# Should I keep them together or not?



## NexivRed (Nov 8, 2015)

Hi all.

I currently have an 8 day old litter being cared for by mum and a nanny. The nanny is (hopefully) around 11 days pregnant herself. I would like your opinions on whether I should leave her in the tank with the other mother and her then 2-3 week old babies, or if I should separate her before she delivers.
She's been a fantastic nanny, she covers them in the nest more often than the mum does I think! I also think she might be feeding them. Both does are getting a pregnancy/nursing diet.

I guess one of the reasons I'm asking for advice is because, since nannying, this doe has become more skittish. She seems very overprotective of the babies in a nervous sort of way, whereas mum is still her usual self, happy to come to my hand and be scooped up. I would obviously hate for any munching to occur, especially of the current litter as 99% of the babies are already spoken for. However I'm wondering if the skittish mum might benefit from having the other mum help her out. Also there would be the process of reintroducing them to each other, how would I go about that.

What would you do in my situation? Thank you.


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## Zamwyn (Apr 29, 2015)

As for re-introducing does (with or w/o their litters?), I'd do as with introducing new mice; let them meet at a neutral place (play area perhaps) and then put them into either a new or at least well cleaned cage.


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## will1966 (Jun 1, 2015)

if you have the room I separate them and looking at the litters I have just had it was worth it.

I separated two pregnant does three days before their due date and both gave birth spot on.

Both had a round 10 babies and everything was fine.

I went in the shed yesterday fore morning checks and one of the does had culled her litter.

I have to question if they had been together would the whole two litters have gone.

Its a well discussed problem but I always separate that is my preference.


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## AmallMousery (Apr 2, 2016)

I would separate them for the sake of the original litter. If the second doe gets 'messy' with her litter and is living with the first doe, than there could be poor consequences for the first litter. If their is an experienced mother spare perhaps you could try introducing her to the second mother as a nanny? Or alternatively, if the 2nd mother is hard-core struggling, as a final resource you could introduce the pups into the first mother-but I would only do this if the mother had began culling and I believed that she would continue (for example if she is culling and hasn't ate the pups for nutrients, this is often a useful sign). Hope this helps!


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

When in doubt, separate.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

I'll be the odd one out, if they were mine I'd leave them together depending on litter size.
If she was fine with this litter I wouldn't be concerned with her munching when she has hers as I find if they are munchers they will munch any litter they are in with.
I personaly don't like having lone does on litters. As for the skittishness I've had a doe who went like that every time she was with babies, she kept moving them too. Kind of a paranoid mother, so I stopped breeding her as I don't consider that a good mother myself.

The issue you will have though is having the bigger babies who although they will be eating solids they will still nurse so you have the issue of bigger babies in a nest with smaller babies. Bigger litters this can be a big issue leading to the smaller ones being pushed out and starving, but with smaller litters (4-5) this isn't much of a problem with two does feeding.


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