Update On Breeder Mice Cages
Like 2 Dislike 0 Published on 6 Jun 2016
Heres an update on my mouse cages.
2) ten gallon tanks
1) 5.5 gallon tank
Adding another ten gallon.
Bedding: I use shredded aspen from a feedstore. Currently in cages is someone elses leftover pine sheddings. Im not a fan but do what you want.
Cleaning: Weekly or 2× a week. Hot water and bleach soak the wheel and mouse house for they will be coated in pee and poo. Male tanks need more cleaning males are smelly.
Keep in mind mice are actually very clean critters they do not want to sit in their own filth and enjoy a freshly cleaned cage.
Feeding:
Mice need 4-14% protein.
I feed mine a homemade mixed container of oatmeal, brown rice, basmati rice, mouse/rat feeder blocks, cat food, dog food, wild bird seed, mealworms, waxworms, and hamster/gerbil fruity and seed mixture. But you can just give them the feeder blocks those are made with all the proteins and nutrients they need. I just like to spoil my mice. Keep your food bowls full on a breeding tank to try to provent the mice from eating the kids.
Water: If you decide to use a glass tank get the water bottleholders with the long bendable metal bottle holders so you can manipulate it to fit the cage and still close your cage lid. You can use a bowl it just smells horrid and is messy
Socialization: Handle your mice frequently so they wont be as skittish when you need to handle them. Males can be kept in groups of males. Breeding groups should include 1 male and 2+ females. Females that are kept single will attack any new female tankmate. Being alone teaches them to be territorial and aggressive.
If a mouse wheel starts squeaking use petroleum jelly to lubricate the wheel.
If you didn't read the title I will repeat here. These are BREEDER MICE meaning they breed to feed some of my snakes. Many other people who breed mice do so at high volume and keep the mice in breeder rack units(google it if you don't know) which has just enough space for the mice to move around a bit, eat, and drink. My group has enough space to play on wheels, run around, eat, drink, and move from one another.