Darn canibal mice

Pixie · 12-19-02, 10:39 PM

I don't know if there are any tips or tricks to help fight against this but I'm starting to get pretty tired of my mice eating each other up! In the past couple of weeks I've lost 2 adults this way and today 10 pinkies.

They aren't lacking in food and water, their cages are cleaned regularly (at least once a week). If it's not my females ganging in on a male and eating him up they gang in and start munching another female, different "gang" too. Then one of my pregnant mice gave birth and ate 10 out of 11 babies, or ate parts of her babies.

I tell you it's not easy breeding these buggers when they're eating themselves off! I get pretty pissed cause I end up running to the store to get food for my snakes! Argh!!!

For those who debate on which are humane and inhumane ways to kill off mice, I've given up that debate when I've seen the carnage they do amongst themselves! A hard whack in a pillowcase or hypothermia has to beat being eaten alive!

Pixie

sophia · 12-19-02, 10:56 PM

We had the same problem for about three months... every clutch was being eaten... and then one of our females... turns out it was a rogue male that was eating everything up... I tell ya... Colombians make great problem solvers... Tia gobbled him right up! New male and no new problems with the breeding room. Scared straight! {G}

Jon

Tim_Cranwill · 12-19-02, 11:19 PM

I feel your pain, sister! You go through all the trouble and stink to breed them and they just end up causing you more trouble and money than they are worth. Mine have gotten better now, but I'll be out of the mice breeding business as soon as my snakes can afford to pay for their own food

!

Stay strong

12-20-02, 12:22 AM

cannabilism among first time mothers is common. As for the other problems with it, the best I heard is to feed off every biter and every non-first-time mother that eats a litter. Slowly those traits can be bred out for the most part. Too much work, smell, and hassle for me, I'll stick to buying frozen/thawed

Lisa · 12-20-02, 12:38 AM

the only reason we have live rodents is to feed snakes that won't eat f/t. it's not ecconomical for us to keep the size of colonies that we have

Pixie · 12-23-02, 08:44 AM

I breed mice because I have 1 fussy corn that only takes live and my bp takes fresh kills. I sure wouldn't be going through all this trouble if I didn't have to! Not to mention the extra $ I'm spending on these buggers!

The mom that had the litter and ate 10 babies during the day ate her eleventh during the night (surprise, surprise). Another female gave birth last night, her cagemate was found eating a baby so she was sent off into a separate enclosure. The rest seem to be doing fine right now.

I hope this batch will have the chance to grow some, my snakes need food!

Justin · 01-03-03, 10:03 PM

my rat ate my frecking mouse cuz my mouse bit me and i put in my used to be rats cage and i went out for dinner came back and i could see only the rib cage of the mouse lol
1!!!!:hammer:

marisa · 01-03-03, 10:53 PM

Although its most likely just mice being stupid mice as new mothers often are (or just plain bad mothers) have you tried offering a high protien "treat" right after birth? I have found if stress is not a factor, then this has helped. I haven't had one single eaten litter this entire season except for one mother cleaning up a still born baby. I just give them some dry cat food, or some egg when I notice they are really pregnant...and until they have the babies for a day or two. then I just go back to normal food. I read this on a mouse (pet mouse.show mouse page) website. good luck!

marisa

Pixie · 01-04-03, 02:06 AM

I offer treats to the moms that have just given birth but not protein specifically, just fruits and veggies. I'll definitely give some protein a try. When you say egg, I would presume that would be hard boiled?

My recent litters have gone much better, I have a female duo together that is great. They give birth about 7-10 days apart but both are always helping each other out nursing the babies. They mostly go in shifts! And one of my other females that ate her cagemate's baby is a wonderful mom on her own. I'll give the female that ate her entire litter another try, if that doesn't work well, she'll be a good meal to my bp.

I'm not freaked out by moms eating off their young or other mom's young, I know it fairly common. What really gets to me is that this year I've lost 3 full grown healthy adults to cannibalism. Culprits have been both male and female, single and in groups. In none of the case was food or water lacking, nor was there any fighting in the cage prior to the incidents. It's so nasty and gross, my last scene was very "Silence of the Lambish", three females merrily eating the male. All they were missing was the chianti!

marisa · 01-04-03, 02:12 AM

I bred my own mice on a small scale. So every loss is definitly a loss!!! I have had to go months buying my snakes frozen mice at the pet store while the stupid breeder mice here were busy either killing babies or just not breeding. Its frustrating how "stupid" they are at times.

Anyways yes hard boiled egg.

marisa