male with 3-4 females...At any givin moment there was atleast one litter going...I now feed normal wild bird seed...I was using mice feed but when you start going through a 50lb bag every 3 weeks it gets to be a little to much $$$...I now use rubbermaids for all my mice/rats and hamsters...(thank god for them things!)...

Ryan
 
i bought a 50 lb bag of mouse food and its lasted me over a month now. and i have 3 colonies.
 
i got it at my local petstore, its cheaper then buying small bags every week. but mine i have to special order in lol bu i only pay like 35 something
 
Check local feed stores, people get Mazuri rodent breeder lab block for as low as $18 for 50 lbs. I bought it for the same price at the local reptile swap meet from a rodent vendor.
 
my bags are 50 lbs $35 and i suppliment with dog food and 18% protien hamster extrusions. they seem to like it.. well my mice. my rats have a seed, dog food and occasional chicken bone mix
 
Just got home from work... still have one Li'l pinky left, (tailless and footless) but not eaten all the way (yet)... not bad, 1 mouse out of the past few litters, and about 5 to 6 Lbs. of feed sense I started... So I cant feed it to my snakes cause the way I see it that mouse is worth at least $17 Bucks! :) anyone one want to buy it? 3 legged, no tail, $17 dollar, white Li'l mouse.... named LUCKY... Naaaa think I'll keep it ... LOL
Thanks for the advice, I might try removing the dominant female and see if that changes anything.... if not I'll just start over, as for to many in one 10 gal??? I have a buddy who has all the luck he has 1.4 in a 10 gal. and they breed like CRAZY!!! I go over and get 10 to 15 pinkies and fuzzies at a time... he produces more than he can feed, so I take his left overs... but he never had the problem I am having... all his breeders are white mice, does this make a difference? :shrugs: mine are all different colors and spotted.... he reduced his reptile collection recently, so he has cut his breeders to only 1.2 and is still having outstanding success!!! I'll reduce my breeders and see if it works... Thanks again....

Thanks Ron

1.1 Ball Pythons
Pacific Gopher snake
(soon to come) Savannah Monitor
 
Of Mice and Hair Pulling Out

Hi Python!

I would echo what Cheryl said about working with colonies, it's exactly what worked for me. And...what Stacy said about some not working - this is so very true. I find that if I remove the problem mouse (usually another female) that the colony winds up working very well. I can tell you I've yet to have any mice that I've bought at Petco work out for me. Maybe it's just my luck. When I started buying from a local breeder I had issues as well, but worked out those, eventually :bang:

My mice get lab block, a mix of seed and black oil sunflower seed once a week and a handfull of dog food once a week. Now, is this excessive? probably, but it has worked for me. :bang:

I have a lot more luck with dwarf hammies - they have less per litter, but more often, so at least or more than my mice. And... LoL... they have attitude!! My mice are much sweeter...hehe

Good Luck!!!

-Tonya
 
MikeSaw23 said:
Where can you by Mice food that large??? And around how much do they cost?
Click to expand...

Go to a feed store, you know, for livestock. Pet stores are the biggest scam there is. Whereas you'll pay 10 bucks for a little bag of shavings, you can get a 50lb bag for 5 bucks at a feed store. Pet stores are just a big money grab.
 
Feed stores are cheaper because they can buy in much larger quantities. They supply bedding for horses(at least a large bag per stall/living space) whereas pet stores supply for small animals (maybe 1/30th of a large bag per living space). However, none of the feed stores around me carry Aspen bedding, only pine.
 
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