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I just acquired a mouse colony from a pet store that was going out of business, and I don't know jack about raising mice. I have a 1.5 adult colony in a 10 gallon aquarium, there are also about 7 or 8 small mice and 7 pinkies in that cage too. I also have another 10 gallon aquarium with, I think, a 1.2 colony and about 7-10 small mice.

Are the adult females supposed to breed and raise the young in the aquarium, or am I supposed to separate the females that are pregnant into their own individual cage to birth their young? I do have plenty of other cages, and I think currently 4 of the females are pregnant.

Also, do I need to separate the handful of small mice into a separate enclosure to raise them to adults? If so, do I need to separate them by sex? How old or large should mice be to separate them from the mother? At what point do I put the mother back into the breeding rotation?

I'd appreciate any help you can offer and thank you in advance.

Anthony-

>>I just acquired a mouse colony from a pet store that was going out of business, and I don't know jack about raising mice. I have a 1.5 adult colony in a 10 gallon aquarium, there are also about 7 or 8 small mice and 7 pinkies in that cage too. I also have another 10 gallon aquarium with, I think, a 1.2 colony and about 7-10 small mice.
>>
>>Are the adult females supposed to breed and raise the young in the aquarium, or am I supposed to separate the females that are pregnant into their own individual cage to birth their young? I do have plenty of other cages, and I think currently 4 of the females are pregnant.
>>
>>Also, do I need to separate the handful of small mice into a separate enclosure to raise them to adults? If so, do I need to separate them by sex? How old or large should mice be to separate them from the mother? At what point do I put the mother back into the breeding rotation?
>>
>>I'd appreciate any help you can offer and thank you in advance.
>>
>>Anthony-

DO NOT move the breeders around. Rats...fine. Mice...don't deal well with it. Set up the 1.5 and LEAVE IT ALONE. If the boy dies let them raise a baby to use or totally wreak havoc and tear up the group and reset it. Adding mice to an established group usually ends in bloodshed. Plus you just mess with production. Take out babies sometime around 3.5 to 4.5 weeks old to raise separately or when you want to feed them off. Unless you are raising them to beyond a couple months old you don't need to separate the sexes. In fact if you do have only males in a tank you will eventually have mayhem. ONLY ONE male per tank and the 1.4 or 1.5 works well with a ten gallon. Also, once you set up a group be patient. Some of my best producers take a month or two to start.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

Sonya, thanks for the advice. Today I separated all of the young mice (except the pinkies) and noticed that there isn't a male in that cage. I think I have a 0.6 colony with 3 pregnant females. I attempted to add a male and he was immediately attacked by one of the females. Mayhem, just like you said.

So I guess I should put the pregnant females (that I pulled out) back in the 10 gallon aquarium. Every mouse in there has multiple teats. I don't see male reproductive organs on any of them. I guess I'll have to let them raise one up.

Another question: I also have (2) freedom breeder mouse levels (with 5 tubs each). This is where I placed the pregnant females as I was waiting for them to birth. What size colony could I set up in there? Or, should I use those tubs for growing out the 3.5-4.5 week mice that I separate?

>>Sonya, thanks for the advice. Today I separated all of the young mice (except the pinkies) and noticed that there isn't a male in that cage. I think I have a 0.6 colony with 3 pregnant females. I attempted to add a male and he was immediately attacked by one of the females. Mayhem, just like you said.
>>
>>So I guess I should put the pregnant females (that I pulled out) back in the 10 gallon aquarium. Every mouse in there has multiple teats. I don't see male reproductive organs on any of them. I guess I'll have to let them raise one up.
>>
>>Another question: I also have (2) freedom breeder mouse levels (with 5 tubs each). This is where I placed the pregnant females as I was waiting for them to birth. What size colony could I set up in there? Or, should I use those tubs for
growing out the 3.5-4.5 week mice that I separate?

How big are the tubs? I put a 1.4 or 1.5 in a ten gallon tank size....so a 10X20 of floor space. Some like to go with smaller groups in smaller spaces I don't because it is the males that stink the worst so I keep as few as I can and still get production. I also don't like pans or shallow cages cause I am too old to chase bouncing mice across the room. I like deeper tubs that they don't come bounding out of. That is just me. I keep my rats in bigger cages too. It is a bulky and space consuming system compared to a rack though. I make $65-$100 a week on my surplus and that suits my production. That takes care of anything my dungeon needs and feeds my birds too.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny