# Greetings!



## meromar (Aug 27, 2016)

Howdy folks!

I've cared for plenty of other rodents when I was younger, but mice are a first for me. I hope to be picking up my very first within a month or two; after spending some time with them and figuring out if I have an allergic reaction, or if I enjoy their company enough to keep any more after them, I hope to begin breeding. 

I have a few goals in mind that I've been thinking about for quite some time, and all that's left now is to pick up the supplies and choose my mice. I am quite excited, I gotta say!

Thanks for having me here everyone


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## Lilly (Nov 21, 2015)

Welcome, I hope you enjoy your journey into the mouse world!


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## meromar (Aug 27, 2016)

Thank you!


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Welcome!


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## meromar (Aug 27, 2016)

Fantasia Mousery said:


> Welcome!


Thank you, glad to be here


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## WoodWitch (Oct 18, 2009)

Welcome. Where are you located, country-wise?


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## WoodWitch (Oct 18, 2009)

....Aaaah, gotcha, NC, USA.


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## meromar (Aug 27, 2016)

WoodWitch said:


> ....Aaaah, gotcha, NC, USA.


That's the place! :lol: Lived here my whole life. In fact, I only left the Carolinas borders for the very first time 9 months ago!


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## Lilly (Nov 21, 2015)

Where are you getting your new mice from?

There's a few breeders around TN/GA now I think if you wanted to go that route once you've decided if you like them enough to get into breeding!


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## meromar (Aug 27, 2016)

Lilly said:


> Where are you getting your new mice from?
> 
> There's a few breeders around TN/GA now I think if you wanted to go that route once you've decided if you like them enough to get into breeding!


My initial "test" buck will be from pet store stock, and I was prepared to settle for breeding from them since I wasn't able to find a single breeder in my state! And that would have been fine since my goals are less on physical traits and more behavioral, as well as a focus on reproducive traits.

But if there are any breeders a little closer to home (Georgia sounds like my best bet), I might be getting in touch in a few months


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## Lilly (Nov 21, 2015)

There's 3 that come to mind in North GA, and I am a little further way (south of Atlanta) but that is quite some variation.

I started with petshop stock too but I would say to be a bit careful. Petsmart is a lot better than Petco but even then its a bit of pot luck if you'll get healthy long lived mice.


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## meromar (Aug 27, 2016)

Lilly said:


> There's 3 that come to mind in North GA, and I am a little further way (south of Atlanta) but that is quite some variation.
> 
> I started with petshop stock too but I would say to be a bit careful. Petsmart is a lot better than Petco but even then its a bit of pot luck if you'll get healthy long lived mice.


Awesome, are they members here? It might be possible for me to pick up some stock on the way back home from our next family trip to SeaWorld.

Thank you for the warning! I knew going in that pet stores wouldn't be providing me with the best stock on earth, but I'll be ready and willing to replace any mice that aren't up to par health-wise. I can work with slightly shorter lifespans so long as my stock have a good quality of life until they pass naturally or it comes time to cull.

Did you have any of those problems with your petshop mice, and were you able to selectively resolve or improve them? I have so much to learn from everyone here


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## Lilly (Nov 21, 2015)

They're not on here as far as I know, but a lot of americans hang out in the facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/mousebreeders/)

I have a line going from my petshop mice but I picked up some better mice from breeders that are my main focus. Of the three mice I got one munched her litter when it was born and had to be put to sleep from a respiratory infection at around 12 months old, she had issues from a lot earlier on though.

The second doe had a litter that did well and she's with me but at 18 months old is looking/acting very old.

The buck I got was an odd case, after a few months he developed strange issues with his muscles on his legs that made him look like the muscles were on the outside (kind of like those cows or dogs you see) and he had mites when I got him, easy to treat but something to be ready for.

They also were all pretty skittish and were never really bothered about being handled.

That said I have talked to other people that have had feeder mice from pet shops that are over 2 years old and one of the healthiest mice they've had... so yeh as I said, a little bit of pot luck.


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