# What is "Breeding" like?



## AllieMouse

For Breeders:

When did you decide you wanted to breed mice and why? Do you feel differently about mice now that you breed them rather than have them as pets? Is it hard to be attached to them when you have so many? What expectations do you hold for your mice, and how do you feel about a litter that doesn't turn out as you expect them to? What is the culture?


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## cjdelphi

for me, if you can't spend time with all the mice you own or breed then you then its purely financial gain, all my mice are hand tame and i treat them all as pets the ownly downside is you get easily attached luckily mice are not like dogs keeping an extra is not going to cost you the earth more if you keep a few out of the liitter......


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## Autumn2005

I started breeding to feed my snake (which has led me to getting 4 more snakes so I can breed more mice--!) a couple years ago. At first I had one buck and two does, and I kept one doe each out of my first two litters. I still have one of those does, an agouti who is now over a year and a half old. Her name is Ash and she's really special to me. Currently she's in a retirement cage with her granddaughter Caitlyn, who is 9 months old. I handle all of my mice as babies, otherwise they tend to be too skittish, since I have only pet store stock. Probably about 90% of my breeding goes to feeding, but I do work toward certain colors and coat types, so I'm always on the look out for healthy, good looking mice.

I generally have roughly 40-80 mice at a time, many of them are just "scrub" mice, ones I don't want to use for breeding, I'm just waiting for them to grow to the right size to feed, and I don't feel close to them, but I do feel close to my breeders. My breeders generally all have names, but even if they don't, I still know them and handle them often.


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## geordiesmice

I have always kept Animals since I was a child my dad kept his own pigs and chickens at home, I have always treat my Animals as 'stock' not pets they dont have names, I do handle them but dont play with the Animals they have never been pets too me apart from the Dogs.Ive kept show bantams, and foreign finches Turkeys, chickens for eggs Rabbits. I sold my familly home which was 4 generations old for health reasons the garden was an acre in size Since My great Grandfather bought it new in 1911. Animals for food were kept in the garden on and off till 2007, now I live in a bungalow and have over 100 breeding mice from show mice which im trying to breed to the standards of the NMC.I dont sell My Mice if anyone I know and trust and I know they will look after the Mice and are really interested I will give them some.So thats my interest Ive always been in a fancy of some kind and always bred Animals if an animal dies I dont cry or get upset but it doesnt mean I dont care I just have a different outlook and move on  .But I do sympathise in other people who have Animals as pets and get attached.


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## tinyhartmouseries

I love all of my mice, and all are named and cared for daily. I don't feel heartbroken if they pass in some natural or unpreventable way, I know that just leaves me with a bit more space for the next generation. I always am still a little sad to loose one but have come to terms with it.

I started breeding first to experience it, then quickly my goals became to improve the mice in my area and spread mice-as-pets awareness in my community. Litters that don't turn out well would be due to not pairing the parents properly, and the stronger mate would be re-mated with another mouse, or back bred. I do cull my litters, so I don't adopt out as often as I used to, but usually I find a responsible pet home for 1-2 babies from each litter and keep 2-3 for myself.


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## Wight Isle Stud

I have 70 boxes of mice , and probably 250 mice at the moment. Each mouse is looked at each day. Very rarely I will do a speed feed due to some social engagement, etc. Give me any mouse from my mousery and I will take it off you and put it back in the box it came from. I have my favorites. If a mouse dies it goes straight in the bin without a second thought. they are not named, they are looked after incredibly well. And no they are not for financial gain. Infact they are quite the reverse. Just my opinion.


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## AllieMouse

cjdelphi said:


> for me, if you can't spend time with all the mice you own or breed then you then its purely financial gain, all my mice are hand tame and i treat them all as pets the ownly downside is you get easily attached luckily mice are not like dogs keeping an extra is not going to cost you the earth more if you keep a few out of the liitter......


I'm glad to hear you make time for them individually.Many of these posts were as I thought they would be. I don't think I could ever be a breeder. I'm just way too attached to mice as individuals. I could never just throw a mouse in a bin if it died.

No offense meant, but if one is just breeding mice to feed snakes then why bother "breeding" at all? Are you searching for a specific standard in your mice or just using them as baby factories?


