# mouse problem :(



## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

I bought 4 mice the other week, 

1 male

2 grey females

1 black and white female

Well i thought the black and white one was very fat, turned out she was already preg when i bought her! Went in to check them today, and there were only a few headless babies there, i think the rest got eaten 

Iv heard this is not unknown in first time mums, still made me sad though.

But they werid thing is that one of the grey females was dead too. It was the black and white one that had the babies, so its not probs with birth. There didnt seem to be any bite marks on her. Gof knows what happened!

Any ideas?


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## stephenie191 (May 29, 2007)

I'm sorry to hear about that 

The store can't have been a good one if they sold you a pregnant mouse.so maybe the other female was ill.

I'd keep a close eye on the rest of them, maybe split them up if you have room, might have been somthing totally differn't. i Have never had mice so can't help you more than that.


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

Yeah think im gona ring the shop and complain that one died and 1 had babies!!! how bad is that!!!! I wouldnt of minded coz i wana breed em, but someones else who didnt, could of had that happen to them.


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## stephenie191 (May 29, 2007)

yes i would. Alot of pet stores aren't very good at sexing. I have had to correct 3 differn't stores who tried to sell me a wrong sex guinea pig, (as i used to keep alot of them) 

Do the mice that are left look healthy? Are they all bright eye'd and moving about ok? i am just worried that maybe they could have an illness. 

If you are not too atached i would take them back to the store and go else were, i can't remember how long you said you had them for but i know alot of people get attached quick. 

good luck


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

This is was what I was saying when you got them. Petshops usually don't sell livestock till it's 6 weeks+ so mice are generally pregnant. Especially if the shop can't, or won't, sex them and keep them seperate.
I don't think you will have much luck with the shop tho'. They may give you another female. The next litter will probably be fine. 


It's a bit of a begger if you buy them for a kid and the kid comes down one morning to a sight like that. It happened to me when I was a kid and my Mam bought me a hamster. The babies were fine but I cried for hours. I thought my hamster had burst open and it was her stomach I saw moving about. I had nightmares for weeks. Then the stupid thing got out and drowned itself in the fish bowl. Comes to something when you remember thingslike that 35 yrs later.


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## stephenie191 (May 29, 2007)

that poor hamster saxon  

I agree, the shop probablly won't be much help but you should still complain.


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

All the mice look healthy, but so did the one who is dead now! all running around and eating well. guess il have to see what happens. if it happens again il separate them all. im not attached to them, just mice to me, but dont like seeing lil headless pinks  least if they fed to my snakes its for some good.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I would keep an eye on the other mice. It could be that it was the one that died who had the litter, although if the other one was fat and now isn't who's to say!!!
You are almost guaranteed to get more litters in the next week or so I would think. As if one was pregnant the other live one will be as well.
Good luck with the next litter I hope it goes well.

stephenie,

Yes my hamster was lovely. From what I remember. It was over 35 yrs ago now but I still remember. The babies were weaned by the time she drowned. It took me quite osme time before I would hold another hamster. I was only 5 at the time.


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Just a thought - they die really easy if it gets too hot or there's not enough ventilation, they weren't in front of a window in direct sunlight or anything, have plenty of water etc?


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

I hope so, the grey one is not very fat tho yet, and the 2 grey ones were always together, feel a bit sorry for the grey one thats left.


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## stephenie191 (May 29, 2007)

i've had 4 hamsters! I got my first for my 6th birthday, she escaped when i was 9 and i didn't see her again 

The other 3 died within a few months of having them, thats why i don't get them any more. They only live a small while or die on me !


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

They were in the shed, when i went in it was quite hot, but i decded when i seen this today, to bring them in the house anyway. wont be putting them back in the shed! im keeping them in the conservatory now. Can keep a better eye on them too.


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

I have found that pregnant mice expire really quickly in the heat so if she was carrying young or was already running a temperature a hot day can kill.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I wouldn't keep them in a conservatory. It will be even hotter in there.
I have a fan that I put on in hot weather so when I got the mice/gerbils I decided to put it at the back of the living room. Mine aren't in the shed yet. But they are going in there eventually.


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

Athravan said:


> I have found that pregnant mice expire really quickly in the heat so if she was carrying young or was already running a temperature a hot day can kill.


It was not the mother that died. lol. thast why i thought it was strange.

