How to Breed Mice And Set Up A Complete Breeding Cage

Breeding mice (Mus musculus) requires little work on your part. Mice know exactly what they are supposed to do. Here are a few tips that might make it easier for you throughout the breeding process.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Male mouse
• Female mouse
• Roomy Cage
• Tight Fitting Cage Cover
• Mouse food
• Water Bottle
• Bedding
• Mouse Treats and Toys
• Small Edible Houses (Empty Cardboard and Tissue Boxes)

1. DECIDE WHAT YOU WILL DO WITH ALL OF THE OFFSPRING : Why are you breeding mice? If you have found a legitimate reason, then figure out what you are going to do with as many mice as you will soon have. You might find that you can't get rid of any extra mice because no one wants or needs them. In the long run, caring for a family of mice is a huge responsibility.

2. PLAN AHEAD : Privately owned pet stores might be interested in taking some of your extra mice off of your hands but you must ask first and way ahead of time. If you do find a store owner that's willing to buy your extra mice it is possible to make a deal with them and earn a few extra dollars in the process. Don't expect anyone to need your mice during the time when your trying to sell them. Just know that you might get stuck with more mice than you can handle.

3. FIND A SUITABLE CAGE : An empty 10 gallon aquarium cost about $10.00 from Walmart. You might find a fitting "reptile" lid made to be the perfect size for a 10 gallon aquarium. You can also buy a cheap cage from a pet store made specifically for mice. Any cage will do as long as you keep in mind that mice can fit through the tiniest of holes.

4. PREVENT ESCAPES : To stop your mice from escaping you should start off with a proper enclosure that doesn't have any openings in the first place. The mice must be able to breath. Most mouse cages and screen aquarium lids allow for sufficient air flow. The cage should protect the mice from drafts and let in some natural daylight.

5. ADD BEDDING / SUBSTRATE : Any one or a mix of the following items can be used as mice bedding : Paper Towels, Tissue, Newspaper, Ceder Bedding, Small Pieces Of Cloth. Dried grasses should be a suitable mice bedding but it might be too dusty for the mice. Remember that "Too much of any one thing, is a bad thing." Try to switch between the different types of bedding and don't be afraid to try new things.

6. ADD SHELTER : Small empty cardboard boxes like an empty tissue box with any plastic ripped off will be a suitable "den" or shelter for your new mouse family. The female will most likely hide inside of the box and stay there while giving birth to her young.

7. ADD FOOD : Use some kind of "staple" food when feeding your mice to ensure that they never go hungry and aren't being deprived of nutrients. Your local Walmart store should sell cheap Rat and Mouse food in the pet section. Keep 2 boxes on hand, to ensure that your mice always have food available to them. Keep 2 feeding dishes in your mouse breeder cage. Keep feeding dishes full at all times.

8. FEED OTHER FOODS IN ADDITION TO THE STAPLE : Mice eat all kinds of things, they have been living along side of us humans for a long time. Mice can eat many People Foods including any of the following things : Whole Wheat Bread, Cereals such as Cheerios, Non Fat Yogurt, Fresh Fruits such as Pears, Bananas, Apples, Peaches, etc. Vegetables such as Shelled Peas, Broccoli, Dark Green Leafy Lettuces, Carrots, Celery, Squash, etc. Small amounts of Plain Pasta Noodles and small amounts of Spaghetti. Some meats such as Cooked Chicken and Tuna, etc. Feed the following sparingly : Puffed or Cracked Wheat, Cooked Whole Grain Rice, Millet Seed, Plain Popcorn, Plain Oatmeal, Rolled or Plain Oats, Barley, etc. but always remember that "Too much of any one thing, is a bad thing."

9. FEED KIBBLE : Feed some Dry Kitten Food or Kibble to young-growing mice and nursing mothers. This should be available all day, every day. In addition to the staple and the treats, fruits and veggies.

10. FEED A VARIED DIET : Feed your mice as many different things as possible and always keep a staple food available so the mice don't ever get hungry.

11. NEVER FEED MICE THE FOLLOWING : NO Chocolate! Mice can't digest it, so don't even take that chance! In addition, mice should NEVER eat Spicy Foods such as Jalapenos, Onions, Garlic, Peppers, etc. NO Acidic Foods such as Oranges, Grapefruit, Lemons, etc. NO Peanuts, Raw or Uncooked Meats of any kind, Cookies, Candy or other junk foods such as chips or salty/spicy crackers.

12. ADD EXTRA SUPPLEMENTS NOW : Add any vitamin, salt and mineral blocks and replace them as needed. Pregnant mice, growing babies or mice that are nursing require extra nutrients. Provide a balanced diet and your mice won't need the mineral blocks or salt wheels. They are certainly not required like food and water is. Although, it is still a good idea to keep them available for your mice if possible.

13. ADD WATER : Keep a Hanging Water Bottle in the cage at all times. This will ensure that your mice have instant access to clean water even if the water dish flips over and spills. Keep 2 Watering devices of your choice in the mice breeding cage at all times. A water bottle and a shallow ceramic dish will be perfect for keeping your mice from becoming thirsty. Clean and refill open water dishes daily. Large bottles that stay full should be checked daily and cleaned and refilled at least every other day.

