# Lone baby buck.



## kellyt (Nov 23, 2011)

I'm my first litter I have three does and a buck I want to run the little buck on and see how he develops but he will be on his own when he needs to come away from Mum. Will this be okay or is it worth trying to find him someone to be paired up with?


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## AyJay658 (Jan 15, 2012)

Bucks are perfectly happy to be kept on their own after weaning as they are territorial and like to have their own space! He would probably (not always) fight with another male so do not worry about him getting lonely! He will be happier alone =)


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## kellyt (Nov 23, 2011)

Cool thanks


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## Wight Isle Stud (May 19, 2010)

He wont. Leave him with mum then remove the young does. He is unlikely to remate his mum. I have a few very old does that I put in with young bucks, keeping them alone after weaning will usually cause a check in their growth and to go out of condition.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Why would he be unlikely to mate his mum? I have not heard such a phenomenon before.


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## kellyt (Nov 23, 2011)

I see where you are coming from Gary, what age do you take the young does away?


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## AyJay658 (Jan 15, 2012)

Yeh I am with Laigaie. Why wouldnt he mate his mum? Mice inbreed all the time. He will be fine alone.. Males are happy by themselves.


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## Wight Isle Stud (May 19, 2010)

No one is Wrong, My advice is based on producing Huge Bucks for showing and breeding.- whilst still in a young coat of fur. There must be no checks in growth or being allowed to go out of condition for one minute on the way. If your just keeping as Pets or pleasure then all your methods are fine, Kellyt isn't though. I agree a young buck will of course mate its Mother, but it is unilkely for quite a while- much longer than if you were to introduce a doe to a strange buck.I base this on knowing my strains, and that of kell'ys, which go back rather a long time.


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## Wight Isle Stud (May 19, 2010)

No one is Wrong, My advice is based on producing Huge Bucks for showing and breeding.- whilst still in a young coat of fur. There must be no checks in growth or being allowed to go out of condition for one minute on the way. If your just keeping as Pets or pleasure then all your methods are fine, Kellyt isn't though. I agree a young buck will of course mate its Mother, but it is unilkely for quite a while- much longer than if you were to introduce a doe to a strange buck.I base this on knowing my strains, and that of kell'ys, which go back rather a long time.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm glad your strains work like that! I'd have a mated mum in ten days flat, and not mating mum is more important to me than the possibility that removing a female presence will slow or alter the growth of the young buck.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I have found that single bucks weaned and kept alone do lose a lot of condition and are very unhappy. Five weeks old is too young to be living alone. I have also found that if a buck is left with his dam, he will take longer to become sexually mature as he will stay a mummy's boy, dominated by her and imprinted. On the rare occasions that I keep a single buck until weaning, I always leave him with his dam and move the young does into their own cage at five weeks old. At seven weeks I will remove the dam (and she is very rarely in kindle at this time) and the buck is much more able to settle in single life. After a couple of weeks of being his own man he'll breed as normal. Of course, there are rare occasions where the dam will be mated, but in my mind that's better than having the young buck become depressed and out of condition as this will lead to sickness and stunted growth.


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

I cant recall ever keeping a baby buck alone when weaned... usually i have a few of them anyway, so they go in together and are fine if they have space until such time as they were either shown or picked for breeding.
I have occassionally had 'spare' does in with young bucks to keep them company if they didnt tolerate other males, does that i didnt mind getting knocked up... a couple of times, decent mice have come out of these 'practice mating sessions' for the baby boys. haha.


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