# Housing bucks together



## bonni (Sep 26, 2012)

I hope this is the appropriate forum for this question (seems like the best choice).

Our litter of babies will be four weeks old in a few days, and I'll be separating the two boys out. I would like to house them together indefinitely and keep them both, and I've heard that littermates who are never separated can live together peacefully, but I've also heard all kinds of other stuff about how males will automatically start fighting and killing each other when they reach a certain age. Yikes.

Because mice are social, I'd prefer to have them housed together for company, but, honestly, I know nothing of their bloodlines (this was an unexpected litter; a female mouse I got turned out to be pregnant). One of them is quite adventurous and feisty, and the other seems to be a much more laid-back and gentle little guy, but who knows what they'd be like once they reach sexual maturity.

I'm just wondering about the success of housing male littermates together. I've never in my many, many years of mousekeeping (all pets, but I'm quite seriously thinking about the possibility of becoming a breeder; I think we need some ethical, legitimate breeders around where I live, frankly) had any boy mice, so this is completely new territory for me (as is having a litter! :lol. So, expert advice and experience is most welcome.


----------



## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

I just weaned two boys today, 4 weeks old. They are already squabbling..
Every mouse is different though.


----------



## Serena (Dec 29, 2011)

I agree with Cordane. Every mouse is different.
so far, mine always started to fight sooner or later. You can try housing them together, but you have to be prepared to separate them if they start fighting.
You could have 1 or both neutered, then they shouldn't fight. It's done quite regularly here with good results.


----------



## besty74 (May 26, 2012)

you will just have to wait and see if its what you really want, but they can live alone quite happily and if you feel bad for them you can hug them more!


----------



## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

compleatly agree on every mouse is diffrent.
I house my baby males tougher at 4-5 weeks untill i make my pick around 8 weeks and havent had problems at that age yet. But i have had brothers start fighting at around 12weeks. Ive had an all male group befor who lived tougher for over a year (diffrent ages too).
Most people wont advise it due to the risk of serious injury/death if the bucks start fighting, which going by all the bucks ive had its more common to happen to some degree then not. 
If you do decide you want to try hears my tips

Never breed any male you want to try to keep tougher (ive only ever been able to keep virgin males, i had a pair who lived tougher for over a year (was the group but others died of old age) i bred one and put them back tougher not knowing better, the bred male attacked the other so badly i had to have him put down.

Plenty of hiding places to break there line of sight, a house either side and tubes ect. Also plenty of space, id keep a buck group in a bigger cage than a doe group. That way if an argument does break out the mice have a place to run.

Keep an eye in there personalitys, in my first mice they all came in tougher so i split the boys out and one was a nasty peice of work and so was his brother who would join in as soon as the nasty one picked a victim. One buck was allmost castrated and allmost lost his tail to that nasty male. Some bucks have been very layed back and these have gotten on better the best, one i kept 'patch' had some of his dads temperment and would take telling off other bucks too far. Its ones like that you need to keep an eye on, luckerly he wasnt the top buck, a layed back boy was the boss, he would tell off other bucks but would never take it too far. Also check them often for any bites.

Be prepared to seperate at any time, they could get on no problem then something could set them off. The key i found was to lurn how much arguing is acceptable, A pair of bucks i brought in were adults who lived tougher all there life no problem but after i got them one kept bullying the other constantly, he didnt harm him but the while time i was out there i would hear him squeaking where the other was bullying him. The happened for a few days straight so i seperated them as it didnt settle down.

When cleaning allways keep a handfull of bedding to keep there sent so they dont have to lay down the rules over again.

None of my current bucks seem to mine being on there own when not fullfilling there manly duties, but if you think about it adult bucks would want to be driving away other rival males so they get to breed the females so realt its in there nature and best intrest to argue so they can pass on there genes.


----------

