# Minimum Breeding Age



## Varsettie (Mar 24, 2014)

In the respected opinion of the many educated people on this forum/board what is the minimum age a female and male mouse should be bred? I've heard that for females 6-8 months is okay from some and from others I have heard that they prefer only breeding females after about one year and only until they're two years old. I've heard from some that with males 8 months is okay and from others who begin breeding them at 4 months old. I'm wondering if breeding a male or female under a certain recommended age would impact their offspring negatively?

I'm trying to use this information to buy myself another pet mouse as one of mine recently passed away from an unknown problem. I bought her from a local breeder but she passed at barely a year old. The closest thing I could find symptom wise when I Googled was bad breeding which explained the kinks in her tail and her strange posture. The vet couldn't find anything illness-wise either. So to avoid that kind of heartache and helplessness again I'm trying to gather information and learn how to tell the real breeders from the ones who breed irresponsibly. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks for your time!


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Wht the heck. Females at 12 weeks old and males around then to. 2 years???? Some mice are fed and they are all/almost elderly.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

ideally a female should have had her first litter by 16 weeks and be finished by 6/8 months.That's natures design.In captivity you can stretch the breeding age out longer but it's still a fact that younger animals,preferably above 8 weeks and under 6 months produce the healthiest offspring.I'm amazed that a doe much above a year could get pregnant and I'd expect the quality of the offspring to be poor.2 years old would be cruel to the doe and anyone giving out such advice is providing very poor information that could and most likely will cause suffering.Bucks can breed through out there lives ,no need to worry about them being to young.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

ive hurd those ages befopr but only from breeders abroard in euroup. they say its to make sure the mice dont have a health problem and can live to a long age befopr breeding but as Sarah has said its best to breed when an aimal is fit and young and as mice dont live that long most are out of condition by a year and all the ones i kept as pets were lucky to make it to a ear and still be in good condition if they did.
Also i think they have a diffrent view on breeding over there as ive been told they frown on breeding certain colours and inbreeding too.


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## Lyra (Mar 1, 2013)

PPVallhunds said:


> ive hurd those ages befopr but only from breeders abroard in euroup. they say its to make sure the mice dont have a health problem and can live to a long age befopr breeding but as Sarah has said its best to breed when an aimal is fit and young and as mice dont live that long most are out of condition by a year and all the ones i kept as pets were lucky to make it to a ear and still be in good condition if they did.
> Also i think they have a diffrent view on breeding over there as ive been told they frown on breeding certain colours and inbreeding too.


That's true about different view, though I'm not sure if anyone breeds does that old - I've had problems with breeding does at 8-9 months (different males, no litters), and I know that breeders have to retire does after they are 12 months old.


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## andypandy29us (Aug 10, 2012)

mine have their first litter at 12 weeks and then they get a few months rest and then have a second litter and then I retire them


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Keep this forum up because im breeding a 8 week old. For more details look on my forum Whats happening with my mice


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Miceandmore64 said:


> Keep this forum up because im breeding a 8 week old. For more details look on my forum Whats happening with my mice


I didn't understand that post, can you reiterate?

I would normally say that mice should be bred after 12 weeks (a few exceptions 10 weeks but not many).


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## Varsettie (Mar 24, 2014)

And this is why I asked this question! Obviously I had been fed some bad info, and now I know better! Thanks a lot for all the responses!


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

I meant that I have paired a 8 week old doe with her mother and a buck. For more detailed post view the bottom of my forum where it says about Gaia and Georgia.
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=25682


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Ah I see, thank you for explaining. In my opinion 8 weeks is too young to breed a doe as she hasn't finished growing herself yet. Nothing to be done about it now if you have already paired your young doe up with a buck, but worth thinking about for the future.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

common sense needs to be applied.There are differences between exhibition,lab ,feeder and pet mice.I paired this mouse and her sister yesterday at 8 weeks.If I wait for 12 weeks I'll be lucky to get anything.The long haired mice I had who hailed from a feeder breeder background were small fit and prolific breezing through motherhood.Common sense and know your animals and if you don't know them or have a lot of experience stick to the 12 weeks.








getting overweight already.


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Also I sort of had to do it. We have little to none mice in pet shops right now and we believe there may have been an outbreak in diseases here. I own 2 females and 1 male (keepers) so I really badly needed to keep some stock that I know the lines of (a bit anyway). Stupid RI :-/ yes I understand she is still growing but if needed (I can cull) or if they both have small litters then merge them together for the one doe (if no more than 10 babies)


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

SarahC said:


> common sense needs to be applied.There are differences between exhibition,lab ,feeder and pet mice.


This is the sort of exception I was thinking of. As Sarah says common sense is needed.


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

I have common sense


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