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.
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Instructions
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Stick to the rule of only 1 male in the cage to avoid fights that could cause serious injury and death.
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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!
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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.
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Treat the ladies to a nest box for their brood. A small cardboard container will do just fine.
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Keep the temperature between 65 and 80 degrees to create a comfortable environment for your mice.
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Place a single male and a few female mice in a cage and you can expect babies every 18 to 28 days.
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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.
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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.
