# Single Baby?



## MouseMaid (Apr 7, 2015)

One of my does has just had a "litter" of one pup - at least I'm assuming she only had one as there's no sign that she had more and culled. But I've never heard of a mouse just having one - does it happen? The pup is doing really well, and is 3 days old. Unfortunately I'm fairly sure it's a boy, but c'est la vie! She's with him most of the time and seems pretty attentive. If she'd had a larger litter and culled most of them, would she have left only one and then been really attentive to him? I'd be grateful if anyone could shed some light on this, it's got me scratching my head!

This is the first time she's been bred.


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

It happens, yes  it could be that she had more and left no trace, but it' does happen that they only get one baby. He's gonna be a big boy  
If she did have more than that one, it was either too stressful for her or something was wrong with them. It might be they were dead already. But I would assume she only had that one.


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## MouseMaid (Apr 7, 2015)

Thanks for the reply. That's reassuring, glad I asked  Fingers crossed it was just that she had one (no trace of blood, at least, not enough to suggest that she'd eaten a lot of babies) - I only have two does of this colour so it would be a bit of a disaster if it turns out she's a baby muncher


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## micurious (Nov 7, 2015)

I've seen it happen a couple times in lab mice and the same pairs will often go on to have the usual litter of seven. As far as I can tell, it's random. I guess I would just take note of it and keep an eye out to see if small litters happen more often with that particular buck and doe. That's gonna be one spoiled baby! :lol:


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## MouseMaid (Apr 7, 2015)

Ah, it'll be interesting to see what happens with her in future then. I'm new to breeding (could you guess?! lol) but I'm keeping detailed notes on everything, including her weight the day before she gave birth, so I might mate her back to the same buck next time just to see if anything changes.

Haha, he definitely is... I'm still holding out hope that I'm wrong and he's a she. I'll take another look today


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## MouseMaid (Apr 7, 2015)

Sad to say that when I checked today, there was no sign of the pup. I'm pretty shocked as he was/would have been two weeks old today, so I would have thought well past the being eaten stage. Guess it just goes to show.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

When I've seen pups devoured that late in life, it tends to be either due to a lack of food or water, or following the death of the pup(s) in question. I'm sorry about your little one.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

one baby often fails to make it to weaning.The does milk dries up through lack of stimulation .That is a good reason not to cull a litter at birth.Wait for a few days for a larger litter to stimulate milk production and then start reducing so the remaining young reap the milk that was meant for many mouths.


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## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

I've never had problems with litters of one or two, due to lack of milk. I know it happens, but from my experience it's not common.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

singletons failing are a common occurence in both rabbits and mice for me.Already lost my first rabbit litter of they year,a single baby.Followed by a litter of four,all thriving.Not at all rare in my experience.


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