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## Matt Haslam

AllieMouse said:


> cjdelphi said:
> 
> 
> 
> No offense meant, but if one is just breeding mice to feed snakes then why bother "breeding" at all?
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> 
> 
> Breeding for snake food is to ensure quality food for your snake. Often commercially bred rodents have been fed inferior food and kept in less than adequete conditions.
> 
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> Are you searching for a specific standard in your mice or just using them as baby factories?
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

A lot of members on this forum are breeding for exhibition and therefore working towards a standard.

Personally, I breed in order to show my mice and therefore I am breeding to try and achieve a particular standard. My mice are livestock and they are managed as such with the overarching arm of breeding show inning mice.

I have a dog and a couple of guinea pigs as pets. I have a different relationship to my pets as to my livestock.

Its often a difference that is difficult for some people to understand.


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## AllieMouse

Shiprat said:


> AllieMouse said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> cjdelphi said:
> 
> 
> 
> No offense meant, but if one is just breeding mice to feed snakes then why bother "breeding" at all?
> 
> 
> 
> Breeding for snake food is to ensure quality food for your snake. Often commercially bred rodents have been fed inferior food and kept in less than adequete conditions.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Are you searching for a specific standard in your mice or just using them as baby factories?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
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> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> A lot of members on this forum are breeding for exhibition and therefore working towards a standard.
> 
> Personally, I breed in order to show my mice and therefore I am breeding to try and achieve a particular standard. My mice are livestock and they are managed as such with the overarching arm of breeding show inning mice.
> 
> I have a dog and a couple of guinea pigs as pets. I have a different relationship to my pets as to my livestock.
> 
> Its often a difference that is difficult for some people to understand.
Click to expand...

The "baby factory" question was actaully part 2 to the snake question. Do the feeders keep the mice that look the best and then use the rest as feeders?

Do you get money from shows or just prizes?

I understand the difference that you speak of; I was actually raised on a farm (Kentucky kid *^^*). I understand it, I just never _lived_ it I guess. All the animals my aunt owned seemed like pets to me, I was always sad when one of them had to go  I've always had a deep, deep sense of empathy for animals, even more-so than people. I always try to step into someone elses paws, or hoofs.

Please bear in mind that I'm not asking any of these questions to pass judgement on anybody, I'm just super curious about the breeding/feeding world, as I'm not a part of it.


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## Tinkers Mousery

i love breeding....allthough i dont breed any pet mice unless i know i have good homes for the babies. i also breed to show (allthough i am still new to it) i love watching the babies grow up seeing what they look like and if you have any problems.....trying ur best to overcome them so that u can help this little pink wriggly baby grow up to becoma a beautifull mouse. you get a real sence of achievement. i love all my mice and have names for most of them. allthough i do have over 60 mice so nameing them all is a bit tricky. i love each one in a different way and for different qualities that particular mouse posesses.

My favourite mouse is called sugar and id be lost without her. she is the first to greet me in the morning and the last one to go back in her cage at night. she will happily do the rounds with me going round feeding all the other mice usually perched on my shoulder or snuggled in the crease on the inside of ur arm where ur elbow is. she thinks she is a person rarther than a mouse and enjoyes spending as much time with me as i do with her!! Love her :love1 :love1


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## moustress

Breeding gives me the chance to learn and experiment, as well as being my main source of relaxation. Litters that give surprising results are a delight to me! I can't say I'm equally attached to each and every one of my meeces, but I give each of them the same care and consideration. I can't help but love mousie babies; I think they are the most precious little things I have ever seen outside of my own kids when they were newborn. I come from a farming background, so I know most of the difficulties that can arise, as well as knowing what to do about them.

About 25% of my mousies are treated as pets, having their own name, being known as little personalities, and not just animals. Handling young mousies and taming them to the hand is one of my favorite duties. It is so gratifying to have the trust of such tiny critters, and having them willing to crawl into my hand and sit and eat is just pure pleasure.

New litters of pinkies get first crack at attention, I never cull pinkies, and always try to help however I can to ensure that as many of them thrive and grow as is possible. If they need to be pts later in life, so be it. If I had time, I'd keep a snake as well, so there would be less waste, but that's probably never going to happen.

