Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my breeding colony set up, 1 male, 3 females, for a few weeks now. So far I haven't seen any breeding behavior, and haven't noticed the females getting any bigger. How long does it usually take for a colony to get up and running? Thanks

If they are healthy, stress free and in a clean enviroment with plenty of food and water, the females should enter heat every couple of days (can't remember if it's 3 or 5 days) till they get pregnant. Gestation is 21 to 23 days and the females usually start to show around 2 1/2 weeks into their term. By this time the females will start to look like they swollowed a ping pong ball.

If you had them for three weeks and still no pregnant females, I would double check to make sure you do have a male. Males of course have obvious testicles underneath their tail. If none of your mice have these, then you are missing a male. However if you do have a male, and the females still show no sign of getting pregnant, they may be too old to breed or too stressed to conceive. Make sure you give them plenty of room and lots of toys and a few exercise wheels to keep them happy.

You could also get another male, just in case he is sterile.

>>I've had my breeding colony set up, 1 male, 3 females, for a few weeks now. So far I haven't seen any breeding behavior, and haven't noticed the females getting any bigger. How long does it usually take for a colony to get up and running? Thanks

I would give a new colony about 2 months to start. Set up involves them settling into the idea of breeding too. Though I would make sure you do really have a male, and that they weren't all past prime when you got them. Adults take longer to settle than growing up mediums.
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Sonya