how my mice roll - Page 12

Jenn_06 · 03-07-12, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakefood

Sometimes, first time mamma's will do that, if she does it a second time though, cull her.

yeah i was going to give her second try if she does it again she will be gassed, im happy my other new moms turned out to be great mothers. Never had moms eat there babies.

KORBIN5895 · 03-07-12, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakefood

Sometimes, first time mamma's will do that, if she does it a second time though, cull her.

Korbin, that sucks!! I think you should switch to a rack system, would take up the same amount of space as that freezer of yours!!

I would go with a rack but my shed isn't insulated or heated. So the freezers are heated by a 100 watt red flood light and a fifty watt day glow in the rats.

Snakefood · 03-07-12, 02:05 PM

sucky!!

Idea......hubby built an insulated room inside our shed just big enough for 3 rat racks and 1 mouse rack, he heats it with a 150W red heat bulb. I tell you, it works!! wood, nails and insulation, that was it!!

KORBIN5895 · 03-07-12, 02:36 PM

I am moving in a month and my mice will probably be outside under a deck.

Snakefood · 03-07-12, 03:45 PM

yikes again!! I would definately wall in under the deck and insulate it, freezers or not!!

exwizard · 03-07-12, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

I am moving in a month and my mice will probably be outside under a deck.

I understand why the need for freezers to keep the heat in. However, to have them outside is still risky, freezer or not. I also understand that you are not alone in this decision as well. Our rat wholesalers do this with 5 open semitrailers that they call "buildings". Sometimes when the winters get real bad, they do lose a lot of their stock because of that but their operation is so big (about 14,000+ rats) that they can recover fairly quickly. Their buildings are heated but with open end doors, its really tough to keep that heat in when its -15F outside. If I were you I would continue the use of the freezers for insulation but I would add another layer of insulation around the room those freezers are in. "Outside under a deck"... Idk. I wouldnt chance that, myself, but you do what you think is right since they are your mice.

KORBIN5895 · 03-07-12, 06:24 PM

If I can get enough scrap material I will throw up a small shack under the deck. In all reality I was just going to get rid of them if our new place didn't have a shed but with spring coming it gives me time to get a better plan for next winter.

exwizard · 03-07-12, 06:56 PM

True, this is a good time of year for that, plus this past winter has been unusually warm and mild. Itll all work out.

KORBIN5895 · 03-09-12, 11:38 PM

So. I had a surprise litter born in general population yesterday. It consisted of two pinkies. One has since pass. The mother was quite young and I thought she would go another week before birth.

I also made a bad decision regarding my rats tonight. I traded in eight male mice for two female breeder rats. I then added those two females in with the male, female and four pups. Someone killed the pups. So I now have a 1.3 rat ratio.

I did a bunch of sorting and culling for my mice last night. I now have 3 males, 27 females ( 6 are pregnant and segregated and one is segregated and nursing her one pinky) and 22 fuzzy- hopper unsexed. So it looks like this 3.27.22 after culling.

exwizard · 03-10-12, 04:48 AM

Very nice! Your numbers are looking really good.

Snakefood · 03-10-12, 10:55 AM

I ALWAYS separate my mamma rats, never have 2 females together when there are bbabies involved, rats are such natural mothers that they will fight over the babies and usually the babies do die during these "maternal fights" it's not like the mice at all.

Each female rat needs it's own enclosure and you rotate the male through the females week by week. OR you can colonise them, but you still take each female to her own tub/space when she starts looking like a pear.

I have a first-time mommma mouse about to pop (literally if she doesn't get to it!!) so looking forward to her litter being born soon, another first-time momma in that colony is pregnant too, but no-where near as bulgey as the first!!

my #'s are looking up!! Rats 2.15.10, split between 2 colonies (1 full, and 1 being built)
mice are 1.7.8, with 1 litter expected any minute!! rabbits 2.3.8 with 3 litters expected this month!!

KORBIN5895 · 03-10-12, 11:08 AM

If they can't go communal I may just get rid of them.

Snakefood · 03-10-12, 11:20 AM

they can be communal except during birth and nursing, too many deaths when you have more than one female with babies together.

Are you thinking of using another freezer for the rats?? If so, is it big enough to have 4 small separated portions (via wire mesh?) for the females to have thier own protected spot to raise up thier babies??

KORBIN5895 · 03-10-12, 12:13 PM

They are currently housed in my mouse grow out freezer.I just need to make some changes but with moving this month it will have to wait.

Snakefood · 03-10-12, 12:37 PM

well the rats cycle is 5 days, so within the week all 3 females will be pregnant. Then you have 19-21 days to figure out separating them for the birth, or you'll just have a re-occurance of what just happened.