# How many females per a cage?



## mousefan (Nov 3, 2012)

I hope this is the right place to post this question,
But I was wondering if female mice were very territorial, here's what I thought:

If you have a giant (say 40 gallon) bin where you kept all your females, and you chose the ones with best temperament/coloration to breed in separate smaller bins.
This question may sound kinda dumb, but I think it might work....
Need opinions!


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

I have no idea how much 40 gallon is, so I can't give you a number. But a group of females can be relatively big as long as they get along well. And does usually do. Bucks are the territorial ones. So yes, your theory could work.


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## mousefan (Nov 3, 2012)

I mean if you put a stranger in with the rest of the group, would they attack her?


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## andypandy29us (Aug 10, 2012)

I have a 2 foot by 1 foot cages from pets at home and I have 8 female mice in there who live quite happily all together ... they have a couple of squabbles but nothing other than who's turn it is in the wheel  I have 5 in the other cage and am getting a couple more next weekend to add into there. I will clean the cage and put them in together when its all clean and not smelling like anyone  and they will all be fine


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

When you're introducing a new mouse to an already existing group, you do it in a neutral environment (100% clean cage for example). Very rarely it goes wrong if done correctly.


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## mousefan (Nov 3, 2012)

Thanks!
Those are just the answers I wanted!


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## firestarter (Jun 30, 2010)

also the younger the mouse the better in my exp


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## mousefan (Nov 3, 2012)

It would be neat to have a female colony...


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I keep a female colony in a 20L (you want tanks to be not much higher than 12" to let the ammonia vent), and have had 11 in there with no problems. I do find that colony breeding requires a sparser colony--my girls in the 20 won't cycle unless I've got 6 or fewer. As far as keeping them in there when they're not pregnant/trying to get pregnant/with pups, if you had a sufficiently large breeder tank, I read once that all-female colonies of up to 24 work out okay. They don't like lots of open space, but a few wheels, multiple water bottles and food bowls, and lots of houses (I use a big colander that the wife melted a hole into, and chinchilla balls cracked in half), and they do quite well in large groups. The will seem to "attack" new does, but are usually establishing dominance schemes. Pecking order, if you will.  My understanding is that larger groups can become unstable when more than one doe insists on being at the top of the pecking order.


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## mousefan (Nov 3, 2012)

I have a few 20L tanks, but most are 35 gal bins


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

What matters really isn't the volume so much as the floor space. 2sqft is a 20L, so that gives you somewhere to start.


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## mousefan (Nov 3, 2012)

Yeah, I agree. the footprint is more important than volume. my 35 gallon bins are only a foot tall


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