Touching mice babies....

Tim_Cranwill · 10-20-02, 11:08 AM

Ok, It seems I always have at least one or two litters of mice in any number of my colonies when I am going to clean the cages. I'd have to basicly destroy their nest to do a proper job. Is it ok to move them to clean?

I always end up freezing the litter because I don't want the moms to regect and eat them. Is this an issue?

Pixie · 10-20-02, 11:53 AM

I've been able to clean my cage with pinkies in them and even take out the nest. The female just rebuilds another, I start it off but she does most of the work. What I do is use latex gloves when moving the babies and setting up the clean tank, I keep a tiny bit of the previous bedding so she'll recognize her smell. Works for me.

Syst3m · 10-20-02, 01:53 PM

Doens't bother them. I've read many suggestions that if you want tame babies you need to handle them every day from birth, thats right from birth. usually within 6-12 hours. Some suggest pickup up the nest in a cup to keep it in tact but almost all of them suggest handling the litter right away. Hopefully your mice are already used to your scent. So having your scent in their cage and on their littler isn't that big of a deal. Remember that mice LOVE babys. So do rats! they love them so much that they will steal them from other mothers! The worst thing thats going to happen is tame babys. Don't worry about it at all, if she starts neglecting them show them to her, she might just have actually forgot about them.

Tim_Cranwill · 10-20-02, 02:24 PM

Cool. Thanks guys!

Syst3m · 10-22-02, 02:02 PM

just so you know cranwill, One of my mice gave birth last night, and I've been handling them relentlessly. She is pretty cool about the whole thing, as long as she trust you then picking them up isn't a biggie and she just goes right back to mousing them a few minutes after I finish my business. I think she enjoys the peace away, I can tell how stressed she is right now. 12 babys. Not bad for her first.

Richard Welter · 10-24-02, 03:18 PM

I get anywhere from 30-60 pickies a day and when it comes time to clean the best advice I could give is speed and keep the babies warm. I find that if not all babies are being nursed right I will take them out and mix them with a mother that has less babies in the group. I have not lost a pinkie mouse in about a year. Just keep the babies warm and the adults well fed and watered and thats it. (FREE FOOD, if you can deal with a little smell)

snakeman92 · 11-04-02, 05:42 PM

i have to touch the babies right when there born so i can feed them to my leopard (they are the right size then)i when i clean i just put the babies in a nouther tank i have set aside for when i clan i just put them back when i am done