# I didn't intend on being a breeder. Yet here I am.



## FurMomma101

Hello, everyone! I'm new here. I'm also new to the world of mice. I bought two mice early in April for my kid sister. She ended up not loving them so much, saying they were to small and fast. So my husband and I brought them home. About two weeks ago one of them gave birth to eight little pinkies. They're adorable! I've been doing TONS of research! Both of the adult does care for the babies. So there are no worried there. It's hard to handle the babies right now since they are in the popcorn stage, but I do hold them each day. Still having a hard time telling which are male and which are female. But I will try more when they are three weeks. Sorry this has been all over the place. And I hope it is okay to be apart of the community on here even though I'm not a true breeder. But I just know this will be the best place to get advice as I raise these 8 little babies to be as tame as possible. Who knows maybe I will want another litter of them someday! But for now I'm taking it one day at a time.


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## Laigaie

Hi! Glad to see you!

Don't worry about not being a "true breeder". There are plenty of pet owners here, too. What do your moms and babies look like? We always love pictures.


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## FurMomma101

Thank you!

The mom is a gray color with very small white markings on her back. The other doe is albino. The babies, four are gray (two grays have white markings), and four are albino. No idea what they are officially, but once I post photos you guys can take some guesses!


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## FurMomma101

Here are some babies!


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## FurMomma101

One of the baby albinos!


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## FurMomma101

One of the grays, with white markings!


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## FurMomma101

Their new escape proof cage.  (Mesh top, just took it off for the photos.)


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## FurMomma101

I would like to add that this tub cage is only temporary. I plan to get a tank for them.


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## FurMomma101

These photos are HORRIBLE, but here is moma.


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## FurMomma101

One more of momma.


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## FurMomma101

Sorry for so many photos, last one I promise. Two babies.


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## NikiP

Welcome! Actually, tubs really aren't bad to use  Just use some mesh on the top & drill holes so you can hang a bottle, & presto! I like them because the lids are easier/quicker to lock down then screen top aquariums.


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## ThatCertainGlow

Welcome to the forum! Being a breeder is not a requirement. It's more to warn someone, accustomed to pet only concepts, that the people here ARE doing that. 

No guesses from me on the mice. I can only clearly see the pink eyed white (albino), which wasn't the unknown color.  Sorry about that. Eye-color on the 'grey' mice would make a difference in identification, as well.

The little wire item that they are nesting in, what was that originally? Looks pretty cool. You do know that many people have had success making full-time cages from large storage bins?

Although often they are clear bins. Bins are lighter in weight than glass for cleaning. Just throwing that out as an option. I also like them for the better methods of creating air flow, so they don't get as stuffy. 'Stuffy' would obviously depend on your usual local weather. I'm accustomed to humid and hot.

Didn't mean to turn this into a advert for your local storage bin, and wire sales place! Hope you continue to enjoy your mice, and from everything I've read, what you are doing should produce tame pets. 

*Edit* Hehe, not alone in the bin advert.


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## SarahC

were the picture of the mother taken before this litter?If not she looks pregnant again :shock:


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## FurMomma101

Thanks for the tips, everyone! Yea, I knew about the bins being good for cages. I just want a different bin (clear/a tad bigger.)  That photo of the mom was taken after babies were born. But I only have two female mice, so I think she is just a chunker! Unless the pet store sold me a doe and buck mistakingly! :O I really hope not! Again wanted to thank everyone. When I get better photos I will upload them.


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## SarahC

the shape looks pregnant rather than chunky ,I'd take the other mouse out if I were you because if it is a male he'll mate her again as soon as the second litter is born and a third lot will follow.Hope I'm wrong and it's just the unclear picture.


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## FurMomma101

Oh, and the cage looking thing, that is their nesting area and it came off a hamster cage.  it was the top part of the cage, connected by a tube. It is removable because it doubles as a carrier. They seem to love it!


