# Idiots Guide To Breeding Mice/Rats For Food?



## midori (Aug 27, 2006)

Having seen someone's mouse colony when we collected a corn at the weekend, I am thinking about breeding m own mice as food. Partly as the mice were sort of like pets, and very well looked after, and the frozen ones looked so much pluper and healthier than the frozen I have bought from shops.

Anyway, although the lady was kind enough to explain things a bit, I really still feel like I have no clue where to start. So, is there an idiots guide to starting out, from getting the mice, which ones need to be seperated, and how to kill them? 

We are thinking of keeping the mice in the garage, will they need extra heat? Lamps? Heatmats? 

I have heard of gassing with CO2, using vinegar and baking soda, but can you just buy CO2 in cannisters or something? Can you buy a specially designed 'gas chamber' or do you have to make it yourself?

Thankyou.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Buy a plastic tub and make a mesh top for it, around 12"x18" and buy a 10 gallon tank (you can get them extra cheap if you look around, you dont need a water tight one and they are often sold for £5), put a 1-2" layer of wood shavings on the bottom and some shredded tissue paper on top of that, if you can put in a toilet paper tube and a cardboard box - they are free and do make quite a difference! Get a small animal bowl and put that in one corner, a bottle and put that in another corner and the bedding over the otherside. Feed a variety of foods such as nuts, seeds, oats, meats and vegetables. You can feed ready-prepared rat food/mouse, dog food or pig rolls aswell. Put in 1 male and 2-4 females in the tank, keep food and water topped up and clean out every week or as needed. Once you can see all females are pregnant (they will, quite literally, look like a pear with legs!) take the male out and put him in the storage tub. Take baby mice away at 4 weeks old and split up males and females into different tanks/tubs/cages, after 1 week or taking them away put the male back and continue the system. 

Simple enough? :lol2: I have a much more detailed caresheet if you want it .


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## midori (Aug 27, 2006)

Thankyou. I think I am sort of OK on the basic mouse care stuff, as we have hamsters as pets, so I am guessing they have similarish needs?

Could I have two groups of 3 females and move the male between the two, or is that a silly idea? 

If I have one group of females, I'd need 4 tanks then? (1 for females, one for male and one each for 4 week old male and female babies?)

How soon woudld the females look pregnant, and what is the gestation period for mice? How many bbies do they have, and if I am taking pinkies, do I need to leave some in with the female? (I vaguely remember reading something about mastitis)

Thanks!


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Nope, thats a good idea :2thumb:
Yep, 4 tanks.
Females look pregnant at about 2 weeks gone - you will get up and they will have balooned overnight.
Gestation is 3 weeks.
With a litter of 8 and under babies I leave 2, over 8 and I leave 3-4.


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## midori (Aug 27, 2006)

Thanks ever so much. 

Last question... for now at least... do they need heating if they are in a garage?


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Well that depends on how warm the garage is doesnt it lol.
Generally, in tanks they will do fine in cold conditions but they wont breed if its too cold. You can always buy a snuggle safe, cheaper then heat mats and easy to use, heat last thing as night, in the morning and sometime in the middle of the day if possible. You just put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes and they stay warm for 8+hours.


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