Ok, I have a set up with 2 females and 1 male. They get plenty of food and have a little wheel thing. They are fat and happy. All 3 are about 4 months old, and breed like crazy. One of the females has looked pregnant twice already (like ready to pop). Two days later, she doesn't look pregnant anymore and there are absolutely no signs of any babies. I found one drop of blood once, but I think that they would have more than 1 drop when having babies.
Is cannabalism high in mice? Can they eat the bones and everything without leaving a mess? Is their peusdopregnancy in mice?
2006-12-09 04:36:34 · 9 answers · asked by D 7 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
If they do eat, how do I stop that? It is a complete clean up in less than 2 days. Is it just the male? The other female? The male does look fatter now that I think of it...
2006-12-09 04:39:56 · update #1
They are in a ten gall aquarium.
I did not want this to turn into a feeding live animals debate. I do feed them live sometimes- and I never heard a squeek. Or I will kill them ahead of time by a quick blow.
Don't tell me you are one of those all animals should be vegetarian people....a snake's got to eat somehow.
2006-12-09 04:48:17 · update #2
Rodents will cannibalize their young in response to stress, such as that caused by overcrowding or too much handling. Males are usually the culprits in my experience, but female mice sometimes do this too.
When your female looks fat, put her in a separate cage. Don't handle her any more than necessary. Make sure she has plenty of nesting material. It doesn't have to be anything fancy--if you give her a sheet of newspaper, she will tear that up to line her nest.
Sometimes raising the protein in the mouse's diet will help. Adding a few raw unsalted peanuts or a few pieces of dry dog food (about 1 tsp) a day will help if this is the case.
I had this same problem with some mice I was raising for feeder rodents, and doing these things cut the problem down dramatically. Despite these methods, though, there are a few female mice who will always eat their young. When I identified these individuals who ate their own young despite separate housing, minimal handling, and good food, I recycled them into snake food.
2006-12-09 05:53:20 · answer #1 · answered by Redneck Crow 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the females look pregnant, then remove the male from the cage and separate the females. Otherwise the females will not produce.
If this does not work then I would go back to were you bought them and they could tell you if there is a problem with the females.
Normal age for mice to breed is about 6 to 8 months..
2006-12-09 04:44:13 · answer #2 · answered by Angell 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cannibalism is very high in mice kept for your purposes. What size cage do you have? If you see a female is pregnant, remove her to another cage to have her litter. Mice breeding is time consuming and takes a lot space, even if it is just for food. Chances are that the other female is eating the babies, if its not the mother. If she doesn't think she can care for them, theres not enough room, or they are sickly, she will eat them.
I want tot help you but I don't agree with the feeding of live mammals to any animal. It may be natural, but in nature the mouse has a chance to get away. In your reptiles cage, it has no chance. Mice are highly intelligent and sweet creatures. They can be just a lovable as the next animal. I don't think you'd feed your reptile a hamster, and mice are even smarter than hamsters. Its not fair and maybe if you thought about it you could find it in your heart to stop the feeding of live mice. Its cruel. If you've heard their last squeak as they are eaten alive, you know they're in pain. And its something you did them, you have no right to play God and choose who lives and who dies. Try ArticMice or something that was killed humanely at least. A mouse is a mammal just like you and I, a dog a cat, whatever animal. They can feel, and they have fear. No one should have to die in fear.
2006-12-09 04:45:49 · answer #3 · answered by clj2791 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Yes, they cannabalize their young, I recommend removing the male from the cage after the female is pregnant. In fact the general setup is two females to one male per cage.
When I used to monitor breeders for research this was often the case, in fact eventually you will want to wean the young and remove them to their own cage.
Good luck!
2006-12-09 04:50:49 · answer #4 · answered by RHJ Cortez 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes, mice will eat their babies, or the male did, when you breedx them seperate the male from the females and see if that helps
2006-12-09 04:39:36 · answer #5 · answered by meatismurder90 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I locket after a rodent ones wile the ones left and it had bunch of baby's then she eat them write in front of me stupid hamster and it did have more then plenty of food and water write next to it
2006-12-09 04:53:32 · answer #6 · answered by stan z 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes mice often eat there young
2006-12-09 04:38:01 · answer #7 · answered by toni lee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes
2006-12-09 04:39:46 · answer #8 · answered by in_my2ndlife 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Get a cat.
2006-12-09 04:43:53 · answer #9 · answered by David H 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