Its not v hot in out conservatory. its got a fan on the celling too


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## baby_jabba (Jun 28, 2007)

it probally the shop for def i wouldnt buy from there again to be honest or could of bin the people that sold them to shop thats why i make sure mine are all great and healthy.
its happened once to me the female killing her first little but i have had a couple of females that are just bril first mothers got first timers at min and got female that are pregnat and the are going to be first timers

but i am only in there box having a noise so they are use to me so when they give birth they let me look at there babies so i can record them all for when i sell them or snake food

well good look for this time Dale
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1.1.0 corn snakes
loads of mice
1.2 multimammates for now and have some rats coming soon
Mice for sale | Dales Website


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## jamie_coxon (Jul 18, 2007)

punky_jen said:


> It was not the mother that died. lol. thast why i thought it was strange.
> 
> Its not v hot in out conservatory. its got a fan on the celling too


 

its not uncommon for mice to be sold from pet shops that have eaten mouse posion. i know this as i work for a pest control company lol 

if it was posion then the mouse would ov been alive for upto a week after they had eaten it. how long after u bought them was it that it died?


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

I cant remember now hun, was a few weeks ago. the new ones are all breeding and doing well though.


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## tazzyasb (May 4, 2005)

mine are in the shed now not had any problems. I did however in the winter went to feed and water them and some little mice (you know hair and running about but still tiny) where just laying there.

Brought them into the house and thought they were goners for sure. Half an hour later they were fine. Going to have to insulate the shed this winter cos I have 10 groups of 4 so now so no room in the house.


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

when I first started breeding mice, out of the first 4 females I bought from a shop, 2 were dead within 3 weeks, and one more a few months after that. I also took on 3 rescued satin females that had been dumped back at the pet shop a few weeks after someone bought them as an unwanted present. these all developed lumps over the next 4 months and all had to be put down. my other mice I got via a friend who was also breeding them. they were all lab stock and I never had a problem with them (one used to run in circles when I first got her but that was soon lost once she was put into a larger cage.)


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## hermanlover (Jul 8, 2007)

i just had to buy a new colony yesterday as i originally bought 2 females and a male. about 2 - 3 months later still no babies. the male is definatly male and females are definatly females. i think the male might be sterile. but they should be going as pets to some one soon or to my snakes belly. 

i think its the pet shops. i just picked the healthiest looking mice. they all had saw eyes and itching because they were on pine shavings. i will never be shoping there again as all there animals are neglected. there was a massive burmese python in a 2 - 3 foot viv. i would report to rspca but theres no point, they are as useful as a chocolate fire guard. actually a chocolate fire guard is more useful. you can at least eat the melted chocolate.

thanks for listenin to me lil rant
lee


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

lol i agree about the rspca.

I have a female mouse who has not got pregnant yet too, all the other 3 have but not her, so think she may be infertile.


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## VieT (Jul 10, 2007)

if your having trouble mating...

go to 2 seperate shops... buy 1 male.. and 2 females from different shops... 

but 1 male and female from 1 shop.. aand the other female from another shop..

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if you are breeding for pets ... interbreeding for mice doesnt realy matter... of course you get the odd diusformed legg etc.. (i got 1 with 5 legs and no tail) but the mother sorts that out.. and the other female works in.. thus giving you a new colony.. every so often go to differnt shops and buy/swap a female or male. (not the breeders.)

and you should be ok...

if you are breeding for food.. seperate your males and let loose on 4-5 at a time 

peace

James


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## Ally (Mar 8, 2006)

Don't suppose you are going to the Exeter show? You'll be able to pick up some good breeders there...
Don't assume that the other female will get pregnant straight away. When they don't have quite enough food or water they will reabsorb pregnancies, stress (like moving) will also cause this - especially in the early stages. 
I have had mice that finally settle down to breeding once I've had them for 3 months, but are fantastic breeders after that. It's just a case of getting them into peak condition - which they are usually not in pet shops. (Most keep them fine, but it needs to be better than 'fine' to have good healthy breeders). 
Always pick the biggest, chunkiest mice they have - never feel sorry for the runts, they often don't breed as well and always take longer to get into good condition.
I keep my mice in pairs or trios, I know others do things differantly, but this works well for me. I don't often get the mums distroying litters, even first ones, stress has a big impact on them though - being bought and taken home is as good excuse as any for eating a litter!
Can't help on the one that died though, if there was nothing obvious then it's hard to tell.


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