Update on Tess
Like 3 Dislike 0 Published on 12 Jul 2016
I am learning all about mouse breeding, both the good and the bad.
The Good:
- baby mice are adorable and it is magical watching them grow up
- mice make great moms and it is so heart warming to watch them care for their babies
- you get to socialize the little ones so they grow up trusting towards humans
- baby mice and their moms are so beautiful and cute, they make great filming
- if you become serious about mouse breeding, it is economical to have really good mice flown in from a good breeder, and start your own line of well bred, beautiful, emotionally stable, healthy mice.
The Bad:
- baby eating is common in feeder mice
- mouse moms can have life threatening complications, you can lose them and Murphy's law makes sure it is your favorite :( Because of this, it is wise to always have two moms pregnant at the same time, so you are less likely to end up with orphans, the surviving mom can take over the care of the orphans
- if you have a large litter with too many boys, you will have to have some put down. Finding good homes for mice, especially the little boys, is next to impossible in most places and boys are too expensive to keep, they either each need a $150 neutering or each needs his own cage which is even more expensive in time and money. Almost all mouse breeders have to cull babies, you just cannot keep them all, it would erode the quality of life of all your mice if you have too many.
Do not breed your mice unless you have two mice pregnant at the same time or are prepared to deal with the possibility of orphans, you know you will be able to emotionally handle losing a mom, deal with the possibility of baby eating, and having to humanely put down excess babies. You have to have good homes lined up for the babies or know you will be able to keep them all yourself if you cannot find homes for them. You also need to be prepared to do some research, give the mice extra time during this intense experience, and have some money saved up for possible vet bills. Breeding mice is a lot of fun, but it does have down sides, you need to be prepared.