How to Breed Pet Mice

Mice are easy to breed, all you have to do is find the right combination of male and female mice and within a short time you'll be counting the babies.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 to 4 female mice
• 1 male mouse
• 10 gallon aquarium

1. Stick to the rule of only 1 male in the cage to avoid fights that could cause serious injury and death.
2. Decide how many litters you want. 1 male and 1 female can produce from 3 to 12 babies every 18 to 28 days. Putting up to 3 more females in the "harem" will be fine with the male, but do the math. That's a lot of mice!
3. Create the usual mouse quarters. A 10-gallon aquarium is fine for a group of up to 3 females and 1 male. Bed it with softer versions of mouse-approved wood shavings available at the pet store.
4. Treat the ladies to a nest box for their brood. A small cardboard container will do just fine.
5. Keep the temperature between 65 and 80 degrees to create a comfortable environment for your mice.
6. Place a single male and a few female mice in a cage and you can expect babies every 18 to 28 days.
7. Weaning occurs at about 3 weeks of age. Female mice are ready to start all over in 2 to 5 days. So if you don't want another batch of babies get Daddy into a separate cage.

Tips & Warnings

• Splitting mice couples into separate cages will keep the peace if you have multiple males. But it will also cause the male mice to produce a strong unpleasant scent as they mark their territory.
• Litter sizes decrease as female mice get older.
• Though your mice may be used to your handling, it is wise not to approach the mother for the first 2 or 3 days after she gives birth. She could panic and hurt or kill her babies, and she might forget all those treats you gave her and take a bite out of you.
• Pet stores will usually take mice if you end up with too many. But most are bought by snake or reptile owners getting their pets' dinner.