# Hey



## Andrew (Aug 28, 2013)

New here! Owned mice since I was a kid (I got my first, Brownie and Cookie, aged twelve in 2002), last year I bred some for my own enjoyment mainly, and eventually sent a lot to new homes. I now have fifteen which I keep as pets.

There's Blake, my elderly grandfather, he's coming near two years old now. Then my first litter, born 15 July 2012, two girls Caress and Kirby and four boys Carrington, Colby, Dexter and Bliss. Sadly their mother died a week before their first birthday last month, she was a wonderful mother mouse for a beginner breeder like myself, so good was she that she even fostered another litter later on. We had an accident sexing Bliss, he was a late developer and I had sexed him as a girl. You can imagine the repercussions. On 27 September, Dominique his mother gave birth to another nine and her sister Sable, who I'd have never bred from due to her being so skittish, gave birth to a further nine three days later. After two weeks each litter had lost two, but Sable's seven remaining babies were particularly small, quite weak and clearly neglected. At three weeks I took the decision to swap the litters, Sable could teach Dominique's healthy pups the life skills they needed, while Dominique nursed Sable's pups to full health. It worked out wonderfully, and all were ready for new homes by six weeks. I decided to keep Sable's four girls though, who I named Annie, Elsie, Valerie and Vera. Just as all the pups left, Caress gave birth to a surprise litter of twelve(!) on 18 November. It turns out a short period when a temporary split cage was opened slightly was just enough for Carrington to get in to Caress! Luckily nine of the large litter were female, so the local pet store were happy to take them in and give them new homes for me. I kept two of the girls because of their beautiful colouring and called them Lady Mary and Lady Sybil. Although I originally planned to find new homes for the three boys as well, I became quite attached to them too and decided to keep them, naming them Cosmo, Branson and Theo.

Sadly in May I lost Sable and obviously her sister Dominique followed in July. And only a few days ago, little Sybil died very suddenly. I haven't any idea of the cause as she was happy and healthy as ever right up until then. So I lost my first baby, and that's my very messy story of my breeding experience so far! My plans are to get a small shed to house all my babies in and breed from my last male next year, as I definitely want to keep the line going. Whether I'll be able to give any up is another story! Nice to meet you all  x


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Hi Andrew, and welcome.  What a story! Sounds like you have a bunch of lovely meecers. We love pictures!


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## andypandy29us (Aug 10, 2012)

hello and welcome  I have a hard time giving up my baby mice too


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## Andrew (Aug 28, 2013)

Fantasia Mousery said:


> Hi Andrew, and welcome.  What a story! Sounds like you have a bunch of lovely meecers. We love pictures!





andypandy29us said:


> hello and welcome  I have a hard time giving up my baby mice too


Hi, thanks  I'll post pics as soon as I learn how to do so from my mac! My lot are mostly the same though, only I can really tell the difference between them. Blake is a scruffy black and white (now with added wart, the old boy is still as healthy as ever though), Dominique was all over white and Sable was an albino white, their pups have mostly taken after the girls. The albino gene only passed on to Sable's pup Elsie (and a couple of others who went to new homes), the rest are almost all white give or take the odd distinguishing mark. Lady Mary and Lady Sybil though, are/were a beautiful black and white - Blake's colouring, with Dominique's rich shiny coat.


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## NikiP (May 7, 2013)

Just wanted to say that I love your mice's names! Can't wait for the new season  Well, when it airs here in the states!


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## besty74 (May 26, 2012)

hello and welcome


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