Every one of my mousies have their own distinct personalities, it seems, and I love watching them interact with each other in groups. Holding a willing mousie and cuddling and playing makes the rest of the world just kind of fade away, it even helps to reduce the pain of chronic arthritis and relieve the stress of day to day anxieties and worries. I look forward so much to the daily two or three hours I spend feeding and cleaning, etc.

Breeding animals is in my blood, both sides of my family were farmers, and while I did not live on a farm, I spent a lot of time in them, and the mousery smell takes me back, as it's like a barn full of tiny livestock. Mousies are a lot more cuddly than dairy cows, though cows can be pretty sweet too. I love the 'clean barn' smell in my mousery.

It grounds me spiritually to see mousies be born, grow up, live, play...and even most of the natural deaths that occur are a sort of sweetness that is hard to describe. It's important to me that my older mousies know they are loved and valued right up to the moment of their passing. I have been known to sit with a mousie in it's last hour, washing it's face, wetting its mouth, putting it's favorite treat under their snout, warming them next to my heart as they pass. I don't always get to do that, of course, but I have felt that many old meeces hold on until I can be there to say goodbye to them.

I am unapologetic about my deep love for the little things.


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## AllieMouse

Moustress = WIN


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## Matt Haslam

AllieMouse said:


> Moustress = WIN


didn't realise it was a competition?


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## AllieMouse

Shiprat said:


> AllieMouse said:
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> Moustress = WIN
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> 
> didn't realise it was a competition?
Click to expand...

what? i like what she said. moustress is a pure win.


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## SarahC

AllieMouse said:


> No offense meant, but if one is just breeding mice to feed snakes then why bother "breeding" at all? Are you searching for a specific standard in your mice or just using them as baby factories?


I don't understand this question at all. Where do you think the mice are coming from to feed the snakes, if not a product of breeding?Are you indicating that it's better not to dirty your own hands and more ethical to buy pre frozen because it's easier on the conscience?


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## Cait

My mice are as Gary said, stock, though they are well looked after of course. I also throw dead mice in the bin if I find that any have died of natural causes since the last time I fed, and any that I cull are frozen and used as snake food by someone I know. There are still mice that I am more fond of than others for whatever reason on occasions - they might be a good example of their variety, the achievement of a breeding goal, a section/show winner or sometimes just an oddball. The mice don't have names unless it's required for a Championship certificate but I don't see how that makes a difference - it's not like the mouse knows it has a name! That's one of those things that humans do for their own purposes, the same as we commercially manufacture 'houses' for the mice to sleep in when they are equally happy with an upturned box, pot or just a pile of bedding.


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## geordiesmice

I dont keep snakes but I would of thought breeding your own mice too feed them would be better at least you know where they have come from .Some of these frozen pinkies etc can have freezer burn on them what you buy they have been kept too long.Pet snakes have to be fed so why not breed them for that purpose.


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## SarahY

> if you can't spend time with all the mice you own or breed then you then its purely financial gain


 :lol: Breeding and exhibiting is expensive when done properly! In 2011 alone so far I have spent over £600 on petrol going to shows, bedding, food, sundries (like mite spray, fungal powder, etc) and some new lab cages! I've made no money back at all, except for £5 for winning Best Marked this weekend 



> When did you decide you wanted to breed mice and why? Do you feel differently about mice now that you breed them rather than have them as pets? Is it hard to be attached to them when you have so many?


I got my first breeding trio at the end of 2008. I breed mice to show and if I wasn't showing I wouldn't breed them. I love my mice dearly as a collective group but I don't get attached to any single one. They are stock, as others have said. That doesn't mean they don't get the best that I can give them though!



> if one is just breeding mice to feed snakes then why bother "breeding" at all?


It's really the same as raising and killing your own chickens or buying pre-killed battery birds to eat. If you raise your own food you know it has been kindly treated during its life, fed a suitable, healthy diet and killed quickly and humanely. The pre-killed frozen mice/rats/chicks are kept even worse than battery hens and I personally applaud anyone who is breeding healthy, ethically kept mice to feed their carnivorous pets.

