# 2.1 colony of breeder mice



## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I went to buy a male to replace the poor little guy that died when I bought him from Doncaster.

When I went to the shop they had a colony of breeders. 2 females and 1 male. They had 8 babies around 3 weeks old so I bought the colony.
The owner wanted £3 for each of the adults and £2 for each of the babies. I managed to get them for £15. Is this a reasonable price????


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

Very reasonable.
Ive known shops ask £6+ each for mice.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Yes I thought so as he wanted £5 each initially for each adult.
I've had lab mice that wouldn't breed and I have a trio, this was four until the male killed himself, from Bosshogg so I'm hoping to have plenty for my snakeys.

Would I be able to switch this male between two colonies so I don't need to keep an extra male???


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

ive not kept mice, only rats so far but i think you might be ok so long as you leave the females alone.

Someone I know just paid £47 for 8 mice.
They seem to be quite hard to find at the moment. Ive been into a few pet shops looking for them and none can get hold of them.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I've found, from breeders, the going rate is around £2.50-£4.
Shops are all around £6-£7.
Males are almost impossible to get hold of.

I've tried twice now to get a colony going if this doesn't work I'm giving up.
I have the gerbils who are breeding fantastically and feeding my blood python no problem but mice I have no luck with!!!

I now have one trio of females and the colony I just bought today. I have a trio of multi's that should breed pretty soon (from bosshogg).
If these can't supply me with enough I'm going to have to get some rats as well.

I tried some of the corns on gerbil and they wouldn't touch them the fussy buggers.
Got more than enough gerbils but no-one except the blood will eat them.


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

Get yourself 4 rats mate. 1:3 and you will have plenty of pups.
They are wicked.
I enjoy having my own rat colony.


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## talltom69 (Dec 8, 2006)

How big is the cage that you keep them in Tops as Im tempted to have a go at rats as my multis are doing well and the female hamster decided to kick the the s**t out of the male so they are now separated.


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

I use one of those big cages (similar to Great Deals on Small Animal Cages at Zooplus: Tom Rat Cage) with a smaller cage for seperating mothers with babies and growing on.


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## bosshogg (Nov 19, 2006)

£5 a mouse ouch! and i have tonnes of fancy mice for sale male and females £2.50 each . 

Clare


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

we have mice... we usually cull all our males though and just sell or keep the female babies.. im sure if anyone wanted a male though we could keep one alive specially..lol. 
Owen


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

well I will have a look if i know anyone who needs anymore.

As it happens Saxon Mason and Sami are selling a breeding colony of rats at the moment with a cage here http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/exotics-classifieds/54107-jenny-rat-cage-1-3-a.html


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## yellow_rat_gal (Mar 24, 2007)

lol irony huh? Our mice are producing mostly males, and males are apparently in shortage?! But we usually cull males as noone wants them lol


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## baby_jabba (Jun 28, 2007)

£5 is alot but does depend were you get them from in the UK, i can get mice which are £1.25 thats trade price and there lab

i sell fancy mice 3 for £5 though but they are only collection you see
Dale :smile:


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

saxon said:


> Would I be able to switch this male between two colonies so I don't need to keep an extra male???


Not unless you want to risk that the male will get eaten by the females when they're pregnant enough to want him NOT to be around if he's got any reason to think the babies might not be his.

My rule is one male, one colony, if the male dies, raise up a male baby or completely split up the female group - don't try introducing a new boy into an existing colony.


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## Ally (Mar 8, 2006)

I breed mine in either pairs or 1.2 groups, the females will abort the pregnancy if they come into contact with a male that is not the father. I just find it easiest to leave them be to sort themselves out - the males don't harm the babies. Sometimes I get more trouble from the other females around the mum!

(and 2.1 means 2 males, 1 female)


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Male mice are llike 'rocky horses' preverbial round here.

I've bred mice before but the lab ones I got this year refused to breed.
I bought this year refused to breed.
I've got my three young females from bosshogg but as the male died accidently I don't have a male in with them. I don't know if they are pregnant. If they are then I'll just leave in one of the male babies.
Would my three females, from bosshogg, already be a set colony?? They are youngsters. 

Tops,

I can't get rats until I have my outdoor shed sorted for the rodents. John is quite adamant about that!!!!!!
But as soon as it is then I'll get some.


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

rats dont smell as bad as mice if it does you any favours lol


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I think John is just sick of me bringing in more and more animals.

He'd been in hospital for a week and came home to a 'new' dog.
She is a rescue and will be re-homed when speyed etc so it's not as if she will be staying. ( Unless we fall in love that is).


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

saxon said:


> I've got my three young females from bosshogg but as the male died accidently I don't have a male in with them. I don't know if they are pregnant. If they are then I'll just leave in one of the male babies.
> Would my three females, from bosshogg, already be a set colony?? They are youngsters.


If they're only youngsters you should be all right introducing an OLDER male - one that's bigger than they are.

I might have a spare boy kicking around somewhere if you're in the area...


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks for the offer but I'm way up in the North East.

I was thinking of putting the older male from the colony I bought in with the females from bosshogg and then letting one of the babies from the 'colony' stay in with them when I take the other young ones out.

That would give me a couple of weeks to find out if the ones from bosshogg are already pregnant!!!!
If they are the problem will be solved I will just leave one of their babies in.

I understand what I've written I don't know if you will though!!!!!!


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

I still vote you scrap the mices and just go with ratties


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## hermanlover (Jul 8, 2007)

im selling up with all my mice colonys. if thats any use to you if your down in my area. 

i am selling the tubs they live in aswell, i got 4 big tubs ( i house max 4 adultsin 1 big), 3 small tubs (mother and litter) 

they could come with 1.3 coloured mice and 2.2 (seperate) albinos and whatever babies they have.

if you want them make me an offer and their yours


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Tops said:


> I still vote you scrap the mices and just go with ratties


It's just a shame that rat pups - even newborns - are too big for many hatchling colubrids. Otherwise, I'd switch to rats as feeders and just keep a few shiny mice as pets.


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

yeah i breed the mice for the royal younguns and just buy pinkies for the hatchling corns.


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Providing the two colonies of mice and 1 of multis I have breed then I should have enough.
I only have 13 snakes.
I will probably get maybe a 1.3 of rats for the royals and the blood, who is eating gerbil at the moment, as mice aren't big enough for them.


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## Layla (Feb 12, 2007)

talltom69 said:


> How big is the cage that you keep them in Tops as Im tempted to have a go at rats as my multis are doing well and the female hamster decided to kick the the s**t out of the male so they are now separated.


If it was Syrian hamsters its coz they are supposed to be kept seperately lol. 
Good thread as Ive just started up my own colony. :no1:


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