Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a couple of mice from a friend and decided to start breeding them for our many snakes! I have a young male and female ~4 months old who I placed together a little over a month ago. The female has not gained any weight (in fact she lost a gram!) and the male doesnt seem to have much interest in her.

I bought two more females and placed another one in with the male (so he has two females to breed now). So far the females both have gained around half a gram a day. I bought a pregnant female and another male also. I housed the new male seperate from all of the mice, and the new pregnant female was kept in separate quarters. The female gave birth early yesterday morning. I didn't muck with her at all except to change her food and water. This morning I noticed she wasn't sleeping in the hide with her pups. Later this afternoon I saw her carrying things out of her hide...pup heads! All of the pups were bodyless (3 of them), and two of them were dead but not eaten. I understand mice do this sometimes, but what can I do to prevent this from happening again.

Currently I have two cages of mice. One with 1 male and 2 females, and one with one male and one female (the one who just had a litter). They are eating a dog food with 20 percent protein and 9 percent fat, mixed with seeds and corn. I switch the females to a higher protein food when they are noticably pregnant.

Also, the new male is pretty nasty to his female. He'll groom her and than all of a sudden try to bite her! She is holding her own! I put them both in a neutral cage to introduce them. Since they just met I'm watching them closely! Is this normal for male?

Thanks!
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*Amy*
0.1 Green Iguana (yes, I have a lizard in my bathroom)-iggy
2.1 Ball Pythons (normal)-cosi, jake, and frosty mcfry
0.1 B.smithi (mexican redknee tarantula)-athena
0.0.1 midland painted turtle-nemo
1.1 dogs-rocky and skippy
1.0 normal grey cockatiel-opie
0.0.30 betta, guppies, rosy reds, fantail goldfish, clown pleco,...
2.3 Feeder mice

Almost every single mouse I've ever bought pregnant ended up eating her babies. Too much stress would be my guess. If you have a male that has been with females for more than two months and no babies, feed him to a snake and start again. To introduce mice, put the male in the cage, leave him in there for a week or so without changing the bedding. He'll get it nice and stinky, then add the girls. He'll go at them, but shouldn't bite them for no reason. Any male mouse who is gratuitously mean to the girls goes to a snake. Just be patient and don't keep checking on them.
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~Sasheena

Thanks! You alway give great advice! I certainly hope they start producing babies soon! Although my 2 year old ball python still loves to eat live mice inbetween feeding on f/t rats! So he will be thrilled to eat off a couple troublesome breeders!
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*Amy*
0.1 Green Iguana (yes, I have a lizard in my bathroom)-iggy
2.1 Ball Pythons (normal)-cosi, jake, and frosty mcfry
0.1 B.smithi (mexican redknee tarantula)-athena
0.0.1 midland painted turtle-nemo
1.1 dogs-rocky and skippy
1.0 normal grey cockatiel-opie
0.0.30 betta, guppies, rosy reds, fantail goldfish, clown pleco,...
2.3 Feeder mice