# Winter Breeding



## ian (Oct 3, 2008)

Why will my little buggers not breed during winter? They did the same thing last year. I keep them in a brick build garage, its pretty cold but they sont lose condition, I double their feed allowance, give them warm water and lots of extra bedding but still no babies appear between November and February. It makes me very nervous that I might lose all my bloodlines if they get too old while I;m waiting for weather to improve.

Any ideas?


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## m137b (Sep 22, 2010)

Do they have supplemental lighting? I'm one of the few over here who keeps mine outside, but so long as they have light they keep breeding for me.


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## WoodWitch (Oct 18, 2009)

Oh dear, I remember you having the same problem last year.

Do you attribute this to the very low temperatures we've been having?
I know that some breeders on here will argue that the extremes of our British weather have little effect in their sheds, but it's all about what works best for YOU.

Have you considered a mini heater to take the edge off?
I use one and it's full steam ahead in my shed.

I hope that baby mice appear very soon for you!

xx


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

I thought mice prefer it dark, that is why some breeders keep them in proper wooden mice boxes where it is dark.Im sure I read this on the mouse club website under ''For the newcomers''.If its too cold they wont bother too breed , I have had no problem with breeding mine are all in the house with a large window if thy need light, heating is on though day and night ticking over.I dont have a shed Myself the mice are all in tanks on shelves I let them get on with it.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

Mice do prefer the darkness, but like all mammals they have endocrine glands in their brain which respond to the amount of daylight they sense (this is commonly called the "Circadian rhythm"). If mice sense that there isn't enough light, they won't breed because their brain tells their bodies that not enough light means not enough plants growing, which thus means not enough food for them. It's their way of conserving as much energy as possible. As long as the light schedules are adequate and bright enough (even if they sleep through it all day!) they will breed regardless of the temperature.


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## m137b (Sep 22, 2010)

I knew someone would know the tech speak for it. I've used the same theory in practice for 19 years with my rabbitry, no light in the winter, no babies, so we have 24 hour florescents and so long as the moms pull enough fur we get pretty winter ears.

I keep the same cold proof florescents in the mouse room, and they're breeding like it's springtime.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Ian, I would try both. My mice have no extra light but the daylight that comes in through the window, except for half an hour at 23:30 when it's feeding time. They are in my house, which means that the temperature is stable and fairly warm. I have no problems producing litters.

Light levels do affect hormones in a big way, for instance it's the shorter days not the cold that stimulate animals to grow their winter coat, but a mouse that is putting all her resources and energy into keeping warm will not have any spare for pregnancy and nursing.

For the sake of producing babies and not letting your stud die out I would suggest increasing the heat _and_ put a light on for 12 hours a day 

Sarah xxx


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## ian (Oct 3, 2008)

Im going to have to get some cables wired up down to the garage, shame its so far away from the house. It does have a window so they get natural light but no supplemented light or heat at the moment. What sort of ligthing would I need, proper uv or just the normal bulb (filament?)


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## IrisheaglesOne (Dec 4, 2010)

I also read somewhere that the type of light(natural vs. fluorescent vs. filament) makes a difference in breeding. Is this true?


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## HemlockStud (Apr 26, 2009)

IrisheaglesOne said:


> I also read somewhere that the type of light(natural vs. fluorescent vs. filament) makes a difference in breeding. Is this true?


The different kinds of lighting can affect the gender ratios you get in a litter. Florescents cause more females, natural about 50/50, and regular incandescent cause more males. This has proven true in my stock and also a few others I know of.


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

Mine have been breeding no prolem I had litters born Christmas Eve The Mice have there own room in the house ordinary low energy light bulb and the heating is on all the time as Mum is poorly but not turned high in the rodent room. Mice prefer somewhat subdued lighting anyway there not full on light lovers.I get a mixture of genders in the litters, I read about reptiles and Crocodiles in particular have a temperature dependent sex determination below 89.1F there males above 94.1 F females .So do light factors determine the mouses Gender?


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

My mousies are in the dark pretty much all the time except when I'm in there. They do get a space heater, though, and I have about a half a dozen does waddling around waiting to throw their litters.


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## geordiesmice (Oct 26, 2010)

I bet your excited Moustress I hope you get lots of lovely healthy pups.


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