It happens to you too?

[reptilesalonica]

1) Gravid female mice, go and lie uppon babies of other females,
before they give birth.
2) Female mice eat others females babies...jealous???

~Greg~

[Emily-Fisher]

It's happened, yes.
I had two female mice; a brown one named EIlonwyvern and a black one named Bula Eilonwyvern was the first to have her own litter. Then Bula became pregnant and would lie on top of all the babies! But when All of Eilonwyvern's babies were busy living in my freezer and Bula gave birth, Ellie at them ALL! (Well, Bula only had 3 babies anyways ... but Eillie at them and that's the point that I'm getting at!)

[marisa]

Can't really say its jealously. It may be but chances are its a simple reason other than that.

First litters can get eaten for no other reason than a female in the cage is nervous and doesn't know what she is doing.

Sometimes also there is no reason except the babies may have something wrong with them. It's natures instinct (you know all this I am sure LOL) to clean up "bad eggs" if you will.

Last year my ONLY situation with a mother eating her babies was babies being still born. I thought she was eating the litter for no reason, so I took a much closer look and noticed the babies were all messed up as they came out and not alive, and the ones that were, were weak it seemed and kinda messed up. So she took care of them herself and never did that to a litter or anyone elses litter again.

Marisa

[reptilesalonica]

Originally posted by reptilesalonica
2) Female mice eat OTHERS females' babies...jealous???

~Greg~

[Lisa]

mice will eat each others babies but they will also nurse each others babies. we try to keep them well fed and well watered to prevent this.