Sarah xxx


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## AllieMouse

SarahC said:


> AllieMouse said:
> 
> 
> 
> No offense meant, but if one is just breeding mice to feed snakes then why bother "breeding" at all? Are you searching for a specific standard in your mice or just using them as baby factories?
> 
> 
> 
> I don't understand this question at all. Where do you think the mice are coming from to feed the snakes, if not a product of breeding?Are you indicating that it's better not to dirty your own hands and more ethical to buy pre frozen because it's easier on the conscience?
Click to expand...

Uh... no, that's not what I was indicating at all.

I think the question was very simple, but I'll _clarify_ it for you.

I want to know if (being that you feed the mice to snakes) you actually search for a certain standard in the mice you breed. To put it simply; Why "breed" (in the traditional sense) the mice if you're never going to see the mice again?

Because see, in my mind "breeding" means you are trying to customize mice by having a pair with fabulous traits mate and have fabulous babies. Traditionally, when people "breed" they are searching for desired physical/emotional traits, right?

I understand that you want your snake to eat healthy mice, but if you are a mouse "breeder", what is your process in discerning which mice to feed the snake? Do you just keep the ones that meet the breeding standard you are looking for and just feed the rest? Do you not discern at all, and just use _all _the mice as food (in which case, what is the point in "breeding" - searching for desired traits - when you just end up feeding them to the snake anyways?) If that's the case, then in that sense, _yes_, I consider that a "baby-factory" over traditional "breeding".

I can totally see how these questions could be taken offensively, but as I said before, I'm curious. There's no reason to get defensive and rip my head off over it. Take the answer Sarah Y just gave, for example. She knows what I'm trying to ask. She's not turning this into something it's not and I appreciate it.


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## WillowDragon

If you breed to feed, then you breed to feed. Full Stop. That is why they breed.

Me personally, I bred for show, I bred to standard. Litters were culled down to a sensible size, so that the babies left were the healthiest they can be and the mums kept in condition. Any adults that didn't reach my aims for show were either culled or given away as pets.
I also bred as I have a fasination for genetics.

I loved my mice as a whole, I used to regularly go and sit in my shed and just 'play' with my mice. My mice were stock, but all were hand tamed and perfectly lovely animals.
I would not 'sit and cuddle a mouse through its last hours' because quite frankly, thats doing nothing but make you feel better and letting the mouse suffer. If a mouse is sick past curing, cull it. The quickest and kindest way possible.

W xx


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## AllieMouse

WillowDragon said:


> If you breed to feed, then you breed to feed. Full Stop. That is why they breed.


Oh my god, thank you. That's *all* I needed to know.



WillowDragon said:


> I would not 'sit and cuddle a mouse through its last hours' because quite frankly, thats doing nothing but make you feel better and letting the mouse suffer. If a mouse is sick past curing, cull it. The quickest and kindest way possible.


That's not always an option unfortunately...  Up until Babydoll, I was able to take all my animals to the vet to go to sleep peacefully. Babydoll just went so suddenly, so quickly. We wouldn't have made it to the vet on time. I held her in my hand because I was the only one there; I didn't want her to go feeling lost and alone.


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## SarahY

> Because see, in my mind "breeding" means you are trying to customize mice by having a pair with fabulous traits mate and have fabulous babies. Traditionally, when people "breed" they are searching for desired physical/emotional traits, right?





> I understand that you want your snake to eat healthy mice, but if you are a mouse "breeder", what is your process in discerning which mice to feed the snake?


A feeder breeder just has different goals to a show breeder. They may breed for the biggest babies, the largest litters, the colours they like best, or simply to have a pretty variety of colours and markings from which to choose their next breeding mice. A lot of feeder breeders keep their breeding mice as pets and it may please them to have a variety of pretty mice.

Sarah xxx


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## moustress

Folks who breed both for color and type and for feeding often have distinct and separate populations of meeces, don't they? I wqouldn't feed a hand raised mousie to a snake, unless it was pre-killed. And healthy to start out with.


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## SarahY

Dunno, I don't know why people who show would keep pet mice just for breeding feeders? Might as well try and get some winners since you're breeding anyway! Just my opinion though, if I had carnivorous pets to feed I'd just breed a* lot *more Dutch 

Sarah xxx


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## moustress

How many babies do you need to get in order to find a Dutch suitable for competition?


