# Confusing and slightly weird litter (or litters!)



## LauM (Jan 9, 2012)

One of my females was pregnant for the second time, I hadn't realised as I'd been away for a few days with my mum feeding the mice and when I got back she was in the cage with the male, two other females and 8 little babies. I moved her into a separate cage on her own with the babies and she was doing fine. At three days old I culled four babies, as my sister needed little ones for her snakes. So she just had the four left and they were still doing well. She still seemed to look quite big but I thought it was just cause she'd not long had babies. Yesterday the babies were 7 days old, I went in, in the morning to feed all the mice, looked in their cage and the four babies were in there as well as ten wriggling newborn pinkies! No idea how this happened.. has anyone had a similar scenario? Can mice hold back some babies if they're having too many? I know she could have got pregnant straight after having the others, but they wouldn't be born after just 7 days :/ The new babies look perfectly normal sized for newborn pinkies..
Confused :shock:


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## MissPorter13 (Jun 20, 2012)

The only solution I can think of is that when you separated the mum and babies from the others you took the wrong 'mum'! Seeing as the female you put with them accidentally was so heavily pregnant herself she would have been producing enough milk to feed them. If I were you I would take a look at your other mice and see if you can find one that looks like she's producing milk/recently given birth or looking for her missing bubs! 
That's just my theory but good luck and let us know if you figure this mystery out!


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## thewesterngate (May 22, 2012)

I think MissPorter13 is exactly right, and you're going to have a ton more babies soon if the male is still with the two other females.


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## LauM (Jan 9, 2012)

This could be the case, I assumed (probably stupidly) that she was the mum as she was feeding the bubs and the other females were just running around on the flying saucer. I've just had a look at the two females I have left and one had slightly protruding nipples so I guess she could be mum, oops! From what I can see she isn't producing milk and she isn't looking for missing babies, just acting as normal. Considering she's not the mum, the mouse with the babies has done very well with them all.


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## thewesterngate (May 22, 2012)

Are you going to let them both raise the bunch? I'm sure it'd help the poor girl.


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## MissPorter13 (Jun 20, 2012)

The lack of milk production and/or strange behaviour is probably just because she's had seven days without them, I'd agree with thewesterngate though, the foster mum could probably do with a helping hand!


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## LauM (Jan 9, 2012)

Thanks for the advice. I've put the mouse I thought to be mum in with the other mum and babies now, I have also culled the second litter down to eight as there were two very small babies, so there are 12 babies in total left.

Here is a photo of some of the babies yesterday-


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