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## FurMomma101

Do you think mom will get stressed or depressed once I move the other adult mouse? The other adult mouse mothers the babies. Do bucks do this also? Now I am super worried! :O


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## SarahC

Bucks share the parenting,live perfectly happy with their offspring and spend time in the nest.The problem is getting over run.


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## SarahC

the mother won't get stressed and you can reintroduce the other mouse later if it is female(I'm very doubtful).If it's male you are stuck with a singleton who will have to live alone unless you want to continue breeding.


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## FurMomma101

Wow, I am so glad I posted those photos! Thank you so much! I will remove the albino adult ASAP! I don't want anymore litters right now! Also, a quick question. I was going to get a 20 gallon tank or a clear bin. But what size bin is good?


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## Seafolly

Given the time frame I wondered if one might be male. :/ If you manage to get photos of the adult in question's nether regions we can tell you for sure.

As for bin size, bigger the better. Eight babies and momma will take up room as they grow older. Google cage calculator for mice and that should tell you! (I can't link the one I have in mind)


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## NikiP

I'd pick up each, grab a hold at the base of the tail gently, & take a look.

http://www.fancymice.info/sexing.htm


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## FurMomma101

Thanks guys. I will try and get photos for your alls help. I have looked at several photos and still can't seem to tell them apart.


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## NikiP

Also, you'll want to figure out the sexing stuff before the babies hit 4wks as you'll want to have them separated at that point. Otherwise you'll have more mice then you know what to do with!


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## Laigaie

I'd actually disagree with "bigger is better". Mice really don't like large open spaces, to be honest. For a single litter with momma, 10G should be plenty of space. If you want to keep most of your does with their mum (6+ total mice) past that time, you'll probably want to upgrade to the 20L. Dad (or any male mouse) will live happily alone in a 5G (some use smaller) size. Personally, I find that bucks are generally sweeter because they socialize with you instead of other mice.


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## Seafolly

Oh my comment derived from keeping one of my does with four of her daughters in a 10 gallon tank. When an adopter came along and adopted three girls, she emailed me a few weeks later to let me know they had grown quite a lot (and were about 10 weeks at the time of adoption). Mine had too! The food was ample so I worried I had overcrowded. So I guess I meant in the instance that they all were staying together.


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## Cait

I have to say that my first thought at seeing the photo of mum was that she looked pregnant again. Unfortunately pet stores often sell mis-sexed or pregnant mice, so it really wouldn't be a surprise if you have a buck and a doe. As has been said, if you have a clear container, glass or plastic, that you can put the 'albino' mouse in and take a photo from underneath we can tell you if it's a buck or a doe. It would need to be a clear picture though.


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## FurMomma101

Thanks guys! I do have a hamster cage to put the albino in. I really hate that he is male. As far as the babies go, I will be keeping around 3-4 females. What other females are left will be going to my mom. Any males I will have to buy more bins for. If Bambi (momma) is pregnant again I will have to rehome them all. I will try to get those photos soon for you guys.


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## ThatCertainGlow

Please do post the pictures, because your white mouse isn't guaranteed to be male. I have a doe that looked pregnant up until her litter turned 3.5 weeks, or 4 weeks. That was with 6 babies. Your girl is nursing 8! Take a few, so that the one you post is really clear.

Usually adult males have something very obvious back there that hangs down, when viewed level from the side. Like when he is perched to eat. Take a close look at him when he's calm, and eating. You would be looking for that, in a smaller version, on your baby males later, for final confirmation of gender.


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## FurMomma101

Thanks for tips! It is super hard with the adults because they were never socialized to humans from what I can tell. I have held the albino several times but he/she is a little jumpy/wild. Momma is even worse. I've been letting them sniff my hand as it lays in the cage with them. This has been weeks of work, but I am being very patient with them. When I get good enough photos I will post ASAP! My camera USB cord is messed up right now. So sadly I have to use my iPod to take the photos.


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