How long does it take????

[Zaskar]

Curious about how long it takes for mice to be weaned from thier mothers? I have the problem another pewrson does a few posts below. One litter born last week and another today, I just want to know when I can take out the first litter? Also I have two colonies one is a 1.5 and one is a 1.4 the only one of the colonies is producing while the other has never had any babies? Any ideas?


Thanks Mark

[Syco]

You need to leave them with the mother for 3 weeks, they should be eating on their own by then. Any sooner than that and you are going to lose some if not all of them. About the group that isn't producing... how old are they? How long have you had them set up? They may be just to young, and it could be that you need a different male. I've had this happen and changed males and in no time I have pregnant mice :D
Sometimes if the male and females are raised up together they just don't breed, but put a strange male in there and he's like a kid in a candy shop!
Hope this helps.

[Syst3m]

4-6 weeks. If they are eating and drinking on their own then they are ok to take away from the mother.

As far as a colony that doesn't produce, try using an older male in the colony. Just because they CAN breed at 5 weeks doesn't mean they WILL breed at 6 weeks.

usually it takes them 3 months to mature from what I've seen.