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## AllieMouse

SarahY said:


> Dunno, I don't know why people who show would keep pet mice just for breeding feeders? Might as well try and get some winners since you're breeding anyway! Just my opinion though, if I had carnivorous pets to feed I'd just breed a* lot *more Dutch
> 
> Sarah xxx


That's exactly my point. That's why I asked about the feeder situation. In my mind it would be, "Oh this one's great, I don't think I'll be feeding this one." In that case I can see one "Breeding".
But if you just feed all the mice to snakes, what is the point in trying to find a great color or personality (the "breeders" goal)? I guess the whole "breeding for size and big litters" makes perfect sense in that case.


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## SarahC

AllieMouse said:


> AllieMouse said:
> 
> 
> 
> Uh... no, that's not what I was indicating at all.
> 
> Because see, in my mind "breeding" means you are trying to customize mice by having a pair with fabulous traits mate and have fabulous babies. Traditionally, when people "breed" they are searching for desired physical/emotional traits, right?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

pardon me for having the audacity to require further information and being so stupid as to not get the gist of this particular part of the question.The above is all the answer I required.No need to clarify further,I've more than got the gist of you now,thank you.


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## AllieMouse

SarahC said:


> pardon me for having the audacity to require further information and being so stupid as to not get the gist of this particular part of the question.The above is all the answer I required.No need to clarify further,I've more than got the gist of you now,thank you.


I don't think you're stupid at all. I do, however, think you were needlessly defensive to the question I originally asked, as your reply insinuated that I didn't know where the "mice are coming from" and also that I was criticizing your choice (a choice I happen to _concur_ with) to feed your own pinks rather than go the frozen route. I mean, seriously, re-read your post.



SarahC said:


> I don't understand this question at all. Where do you think the mice are coming from to feed the snakes, if not a product of breeding?Are you indicating that it's better not to dirty your own hands and more ethical to buy pre frozen because it's easier on the conscience?


My "_conscience_"? _Really_? ..._Why_? Why were you so angry?

I understand how things said online can be taken out of context. That being said, I stand by with what I said earlier in this situation.



AllieMouse said:


> I can totally see how these questions could be taken offensively, but as I said before, I'm curious. There's no reason to get defensive and rip my head off over it. Take the answer Sarah Y just gave, for example. She knows what I'm trying to ask. She's not turning this into something it's not and I appreciate it.


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## cjdelphi

From the cruelty aspect I can understand how allie feels i'm a Vegetarian and i'm not sure I could kill anything... as long as cruelty free methods are used and humanely done then I can understand breeders doing that for their reptiles, but i don't agree with it taking a life...

Think of it this way, Aliens land on the planet, the see us killing what's on the planet, then it's obviously fine to do so, and why not stick humans in cages and make them breed and use the babies to feed their young... same thing, obviously the aliens don't speak our language nor do we speak cow or chicken..... yet we kill them in the millions every day, if you suddenly found out that the animal was actually begging with you to not be killed.. would you still kill it? if you begged the alien to not kill you but did not understand it's fine for the Alien to slaughter you..

Not trying to start anything here, but what's the difference between Aliens farming humans for human meat over humans farming for cow or chicken....


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## Matt Haslam

cjdelphi said:


> Not trying to start anything here, but what's the difference between Aliens farming humans for human meat over humans farming for cow or chicken....


level of awareness??


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## Matt Haslam

sorry by that i mean, the chicken cow, whatever has no awareness that they are being bred to be killed, humans would be?

just my idea of what the difference would be given the hypothetical nature of the situation.


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## SarahY

Can everybody please calm down  I wouldn't want this thread to be locked and as long as everyone stays calm and objective there's no reason why an interesting ethics debate can't take place here. However, if this thread continues to escalate I will lock it.

Sarah xxx


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## cjdelphi

Well, let's suppose the Aliens kept each of us in an individual cell (like a prison) Bigger cells used for mating, we could be held there until it's your turn to go and be slaughtered, self aware does not enter it, you don't know what's going to happen to you in all honesty until it does..

I've seen geese go mental watching it's own brothers get murdered with a screw driver, they start crying and yelling and running they know they're next....


