# is it a good idea for me to breed my mice?



## tigress17 (Mar 12, 2013)

i have 2 does. one is chocolate, and one is a tri color. that's all i really know, since i'm new to this. i was thinking about breeding them both with a brindle buck, but i'd like to know a few things first. one, i'd like to know if it would be a good idea, and second, i'd really like to know some possible coat variations from the pairings. any insight would be greatly appreciated.


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## candycorn (Oct 31, 2011)

Age of your girls? Where did they come from? If you use a brindle buck you can get brindle babies...but without knowing what genes any of these mice carry that is all I can say. Probably you would get agouti and black.


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## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

Before breeding have you got homes for any unwanted offspring that you are not going to keep that is the priority question.

Have you got extra enclosures for the offspring including extras in case the males need to be separated into individual enclosures.

If you have those then there is no reason not to breed.


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## tigress17 (Mar 12, 2013)

these r just pet store mice, but from what i can tell they have very good genetics. i just needed to know if these pairings would create some undesirable coat colors. i do have a couple people wanting bucks, so they will b leaving when they r weaned, and i hope to keep most of the girls, or at least 2 of them. they will all have great homes


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## TwitchingWhiskers (Feb 2, 2013)

There are so many things to think about before breeding. Like candycorn said, how old are the does, because most breeders won't breed does that are under 3 months old. The mice's health is a very important factor; are they done with quarantine yet?

Culling of litters is practiced by many fanciers, because it greatly benefits both mum and babies, I will go into detail upon request. You will have to figure out if you are going to cull the litter down if there are more than 8 babies; or if you are going to try to find pet homes for them (very hard). Breeding two does can EASILY result in 20+ mice, and if you fail to cull or find homes for those mice, you will have to house, feed and care for those 20 mice. You have to learn how to properly sex baby mice. If you fail to correctly sex them, you could end up with accidental litters, and even more mice. What happens if your doe has birthing complications? Would you be ready to do home euthanasia, or would you take her to the vet? It is always a good idea to know as much as you can before bringing baby animals into this world. Why do you want to breed mice in the first place?

As for what colors, do you know what your mice are genetically? Would you be able to post pictures of your mice? I would be very shocked if you got a true tri color from a pet shop, and am expecting a picture of a pied tan.


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## tigress17 (Mar 12, 2013)

we r definitely going to cull them down. the does r definitely over 3 months, and all of the mice r in great health. as for the tri i am sure u r right, but a breeder told me she was a tri so thats what i've been calling her. she is white and tan with a greyish spot on her hind end. although i would b upset to lose the girls, i am prepared for the possible outcomes. i want to start breeding for a few reasons: 1. the owner of the buck bought me the does, and he asked for some pinkies for his snake, cuz he bought does, but they r too small still 2. another friend of mine wanted me to pair the brindle buck with my "tri colored" because he wants the pups, and 3. i would like a couple more does for myself, and to hopefully get a few really nice coats from the mix. dont have pics at the moment.


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## Seafolly (Mar 13, 2012)

Make sure they're not too old either. For a first litter it may not be wise if they're older than 6 months (so pregnant by five months-ish). If you're breeding for a snake, bear in mind they probably shouldn't have more than two litters given you don't know their backgrounds. My mice are only bred once as the foundation mice are from a pet store thus I don't wish to push my luck with their health. Just my personal choice.

Be prepared for these people (especially number two) to back out. What's he going to do with multiple mice...? (question for you, you don't have to actually answer it) It doesn't sound like culling will be ideal with all those needs but bear in mind it's better for the mum and the litter.

If you're prepared to take responsibility for all the lives (as mentioned, I'd guess minimum 20) and ensure they're humanely euthanized if needed, it seems okay. It's tough for us to tell you what's a good idea for you. And definitely double check with us what's humane. There are many misconceptions out there.


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

tigress17 said:


> i want to start breeding for a few reasons: 1. the owner of the buck bought me the does, and he asked for some pinkies for his snake, cuz he bought does, but they r too small still 2. another friend of mine wanted me to pair the brindle buck with my "tri colored" because he wants the pups, and 3. i would like a couple more does for myself, and to hopefully get a few really nice coats from the mix. dont have pics at the moment.


I find it odd that your first two reasons boil down to 'other people want me to'. Only do it if you want to, and if you'd be just as happy to breed if it weren't for those other people.


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