Mouse Babies

hermitman64 · #1 08-06-2003, 11:40 AM

Hi everybody! Last night I heard a bunch of squeaking in the cage, so I thought it might be babies. I lifted up her little hut this morning and I saw her and a few pink things

I kind of messed up her little bed and everything, though. I have had a hamster have babies and another mouse have babies. The hamster ate all of her babies except for one. Do you think the mouse will turn on her babies and eat them because I turned over her bedding? I'm a little worried. Also, how long should I leave the babies with her before they can go off on their own? Thanks guys!

Becki · #2 08-06-2003, 01:01 PM

Congrats on the babies! I've only had baby rats, no mice, so I'm not much help, sorry.

hermitman64 · #3 08-06-2003, 01:16 PM

Thanks, Becki. So far so good. I refilled the food bowls so if she gets hungry maybe she'll decide to eat the food instead of the babies.

#4 08-08-2003, 10:17 AM

She might, but its not very common. If you're worried about it, simply remove her into a carrying cage before poking around in the nest. I wouldn't do it very often, however, until the babies are at least a couple of days old.

I held my pinkies the day they were born, and the mother never turned a whisker. It really depends on how experienced the mother is and how her relationship is with you, and her entire temperment. Definately start holding the babies daily starting at three days, however. It gets them used to your scent and being handled, and they'll be MUCH more friendly when they're adults.

My mice are all darlings, and some even come when they're called by name. It really makes a difference. Also, try feeding the Mother some bits of kitten chow. She'll need the extra protien for milk production and to ease the strain on her body from being pregnant and nursing.

Good luck!

RoxyFish · #5 11-17-2003, 12:13 PM

Last year I bought two mice, I SPECIFICALLY asked for the same sex but nevertheless ended up with a male and female. After a few weeks of having them little Lulu was a mum to 5 pinkies. They were so adorable, but my little sister got to the caghe before me, and picked one up (I didnt know about this)...but Lulu wasn't bothered.
After that I decided to go into breeding, but when it came down to it, I couldn't bare to part with them all...so now I have two HUGE cages...one with my girlies in, and one with my boys in!
i love 'em to bits...but I think I'll keep the number at 14...
every litter I have had, I have held the babies...none of the mothers have bothered about it...but it isn't unheard of.

capnsweets · #6 11-17-2003, 06:59 PM

Wow, 14 mice! But they are small!

mouselover05 · #7 09-13-2004, 12:54 AM

My mouse just had a litter of 12 (now 10) babies, and i was touching then when they were three days old, and she didn't do anything to them. It all depends on how much trust there is between you and your momma mouse. And if you are wondering...there are two loss babies because the two runts died...

diggy415 · #8 09-14-2004, 09:03 AM

raising mice most of my life, i don't touch mom and her babies until they are furred. She can still eat them at that stage as well. I bought those clear travel plastic containers and each expected mom is in one of those, i never put the weaned babies in with other adult mice as they will be killed also. Mice are hard to raise as they are skitterish ive lost too many keeping them together when pregnant and other males females around, if you raise them to fur your doing good, however i raised a litter of 11 to that stage, took mom out to clean the cage, left in the old bedding and put mom back in, the next day she killed them all, so u never know.

mice babies