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## AllieMouse

cjdelphi said:


> Well, let's suppose the Aliens kept each of us in an individual cell (like a prison) Bigger cells used for mating, we could be held there until it's your turn to go and be slaughtered, self aware does not enter it, you don't know what's going to happen to you in all honesty until it does..
> 
> I've seen geese go mental watching it's own brothers get murdered with a screw driver, they start crying and yelling and running they know they're next....


It's so true. I agree. I feel it has nothing to do with "lack of awareness"; humans have the upper hand, yet choose to disrespect animals.


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## Matt Haslam

cjdelphi said:


> Well, let's suppose the Aliens kept each of us in an individual cell (like a prison) Bigger cells used for mating, we could be held there until it's your turn to go and be slaughtered, self aware does not enter it, you don't know what's going to happen to you in all honesty until it does..
> 
> I've seen geese go mental watching it's own brothers get murdered with a screw driver, they start crying and yelling and running they know they're next....


Gosg thats an awful thing to see.

On the alien thing. Humans are seperated from animals in their abilty to deduce and theorise, also seperated emotionally apparantly. We have sense of past present and future, which many animals do not (granted animalks have historical response systems).

I would speculate that in the situation you described we would deduce the abnormality of our situation and would need a more psychlogical orientated method of control as complex as 'The Matrix'


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## Matt Haslam

AllieMouse said:


> cjdelphi said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, let's suppose the Aliens kept each of us in an individual cell (like a prison) Bigger cells used for mating, we could be held there until it's your turn to go and be slaughtered, self aware does not enter it, you don't know what's going to happen to you in all honesty until it does..
> 
> I've seen geese go mental watching it's own brothers get murdered with a screw driver, they start crying and yelling and running they know they're next....
> 
> 
> 
> It's so true. I agree. I feel it has nothing to do with "lack of awareness"; human have the upper hand, yet choose to disrespect animals.
Click to expand...

yes it is unfortunate that their are people who neglect and abuse defensless creatures.


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## geordiesmice

Someone who kills a goose with a screwdriver wants putting in jail for a long time .


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## cjdelphi

It's not against the law to kill your own birds for consumption.... At least i don't believe it is here anyway...


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## Matt Haslam

cjdelphi said:


> It's not against the law to kill your own birds for consumption.... At least i don't believe it is here anyway...


but if deemed inhumane, you would be liable for a fine or an order or a custodial in Britain at least, not sure about your side of the world.


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## SarahC

[/quote]

I asked you a polite question to understand what you were getting at,the clue was in the phrase I don't understand and you've done nothing but rant since.Just a straight answer would have been fine.I don't keep reptiles so have no need to be defensive about the feeding of pinks,no persons view on it from any angle makes any personal difference to me.


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## WillowDragon

Okay... can somebody PLEASE tell me how a thread about breeding mice has turned into a thread about killing geese with screwdrivers and Aliens eating us???


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## Matt Haslam

WillowDragon said:


> Okay... can somebody PLEASE tell me how a thread about breeding mice has turned into a thread about killing geese with screwdrivers and Aliens eating us???


PMSL, quality!!!!!!


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## geordiesmice

An alien wouldnt eat me willowdragon I have too many grisly bits  im not mentioning screwdrivers because the discussion will go awol again lol, its the sun ive been sitting out in it all afternoon dreaming about feeding mice complan stabbing geese and aliens that eat mice fanciers.It is good we can all have a laugh isnt it


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## Matt Haslam

geordiesmice said:


> An alien wouldnt eat me willowdragon I have too many grisly bits  im not mentioning screwdrivers because the discussion will go awol again lol, its the sun ive been sitting out in it all afternoon dreaming about feeding mice complan stabbing geese and mice fancying eating aliens.It is good we can all have a laugh isnt it


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## WillowDragon

'Has visions of giant alien mice eating geese with screwdrivers'


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## Kallan

Aha, but are the geese or the screwdrivers doing the breeding? :twisted:


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## WillowDragon

I bet it would be so cool breeding screwdrivers... hmm... maybe I should look into what that would entail!


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## AllieMouse

WillowDragon said:


> I bet it would be so cool breeding screwdrivers... hmm... maybe I should look into what that would entail!


Would you breed phillips or flatheads?


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## WillowDragon

I would have to look into the genetics of both to see whether I could get the appropriate stock... but the idea of crossbreeding and trying to develop a new breed of screwdriver would greatly interest me.


