Most of you are aware of my situation, 1 male 3 females. Had 3 litters about a week apart, so I assume all 3 females gave birth. 1 female died and I replaced her with another, that was on June 22! I have had no litters since. As it has been 3 months, do you all think I should get a new colony started. I'm tired of taking care of these slackers! On the other hand, they have come to know me, I think, and I'm not sure if I can bop em on the head and feed them off! Pretty unusual for a cold hearted SOB :grin01:
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Should I call it quits?
- Thread starter mbdorfer
- Start date
cornsnakekid92
trouser snake
i had some problems with my feeders. but if they are not producine you can always just have them as pets
DAND
New member
Are you sure it was the female that died? If it was the male that could explain no production. Then again I have noticed any change especially an addition to the group the production stops. You may also want to check if the male hasn't had his jewels injured. The new female could have said "no" and caused an injury.
Taceas
USW = UB313
I would have to agree with Dand. Are you positively sure it was a female that died? I know its going to sound like a totally dumb question, but then again I've had petstore employees mis-sex rodents when I've wanted to purchase them. You'd think the presence of "danglies" from the rear would be a clue...but I guess some petstore employees must all be virgins or something.
I too have also noticed that the addition of another adult member into the colony will stop or delay production. A new male especially as the females are very ruthless to him. Females as well, because they have to establish a pecking order all over again and the new female is so timid after getting her arse beat every minute for a week, she may not cooperate when it comes to mating.
The BEST way I have found to add a female to an already established group is to save back big, healthy female offspring that you just never feed off. Or in my case to try to prevent as much inbreeding as I can, I'll steal a nice 'n healthy female that I like the looks of from another colony. However the key is to get one that's still nursing slightly. I don't know if its the milk breath or what, but if it smells like its been nursing the adult females don't attack it and instead adopt it as one of their own.
However in your case, you should have someone look pregnant by now. I'd say either yer male was the one that died, or he's now sterile...and I'd invest in another colony. I just never saw the trouble some people seem to have with mice. If you obey the "rules" ya can't go wrong, at least here. I just stick them together, they'll have a tussle now and then, and voila..babies.
:-offtopic
Oh, and RIP to Fuzzy. He died over last weekend. One of my original males that I purchased at Petsmart, over 3 years ago. Towards the end he had lost his fertility, but he never stopped trying! He was paired with a son of his for the longest time, but when he became annoyed with the babies climbing all over him, he went to live out the rest of his life with a pair of my rats, whom he adored.
Here's a pic of him enjoying his favourite past-time, chewing holes in the tubs of my mouse rack. He'd chew it, just so he could peek out I think. I never saw him escape once in the months that he did it.
He made the biggest, healthiest babies I've ever had. :cheers: to Fuzzy!
I too have also noticed that the addition of another adult member into the colony will stop or delay production. A new male especially as the females are very ruthless to him. Females as well, because they have to establish a pecking order all over again and the new female is so timid after getting her arse beat every minute for a week, she may not cooperate when it comes to mating.
The BEST way I have found to add a female to an already established group is to save back big, healthy female offspring that you just never feed off. Or in my case to try to prevent as much inbreeding as I can, I'll steal a nice 'n healthy female that I like the looks of from another colony. However the key is to get one that's still nursing slightly. I don't know if its the milk breath or what, but if it smells like its been nursing the adult females don't attack it and instead adopt it as one of their own.
However in your case, you should have someone look pregnant by now. I'd say either yer male was the one that died, or he's now sterile...and I'd invest in another colony. I just never saw the trouble some people seem to have with mice. If you obey the "rules" ya can't go wrong, at least here. I just stick them together, they'll have a tussle now and then, and voila..babies.
:-offtopic
Oh, and RIP to Fuzzy. He died over last weekend. One of my original males that I purchased at Petsmart, over 3 years ago. Towards the end he had lost his fertility, but he never stopped trying! He was paired with a son of his for the longest time, but when he became annoyed with the babies climbing all over him, he went to live out the rest of his life with a pair of my rats, whom he adored.
Here's a pic of him enjoying his favourite past-time, chewing holes in the tubs of my mouse rack. He'd chew it, just so he could peek out I think. I never saw him escape once in the months that he did it.
He made the biggest, healthiest babies I've ever had. :cheers: to Fuzzy!
