# Keeping a large colony?



## genevie

I've been thinking of possibly adapting a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft cage to be suitable for mice, to house an all-female colony. However, I'm not sure:

1. How many females a space that size should potentially house?
2. Whether it would be too much space for a group of any size, considering how some rodents will claim small territories in a large cage leading to fights?
3. Whether a mixed sex colony would be better? Considering how prolifically they breed, and how males don't tend to get along, I can't see this being the case, but I thought I'd throw it in there anyway.

Any suggestions on this idea? It's not something I would definitely do, just something I've been thinking about.


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## DaisyTailsMousery

I have a huge 50 gallon aquarium (4.5 ft X 2 ft) and I put retired/just weaned/and resting does in there. I've had up to 20 with no problems with fighting. I haven't tried it with males mixed in, but females can live in pretty large groups without issue.


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## TwitchingWhiskers

I agree with Daisy, I have had success with large doe groups. Do be prepared to separate dominant or just trouble making does; I had one dominant one that appeared to make the others uncomfortable once, and separating her did the trick. I don't do more than one buck to a cage, the risks are too high for me. I've heard many success stories and I'm sure someone will come along who has had it work with two or more bucks. Although for me, every time I think of the situation of one being killed, I feel very uneasy; and that stops me from ever trying.

By the way Daisy, that 50gal must be a mousie heaven!


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## DaisyTailsMousery

They love it! I fill it up with branches and toilet rolls and hide treats in it and they're the happiest little things


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## TwitchingWhiskers

Yeah, when I had my retired does they got a lot of popsicle stick buildings. They had a 56 quart tub, and I thought that was big! :lol:


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## Seafolly

You're tempting me to use the 100 gallon I have, haha. Snag is there's no lid and I have a mouse-oriented cat. What substrate do you use?


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## fancyteddy1

Personally, I think that keeping males with males or does with males is an awful idea; unless you're breeding and have intentionally paired a male with a female. There is no advantage at all to keeping male/male pairs or female/male pairs unless you are breeding. In fact, it's dangerous.

Do an all female group, but as others have said, have other housing prepared for some individuals who are more dominant or who don't get along with others. Thefunmouse.com has a good "cage calculator" that I like to go by, which will give you an idea about how many mice you can house comfortably in one area. I've always gone by it, and have yet to have a problem. Don't forget to introduce them properly, on neutral territory


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## Seafolly

I missed the option of a mixed group! That's definitely a recipe for a mouse population explosion...not sure what the benefit is to that at all, I agree!


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## TwitchingWhiskers

Well said fancyteddy!

Yes, definitely never mix sexes unless you have carefully planned the breedings. As I have already said opinions vary on bucks together, but my short answer is no.


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## pro-petz

As stated by others never mixed colonies unless planned breeding, large colony of bucks also varies depending on temperament of the bucks some will socialise happily for many months but personally found when they approach maturity problems start arising. Larger colonies of does unless you have really bad dominant does should not pose too much of a problem.

Downside of larger colonies is the rapid transfer of any ailments they may get and if you place all your does in the one colony it may be a total disaster for breeding plans if one gets a serious transmittable illness. I personally limit the size of the colony to a max of 20 and mix the does so that not all from one line are housed together for the above reason.


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## WoodWitch

I use a colony breeding method for some of my mice and it works very well in my experience. I remove pregnant does so that litter chomping doesn't happen (it's quite common with colony breeding). It IS a breeding method for me though. If you were to keep a mixed colony the female to male ratio must be great.


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## silverdawn92

Mice don't really need a huge amount of space as long as they have stuff to do. I have a little over ten mice in a fifteen gallon and 7 gerbils with about ten mice in a ten. They all seem happy and occupied with just climbing on the cages and each other. They make their own fun by piling up bedding and digging under it and popping out at each other, it's so cute. My mice are inventive little things.


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## Laigaie

I also keep a colony of feeder mice like this as well, with a single buck to between 4-10 does in a 20L. When we hit 11 does in the tank, the does stopped cycling. I pull does as they become visibly pregnant so that they can litter alone in 5s. The does actually get along much better with no buck in the tank. The largest all-doe colony group I've heard of working out long-term was 24.


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