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## Cait

Would you branch out into other tools such as pliers or is better for a novice to stick to just one kind of tool? :lol:


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## JayneAlison

And if you have lots of tools would that make you a Jack of all trades??


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## The Village Mousery

lol wtf and you thought is was wierd the breeding going from killing geese with screwdrivers lol


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## WillowDragon

MouseBreeder said:


> Would you branch out into other tools such as pliers or is better for a novice to stick to just one kind of tool? :lol:


Honestly, I think to start with I would definately stick to the one variety of tool, so I could devote all my efforts into crossbreeding to develop my dream variety... 'The Sonic Screwdriver'


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## Kallan

ZOMG! Yes! Would really love to own one of those... if you manage to establish a decent line, could i maybe buy some off you? :mrgreen:


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## moustress

*mwhahaha*

*MWHAHAHA*

At last my destiny has been revealed!

ps anyone want free pronto robotomy? goose optional, ducks accepted gladly

eyeamduckingdaisshyou


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## geordiesmice




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## Kallan

I don't know about breeding broom handles... I hear they can be a bit... well, wooden.

Edit: Aw, you changed your post  Well I let mine stand :lol:


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## AllieMouse

WillowDragon said:


> I would have to look into the genetics of both to see whether I could get the appropriate stock... but the idea of crossbreeding and trying to develop a new breed of screwdriver would greatly interest me.


I imagine the tip of a cross-breed would look alot like this ------> *

maybe this -----> $

What about the feeders? What animals eat screwdrivers??


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## moustress

Electric drills eat screwdrivers, I though... 

Are we having fun yet?


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## Anne

wtf?? :shock:


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## Matt Haslam

Back on topic:

What is Breeding Like?

Breeding is like a box of chocolates....


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## cjdelphi

how's a box of chocolates anything like... I always carefully select the one i want according to the description on the box, how does everyone else do it? I don't want to end up with hard fudge when I can pick a nice Strawberry Cream!


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## WillowDragon

Breeding is like having a box of chocolates without the little piece of paper that tells you what the flavours are!!

You have to learn how to recognise what it is you want, without accidently ending up with the fudge!!


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## Autumn2005

AllieMouse said:


> WillowDragon said:
> 
> 
> 
> I bet it would be so cool breeding screwdrivers... hmm... maybe I should look into what that would entail!
> 
> 
> 
> Would you breed phillips or flatheads?
Click to expand...

Sonic screwdrivers, of course!


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## Autumn2005

SarahY said:


> Because see, in my mind "breeding" means you are trying to customize mice by having a pair with fabulous traits mate and have fabulous babies. Traditionally, when people "breed" they are searching for desired physical/emotional traits, right?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I understand that you want your snake to eat healthy mice, but if you are a mouse "breeder", what is your process in discerning which mice to feed the snake?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> A feeder breeder just has different goals to a show breeder. They may breed for the biggest babies, the largest litters, the colours they like best, or simply to have a pretty variety of colours and markings from which to choose their next breeding mice. A lot of feeder breeders keep their breeding mice as pets and it may please them to have a variety of pretty mice.
> 
> Sarah xxx
Click to expand...

Yes, this is me exactly. I'm a feeder breeder, and the way I choose which I feed is based on color (pretty much anything chocolate based, not PE), coat type (satin), maternal ability (not umpteen babies, but fewer, large healthy ones), and temperament. If you bite me, you're getting fed to the snake first--! I'm actually hoping to start showing in pet classes this summer. My eventual goal would be to cross with some show type, to improve my type of mice. I'm not into serious show, but I still think of my "breeding" as improving my tiny stock of mice. I put time into selecting my parents, not just throw together any old mouse to make more babies.


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## Laigaie

This is also very much me. I'm largely a feeder breeder, and because of that I keep a wide variety of coat types and colors. It's a hobby, not to adhere to any sort of standards (except to strive toward the GSE) as do the show breeders, but to generate a plethora of beautiful healthy mice. I try not to keep two mice of the same gender and genetics. For me, there's no point. The folks that get feeders from me don't pick them out, except to ask for a certain size. My keepers are all named, loved, and handled and cuddled daily. Breeding feeders is nothing more than an excuse to breed; there's no profit in it.


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