14. ADD PAIR OF MICE : You can have 2 or 3 female mice in a cage with one male. It is important to have only one breeder aged male mouse per cage. Unless the mice grew up in a large breeding colony, which would require a huge cage. Introducing a strange male mouse to a female mouse that is pregnant might cause her young to die. This is known as the Bruce effect.

15. GIVE TREATS REGULARLY : In addition to prepackaged Treats from the pet store. You can give your mice little bites of most of the things that humans eat, every now and then. A mouse might love to have a taste of your hamburger. Once a month you can feed your mice Whole Kernal Sweet Corn or Corn On The Cob as a treat. A steady amount of corn in the diet of any creature has been reported by Greenpeace to cause infertility, fewer and weaker babies, tumors and many other heath issues.

16. UNDERSTAND THE BREEDING CYCLE : A pet mouse has a lifespan from around 1 to 2 & 1/2 years. Mice can mature into breeding age as early as 25 days from the date they were born. Baby mice are called pups. The average mouse has a liter of about 10 - 12 pups. Mice gestation periods are around 20 days long. Young mice are weaned at 3 weeks of age or about 21 days old. Don't disturb the female mouse 3 days before and after she has given birth.

17. SEPARATE MALES FROM FEMALES : Split up any males from any females that you don't want to breed, when they are 21 days old. Keep them in 2 separate cages. Try to avoid breeding mice that are related to one another.

18. CLEAN CAGE AS NEEDED : If the bedding is soaking wet or the cage is stinky then it is time to completely clean the cage. When cleaning the mouse cage, it is best to have another cage that is already set up and waiting for the mice to be moved into. This eliminates stress and keeps your mice happy. To clean the cage you should start by emptying anything out of it. Then rinse the entire cage with water. Use Dawn Dish Soap and Bleach to clean the cage. Rinse Well, then let it dry outside and leave it there overnight. The cage should be dry the next day. Sometimes the cage is just slightly messy and the amount of cleaning required will not call for a complete overhaul. If this is the case, then clean up any spilled water, food, or bedding during the "daily spot check."

19. DAILY MAINTENANCE : A.K.A. "Daily Spot Checks." Check your mouse breeding cage daily. Look for rotten food and remove any that you might find. Remove vegetables, fruits and other perishable foods from the day before. Add any new food including breads, fresh fruits and vegetables. Clean and refill water dishes and bottles. "Top Off" staple food dish and give any treats/snacks at this time. Check bedding status, if it's getting smelly you should plan to clean the cage/tank in the next few days. No creature should be forced to live in its own waste products.

20. SOCIALIZE YOUR MICE : Talk to them once a day and during Daily Spot Checks using a calm "baby-talk" voice. Treat them as your loving pets and you will see there little personalities start shining through. Interacting with your mice everyday or as much as possible will ensure that you have domesticated mice, instead of them acting like wild animals. We all know that wild animals bite!

21. INCREASE FOOD : Increase the amount of food and water that you give to the mice as the colony gets larger. This goes for treat, toys and salt-wheel blocks as well.

22. GO EASY ON FEMALE BREEDER MICE : Unless your mice are housed in colonies, you should try to give your female mice a break between pregnancies.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to stop your mice from breeding, separate the males from the females into different cages.
• If you keep breeding your mice, you will eventually need to get a larger cage or get rid of some mice.
• Always wash your hands before and after handling your mice.
• Pregnant women, infants, and people who are sick should stay away from dirty pets like mice. Never feed your mice any vegetables or food that has been sprayed with pesticides.
• Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables to assure that there aren't any chemical-fertilizer particles left on them. After you wash the fruits and veggies, do it again!
• Never feed mice through the holes in the cage. The mouse can't tell the difference between your fingers and food. If you never feed your mice this way, and train them to sniff your fingers 3 times a week instead. They will be less likely to bite some poor kids finger off. Always feed your animals through the main cage door which was intended to be used for this purpose.

[ottomatic]

on 12/8/2009 NEVER EVER use Cedar bedding! It is toxic and its very bad advice. Aspen is the way to go.
Also, it is not wise to change a mouse's diet often. It causes diarrhea, leading to dehydration, and youre better off sticking to basic mouse food with some occasional mouse treats. Prepackaged mouse food has everything a mouse needs to stay healthy.
Lastly, mice love running on wheels for excercise. I also rest my females 2 months between pregnancies, never breeding them more than twice or after theyre 7-8 months old.

[elyria]

on 4/10/2009 well written article on How to Breed Mice And Set Up A Complete Breeding Cage

[mfahrney]

on 2/18/2009 Very good article.Another tip we used to use: cut a soda can in half and put it on top of the water bottle this will stop the mice from chewing on the bottle. (If the bottle is inside the tank.) 5*****

[GreenMomma]

on 2/7/2009 Very interesting. I didn't know that mice could be socialized!!!

[sunshine11219]

on 1/16/2009 ill ... That is a very well written article