>>Im hopin I can get help from one of you experts. I have several lizards that love to pound down pinkies. However the nearest pet store is non-efficient with supplying a constant supply, and is a pretty decent drive from my house. I was considering getting a pair or trio to breed and meet my needs. What is the best way to go about breeding mice. Im not doin it for profit, just for my own collection. Is a standard fish tank sufficient, and what diet is good etc.Basically I know nothing about rodents let a long breeding them, and would appreciate any help you can offer me.
If it were me I would go to the local pet shops and find the one with the healthiest looking mice. Take home a trio or 1.5 or whatever. (thinking along the lines that you will likely get 8-20 pups ea litter every 2 months or so per mom) Don't get large mice as they may be spent breeders or past prime breeding age and or take longer to adjust and start breeding than if you got mediums and grew them together. I aim for the well weaned about 20-25 gram range. Take them home, set them up and leave them the heck alone. Mice don't like to be pestered and they don't like change. I read of folks that pull females for kindling and then reintroduce them to the group and I don't get it. If someone is eating litters beyond a first time mom on occasion than either there is too much stress (peeking, counting pups, fussing with them when you should be leaving them alone) not enough protein and fat (I aim for mid 20%s for protein and 5-10 for fat. )Or a sucky mom that needs to go. I gotta say I have never (in my old and failing memory) had a male eat pups. In my mind, by the time you pull the mom and let her be alone and raise the litter and then try to reintroduce her to the group you have missed out on her breeding back right away, you have missed out on the other moms helping her raise the pups and you need room for all those cages and you have the stress of reintroducing her to the group, and often getting her killed by the group who now sees her as an intruder. And you have the delay in resetting the group before she breeds back. I set them up and leave them the heck alone. Two months (unless you buy obviously bred girls) and you should start seeing results.
I personally hate tanks, except for fish and would use a sterlite tub. By the time you buy a screen top for the tank you could have gotten three tubs. Only work is melting or drilling ventilation. The ease of lifting, cleaning and care is so much worth it compared to cracking the heavy tank. But if you have the tank, go for it.
So, you need bedding, usually for mice I use kiln dried pine with a bit of rabbit pellets in the corners to extend the time between cleanings.
Food, lots of threads on that. I am a tweaker who feeds dog kibble, cat kibble (to heavily breeding mice) seed mice, pasta and stale breakfast cereals. Some prefer lab blocks and if you find one that works that is great. I have not had luck with that. All the years and I can't get mazuri or harlan tekland locally. (short of the four plus hour drive to NYC shows every two months...) I don't like the results with cheap ones like Kaytee or L/M Square Meals. If you can get them to eat it and it works...go for it.
Water bottle, always available.
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Sonya
Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron
