# mice & rat breeding



## nuggett5 (Sep 14, 2007)

How easy is it to breed mice and rats?


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## hermanlover (Jul 8, 2007)

very easy, you just seem to put a male and female together, feed and water, clean out, 3 weeks later, litter of babies, leave alone untiul they a bit older, and whoooooooooo, you breeding mice!!


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## lukendaniel (Jan 10, 2007)

realllly easy essentail to keep them dry other than that male and females and jobs a goodun. if u want any advice on keeping/breeding mice/rats u can drop us a pm

thanks daniel

daniel


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## Uncle Les (Dec 29, 2007)

I might need to start breeding them for snake food how do most people kill them that's the part I am not looking forward to.


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## Dexter (Jun 24, 2005)

nuggett5 said:


> How easy is it to breed mice and rats?


If I was asked, what's the easiest animal there is for breeding, mice and rats would be the top of my list : victory:

The question should be: how hard it is for rats and mice not to breed millions of times every year ?

The answer: Impossible, they will breed like rabbits :crazy:

PS: rabbits breed like rats :lol2:


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## rotty (Sep 24, 2007)

I can recommend one of these for a quick and easy way to kill your feeder rats/mice

Rodent heaven:

only used mine twice and its paid for itself allready(local rep shop takes a £1 for a weaner rat)

cheers
Alan


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## hermanlover (Jul 8, 2007)

to kill them i made my own gas chamber, a lot safer than the bicarb and viniger, as you have less chance of gassing your self, i know somebody that ended up in hospital because of the bicard and viniger method!! if you want any info PM me


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## nuggett5 (Sep 14, 2007)

cool thanks for all the help.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Once you get a colony that will breed you're laughing.
I got a colony that would birth no problem but they ate 6 litters.
I now have loads that are breeding like wild fire.

Dexter,

The way 'not to have them breed' is to seperate your sexes.
I control what I breed by keeping single sex colonies. I make up a mixed sex colony when I want more young.
I even mix species. I put young mice/multi's and gerbils in the same tanks. In single sex groups.
I currently have about 8 breeding colonies on the go. I take my bucks out when the does are pregnant and put them in with other does. I give the does a rest of about 2 weeks after giving birth that way they are not feeding young for 2 weeks before giving birth again.


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## nuggett5 (Sep 14, 2007)

saxon said:


> Once you get a colony that will breed you're laughing.
> I got a colony that would birth no problem but they ate 6 litters.
> I now have loads that are breeding like wild fire.
> 
> ...


cool. dont they fight when you put a male in with the females?


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

nuggett5 said:


> cool. dont they fight when you put a male in with the females?


I put the does in the males RUB.
I put the male in for a few days and then introduce the does. Sometimes there's a bit of 'shouting and balling' but no real fights.
I've heard of does killing a male though so it's something to consider when breeding.
Even though they are to be used as food whilst they are alive we have an obligation to look after them well!!!!!


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## Uncle Les (Dec 29, 2007)

Going back to the killing thing, I read about the gads chambers and know some people just bash them against something hard. What is the general thought on freezing, I know a lot of people use this to euthanize ill reptiles and inverts (small ones at least) but what about killing mice?


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## nuggett5 (Sep 14, 2007)

saxon said:


> I put the does in the males RUB.
> I put the male in for a few days and then introduce the does. Sometimes there's a bit of 'shouting and balling' but no real fights.
> I've heard of does killing a male though so it's something to consider when breeding.
> Even though they are to be used as food whilst they are alive we have an obligation to look after them well!!!!!


so you would need two/ three cages for one group of rats?


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

nuggett5 said:


> so you would need two/ three cages for one group of rats?


For a trio I would use two cages.
I would keep the trio together until the two does were pregnant, when about 2 weeks pregnant I would take out the buck and put him in his own cage.
When the pups were 3-4 weeks old, almost weaned, I would put the does, one at a time, with the buck. This enabling the other doe to feed the two litters for 48hrs. I would then change the does over.
This would mean that when the pups were weaned at 4-5 weeks the does have a couple of weeks not feeding to recuperate for their next litter.
I also feed 'ad lib' all the time. This supposing you are breeding purely to feed!!!
I actually give my rat does 2/3 weeks from weaning before putting them with the buck again. I haven't culled any rats yet I have managed to sell them all as pets at £15 each.
Most feeder breeders leave the rats in together all the time but I've thought hard about this and have decided that I'd rather not back to back breed and give my rats at least half a decent life.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

My last post, the one before last I mean, was referring to mice not rats I've never had a problem with the rats.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Mr T said:


> Going back to the killing thing, I read about the gads chambers and know some people just bash them against something hard. What is the general thought on freezing, I know a lot of people use this to euthanize ill reptiles and inverts (small ones at least) but what about killing mice?


Freezing is absolutely inhumane for any rodent with fur - they can be alive hours to days later. Basically, they don't get hypothermia like humans do and lose all sensation - they are much more aware of the fact that they are suffering from frostbite.


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## Uncle Les (Dec 29, 2007)

Thank you for replying well that's that option out then. At the moment I buy my feeders so please don't think that I freeze them, I am only looking at the options open for killing should I have to it seems there is no easy way.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Carbon Dioxide euthanasia using a CO2 canister and a regulator (try welding supplies) is humane and pretty easy to get right first time, every time.


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## Uncle Les (Dec 29, 2007)

Thanks again I will keep that in mind, I only have five snakes at the moment so not to many mouths to feed. If I end up with more it might be the cheaper feeding option.


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## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

I prefer spinal dislocation for dispatching my feeders. I nearly gassed myself the first time I tried CO2.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Issa said:


> I prefer spinal dislocation for dispatching my feeders. I nearly gassed myself the first time I tried CO2.


Were you using the vinegar and bicarb method, or an actual regulated canister?

I have NEVER had a problem with regulated canisters - it's quite easy to work out how much gas you're using and not create so much that you gas yourself.


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## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

it was a viniger and bicarb jobbie, I got the ammount of bicarb VERY wrong... You can probably imagine the results.


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