>>Questions:
>>
>>1) Are there any issues with the above system?
>>2) How many mice would you estimate I need to start? 1.4? Two groups of 1.4?
>>3) If I had more than one group, should I establish them at different times so that their breeding cycles are different?
>>4) How do you keep the gene pool diverse enough to maintain a healthy colony?
>>5) If the bin remains clean, resources are adequate, and there is no overcrowding, what is the likelihood that a male will kill off a litter?
>>
>>
>>Thank you so much!


I want to just throw this out there.....Feeding savannah monitors mice is ok, but impractical...3-5 ft lizards will eat many many mice daily if kept with correct heat. Been there, done that.

Feeding mice to a Boa is not going to work.(I am assuming you mean Boa constrictors...not candoia or something else) Boas need prey larger than mice. May I suggest that your boa would be eating medium rats and be a whole lot bigger if you were keeping it properly. Four feet at four years is okay if it is a small boa from a locale. If it is a general grocery store off the shelf BC it could be heading toward 6 or 7 feet. AND, trying to switch your now 4 yo to rats is going to be a trial when if you had put it on rat pups as a baby you would have it more on track. What are you gonna feed your boa if it lives to be 7 or 10 ft? You can not possibly feed enough mice to grow a boa to it's true size. You are part starving it. I have a less than two yr old BC that is eating a 2-3 week old rat pups each week. Or, she eats two mice. Try weighing your prey and you will likely find you are feeding less w mice than you think. If you choose not to feed rats maybe you shouldn't keep an animal that should be fed them. It is not fair to the boa. Why not keep something that will stay small enough to stay on mice?

I have kept rodents (mice and rats especially but also hamster varietys and gerbils) since the 70s(before myco halved life expectancys)....both are social and intelligent. Both can make wonderful pets and learn to come when you call, do tricks... Socially, breeding group wise, they are different. Mice do NOT tolerate swapping out girls and boys regularly. One male per group. Only one. Set up a group and leave it alone. Do not swap out bred girls or the boy. Each reintroduction is just adding an 'invader' to the groups and risking them killing the new guy. Rats are open minded and don't care unless you are adding a new one to a group with small babies with protective moms.

Also, I have found that it sounds all PC to 'rest' your moms but you will find that "in the wild" they only rest because of lack of resources...ie food. So if you are feeding properly they are geared to back to back breed. Given rest you may find they get fat and infertile faster too. Either way you are gonna get 4 to 6 litters from any given mom before she is not productive. What are you gonna do with your old breeders?

Personally a 55 gal tank is not useful for raising mice or rats. Other than using it as a holding tank it is either impractically big for mice (remember, only one boy) and rats suck in tanks unless air movement is carefully controlled. 55s are too deep for any sort of good airflow.

If it were me raising Ball Pythons(and it was a few years ago) I would start with rats and raise them on rats. BPs are boneheads and don't like to switch. Start with rat pinks and go from there. Your growth is even and you don't have the hiccup trying to teach an adolescent BP to eat rats or raise a gazillion mice and feed 6 per meal. Again, not practical. Pinky rat...same size as week or two old mice. Timewise it is more efficient too.

as to your questions....Setting up groups in a staggered time will just make it so you 'wear out' a group and can cover with the production of the other group. So in that sense it may be practical.

Gene pool diversity is only important if you are breeding for color. If you breed for health that is the key. Remember, all the hamsters in captivity started from 4 brought into the country.....anecdotally you get the point.

I only lose litters to groups that get sick. Never could I say...oh, the male did it. In fact I don't think I have ever had a male give me any sort of trouble. 99% of cannabalism is from one very pregnant mom eating a young litter. Either the mousy need for room or protein seems to cause it. and 99% is new moms in new groups. Once set up and going I let moms raise new young females so that they 'learn' to be good moms. Works for me.
-----
Sonya

1.1 Candoia Paulson
2.2 Western Hognose
1.2 Mexican Black King
1.3 Greenish Ratsnake
1.1 Yellow Ratsnake
3.1 Everglades Ratsnake
2.1 Honduran Milksnake
0.1 Mexican Milksnake
1.1 Black Pinesnake
1.2 Sumatran Shortailed Python
1.3 Boa constrictor
2.2 Childrens Python
1.0 Irian Jaya Python
0.0.2 Timor Monitor
2.2 Mossy Leaftail Gecko
1.1 African Helmeted olivacea
0.1 Savannah Cat F7
1.1 Sugar Glider
Numerous Dogs, Cats, Birds, Fish pets and fosters
Husband
2.1 teens plus…..
You get the picture.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]