# New mums different dates



## stace_m (Feb 23, 2009)

I currently have 1 female koko with a litter 7 days old and her friend flare is now showing very well and should only be a matter of a week or so untill she pops. See I want to put flare back in with koko before or after she gives birth. As koko is a natural mother I was hoping she would be a great nanny for her friend flare.

But i have hurd all there stories about mums killing their newborns or abondoning them as compaired to the older littler which are obviously bigger the mum will think her new born litter is too small and abondon the litter or worse the other mum could reject(kill) the new babies. 
Is this likely to happen? or will both mums or at least the mum of the little still accept and feed her little ones? 
I know there is always a chance of somthing happening regardless of how many mummy mice are caring for the little ones I just want to know what other people do and which would be best and how likely is somthing to happen. 
If there is no problems and im able to put them together my other question was do I put flare in before or after she gives birth?

Flare has been "visiting" koko often over the last 3 days and has even been alowed in with kokos litter and koko has no objections and allows flare to clean and sit in with her and the little ones in the nest they havent been left over night yet only in for a couple of hours while I have been in.

could anyone shed some light on my little problem  Or am just worrying over nothing or making mountains out of mole hills lol?


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## ian (Oct 3, 2008)

Theres loads of different ideas on this and you should do what you want really. Although I would generally keep the does seperate to raise their litters if its more than a few days difference in the ages of the pinkies. Sometimes the competition from the older pups for milk means the younger ones are weaker.


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## stace_m (Feb 23, 2009)

thats a good point, Now thinking I will keep her apart anyway. Would it be ok to have her sister in as company? see i know it would be ok untill the due date but what about after would the babies be in any danger from sis or is it just best to keep her by herself? I have been keeping them on there own while pregnant and untill the litters are weaned but I though I would pass some ideas round as my mice are very social and i hate splitting them up just because there preggers


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Lots of people keep female mice in with the mums for company and to help looking after the babies and it's fine. I had to put of my argente mums on her own though, as the other doe had built a seperate nest and was trying to steal the babies for herself. The mum's attempts to recover them resulted in a nasty tug-of-war with one baby. He was unharmed though, thankfully 

Sarah xxx


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## stace_m (Feb 23, 2009)

Im soo glad he was ok, was he a little longer than the others as he grew? (Bad joke sorry) I might put a friend in with her to help but not going to put her in with kokos litter as i think there just a little too old and might push the newborns out the way of the milk. She due to go in the next 4days - 1wk I would say sooner but not going to bet on it.


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Never put a doe in with a doe who has already given birth as you'll put the litter in danger. Not from the new doe necessarily, but you'll unsettle the mother if nothing else. I wouldn't even let them 'visit' if I were you as the same common sense applies. Keep them separate to give birth. They will be fine for those 5 weeks and you can introduce them to each other again when the babies are weaned. If they were going to share a cage then I'd recommend they were due to give birth within a few days of each other and were placed together at least a week before their due date, for future reference.


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## stace_m (Feb 23, 2009)

ok thank you very much for the replys Im pretty sure I know what Im going to do with them now. As you said mums apart untill the little ones are weened.

This can now be closed or deleted 
Thanx you


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