Baby problem

[jaybox_reptiles]

Hi all as you might no my mice had babys about 2 weeks ago and they are starting to become fuzzys but all of a suddon i notice that one had a big chunk of skin ripped from it on its stomach..... Is the mom trying to eat the 2 week old babys ? and y would this happen ? thx

Jay

[snakemann87]

You should seperate them anyways if they're fuzzys.......they are ok on their own.

[jaybox_reptiles]

no they arent fuzzys yet they are just now starting to get pigment in them and any ways shouldent i wait untill they are weaner mice to seprate ?

Jay

[ohh_kristina]

I know rats aren't okay with only two weeks with the mother. Mice are probably the same way. Keep them together!

[snakemann87]

Thats too bad kristina? i seperated mine arund 10 days they were fine?? OH well

[ohh_kristina]

10 days? Have any of them lived past those 10 days? Seriously, I would like to know.

I think 10 days are too soon. If you want healthy babies, you want them to stay with the mother at least 3 weeks so that they get all the nutrients from the mother.
A good friend of mine breeds rats and I just asked her.

[Linds]

Don't take them away from their mother at this age unless you are feeding them off. Keep an eye on the colony, and make sure they have plenty of fresh water and food.

Originally posted by snakemann87
You should seperate them anyways if they're fuzzys.......they are ok on their own.

Fuzzies aren't even close to being old enough to be apart from their mothers. They usually still have their eyes closed.

[BoidKeeper]

.......they are ok on their own.
No they aren't. I think this may be a problem of termanology. Obviously you can't take a mouse away from it's mother that's not weaned yet or it will starve to death. So I think what he calls a fuzzie must be what we call a hopper or weanling.
Cheers,
Trevor

[jaybox_reptiles]

ok well dose any one no y the mother would be trying to eat the babbys? thx

Jay

[ohh_kristina]

are you sure that there is nothing in the cage that could have hurt the baby? I would think that if the mother were trying to kill it..she would have already killed it, you know? Maybe you need to kill off that baby and feed it to one your snakes (if you have a snake that size).

[jaybox_reptiles]

oh yea i already fed it off there was no way of survival for that babby but i no nothing in the cage could have heart it

[Syst3m]

Mice are nuts. I've seen mice that are fine for 2 weeks go nuts and kill all the babys in a nest.

Feed that mother off and select a better mouse for a breeder.
Thats the only advice I have for you.

[snakemann87]

Originally posted by ohh_kristina
10 days? Have any of them lived past those 10 days? Seriously, I would like to know.

I think 10 days are too soon. If you want healthy babies, you want them to stay with the mother at least 3 weeks so that they get all the nutrients from the mother.
A good friend of mine breeds rats and I just asked her.

Yeah...they were fine and grew into adults......

[Linds]

Originally posted by snakemann87
Thats too bad kristina? i seperated mine arund 10 days they were fine?? OH well

At that age they often still have their eyes closed...

[ohh_kristina]

Originally posted by snakemann87
Yeah...they were fine and grew into adults......

I seriously doubt that.

[reptilesalonica]

pinky (newborn-closed eyes)
fuzzy (the name explain it self-closed eyes)
weaned (the name explain it self-opened eyes)
hopper (fully opened eyes and jumping around)
adult (not the maximum size but they can breed)
jumbo (maximum sized mouse)
:)
~Greg~