Those are great pics, Misty! I'm sure you'll miss him. Yes I'm sure it was a female that died. When I first set them up one of the pet shops gave me an older female that they used to nurse their purchased pinky stock. She gave me one litter and died. My existing male is still "dragging" and displaying a healthy bulge! I just don't get it. Anyway I just purchased a pair of "fancy mice" for $1.99 a piece, and the female looks pregnant already! So I'm setting them up and hoping for the best. Thanks again :cheers:
Malkingray
Certified Vet Tech
I have since given up trying to raise my own mice. I have tried with 4 seperate groups (all were 1.3 groupings). I never had a single litter. I got them as young mice and raised them in their own groups, in three of the groups 1 or 2 died here and there (2 groups are entirely deceased now, one has 2 females left) the fourth group is alive and doing well - minus the reproduction part!
During my research of why I wasn't having any babies I came across the fact that you cannot add any mice to an established breeding group. A friend of mine had this problem. Each time a male would die she'd get another and the breeding would stop. It happened when a female died too and she replaced her. All breeding stopped. Now if a female dies she lets them go and they continue to breed and if the male dies she starts an entirely new group.
With all the money I have spent on them trying to get them to reproduce and feed them high quality food - it would have been just as cheap and less time consuming to send off for an order of frozen mice!
During my research of why I wasn't having any babies I came across the fact that you cannot add any mice to an established breeding group. A friend of mine had this problem. Each time a male would die she'd get another and the breeding would stop. It happened when a female died too and she replaced her. All breeding stopped. Now if a female dies she lets them go and they continue to breed and if the male dies she starts an entirely new group.
With all the money I have spent on them trying to get them to reproduce and feed them high quality food - it would have been just as cheap and less time consuming to send off for an order of frozen mice!
El Jefe
Mark 16:18
Mix. Match. All of it can work.
I've added females and added males and have had it work.
Then again, I've done the same and had it not work at all.
Mice are unpredictable.
As far as your no reproduction.....there is always a chance the increased stress of the new female has made the cycles go screwy. I've seen this several times with my colonies. Usually, I try to avoid additions just because crazy things can happen.
I do have one advantage, however.....I have over 40 trays with mice in it so if one colony is not working....my adult corns get a fresh meal instead of frozen thawed.
I've added females and added males and have had it work.
Then again, I've done the same and had it not work at all.
Mice are unpredictable.
As far as your no reproduction.....there is always a chance the increased stress of the new female has made the cycles go screwy. I've seen this several times with my colonies. Usually, I try to avoid additions just because crazy things can happen.
I do have one advantage, however.....I have over 40 trays with mice in it so if one colony is not working....my adult corns get a fresh meal instead of frozen thawed.
Not one of my wiser purchases I guess. Have no idea why she croaked, she chewed her way out of the cardboard box on the way home, so I pulled into a Walgreens with mouse in tow and bought a plastic box, punched some holes in it and continued on my merry way. Maybe it was the stress :shrugs:Quigs said:
So the way I see it, I have this expensive male that I can feed to a snake, or I could get another female or 2. Would it be wise to take a female from my non producing colony, or should I go get a different one?
El Jefe
Mark 16:18
Another thing...careful of buying adults. I know I sell old breeders sometimes to pet stores and I know other people who do as well. So you may be buying something that has had its reproductive life already and now is just on its way to be food.
I only sell them with the intention of them being snake food and not someone's pet. The stores around here will have feeders in a cage and non-feeders in a different cage. I don't know how it works where you are but that might be one of the other issues you are facing..... :shrugs:
I only sell them with the intention of them being snake food and not someone's pet. The stores around here will have feeders in a cage and non-feeders in a different cage. I don't know how it works where you are but that might be one of the other issues you are facing..... :shrugs:
Yeah, most of the pet shops around here only sell feeders, that's why I jumped at these 2. They were labeled Fancy Mice. The only other place I have seen the fancies is Petsmart, but they only have males. My existing colony is all from feeders, and although they are no longer producing, they did give me 3 litters. Just not sure if taking one of the females out and putting her with the fancy male is a good idea :shrugs:MohrSnakes said:
Joni Garcia
Gotta love 'em!
Don't know if this will help you out any? :shrugs: We have three different Petsmart stores within about 20 minutes of my town. I also noticed that one sold only males, but another one sells only females. So if there's a second Petsmart nearby, you might want to give them a buzz and see if they happen to sell females.