# Junebug's litter



## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

She gave birth to only one pup, is that normal for mice? I thought there were expose to be 4-6 pups in each litter. Or at least two? What should I do to get bigger litters??


----------



## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

If this is Junebugs first litter like most first litters they are usually fewer in number 4 - 6 young is an average and as you will know to obtain that average has been done over many mice some only having one or two and others having 10+. Single pups is not uncommon a healthy diet will increase the number of young as will age of the mouse.

I think I read somewhere many years ago that one of the vitamin B`s increased fertility in most animals, nevre tested it at the time to se if it made any difference so can not advise any further, I do give all my mice a vitamin supplement added to the water once a week and pure cod liver oil soaked food once a week and found that I produce 8 pups per litter from all does aged 3 months to 8.5 months, plus offering new born babies milk daily from a month prior to pairing to 4 weeks after weaning.


----------



## GibblyGiblets (Oct 2, 2011)

pro-petz said:


> If this is Junebugs first litter like most first litters they are usually fewer in number 4 - 6 young is an average


I guess none of my mice ever got that memo xD most of my mouses first litters are HUGE usually 9 + babies :shock:


----------



## pro-petz (Nov 14, 2012)

GibblyGiblets you should stop your mice from watching none educational programmes on the tv, I did a study of it on gerbils years ago and the results usually came out as first litters small increasing with age, that study was done in a very lab style method with set humidity, lighting basic diet no treats etc and no vitamin supplements, which is not the way I would normally treat any of my animals as the extra fruit and veg I think may have altered the results. The study was done with 100 trios of gerbils over a 5 year term.

Pity I had to leave those premises to work elsewhere and lost all that space that I could have used for mice now. (Bad boss dying without giving any notice).


----------



## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

GibblyGiblets said:


> pro-petz said:
> 
> 
> > If this is Junebugs first litter like most first litters they are usually fewer in number 4 - 6 young is an average
> ...


Haha same here! First litters are, (excluding Xia) always 10+ here for me


----------



## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

Okay so I should up her diet. The pup seems to be healthy he is pretty big for a day old, he's going to be a strong one


----------



## WoodWitch (Oct 18, 2009)

Just because there was only one baby found does not mean there were not more to start with. Did she look as big as your mothers' that have more? It's common enough for first time mothers to chomp away a few babies before their maternal instinct kicks in. Watch the baby's progress as with only one it may not be enough to stimulate milk production. I hope they do well


----------



## DaisyTailsMousery (Nov 8, 2012)

Tippy only had one baby and she turned out fine. I don't know if she only had one or if she had more and culled down to one, but she is happy and healthy and I am hoping that I get more than one from her this time.


----------



## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

I don't believe she killed any other babies, and my other mom's also had relatively small litter 2-4 pups in each. I had to move Junebugs tank today and switch around everyone..was that a mistake, because I feel like she is now ignoring her baby?


----------



## DaisyTailsMousery (Nov 8, 2012)

wait a few hours and see if she has a milk belly. If she does, then it's fine. I've never had a doe eat her babies before just from moving a tank around. She should be fine unless she's super skittish or something.


----------



## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

Milk belly? Is it just wear you can see the teats of the mom a little better? From nursing.


----------



## DaisyTailsMousery (Nov 8, 2012)

The baby I mean. Lol lift up the baby and if you can see a white band in its belly that means moms feeding it. I have a habit of calling baby mice "her" because Solly was a girl.


----------



## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

Oh, haha thought u were talking about the mom lol, okay and I think I see one lol  He looks better


----------



## Winnie (Dec 15, 2012)

Junebug's definitely my favorite of your mice- can we have pics of the new baby?


----------



## Mc.Macki Mice (Nov 24, 2012)

Yea I wont have any resents, I never got around to it, but I have to get home first I'm up in NY for vacation time.


----------

