# Interested in breeding, where to start?



## Tora (Jan 2, 2014)

I've been interesting in breeding mice for almost two years now. I read up on breeding and would love to start, but I'm 15 1/2 and my mom doesn't want to breed mice because she doesn't want to cull or give the mice up as snake food. I'm in the process of softening her up, but what would be a good place to start? I still have to get a buck but, I have a PEW doe, an Agouti doe, a broken marked black doe, and a, well, I'm not sure what to call her, but she is white with peachy/apricot patches... Any advice? Thanks!


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

The hardest part is what you will do with the babies, in most places mice are not popular pets and especially bucks who will mostlikley need housing seperate once mature. 
If you can't find anything to do with the babies don't breed.
Culling comes in handy here as you can reduce the litter with in the first few days to remove the harder to rehome boys, then if your left with does you can't rehome there is less of a problem as they can live together. Then again if you have left over older babies that for whatever reason u can't keep. (Like fighting bucks)

Having a good use for culled mice makes some feel better about it. Many give/sell the culled mice as food so they don't get wasted and are used to keep another an.so alive with out any stress to the mouse as it was humanly killed before you sold it.
Also lurning about diffrent methods and how they work can help as when people don't understand something they can have a negative opyion of it. No one method will suite all so finding one your happy with is important.

There are people who breed with out culling, I use to untill I was overrun after a few litters and had bucks fighting, I started having a friend cull for me but as I started breeding more I decided I should do it myself. I also saw a massive diffrence in the condition of the babies after I started culling.
So if you found a reptile owner or feeder breeder who humanely kills the mice befor feeding they may take yours off your hands, so u dont have to cull yourself. Not all feeder breeders are bad, there are some very good ones count there. I've given excess stock to a local feeder breeder I know, I like his methods and he likes my show typy mice to add size to his.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

If u do try breeding a litter I'd go with the black pied doe, PEW and agouti seem the least wanted colour for pets I'd asume as agouti looks like wild mice and albino can freak people out.


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## Tora (Jan 2, 2014)

Ok thank you! I know what you mean by the Agoutis and PEWs not being very wanted, I often see them in the feeder bins at the PETCO up the road from me. If I bred her with a standard broken black who also carries blue and long hair genes, do you think I might get a blue or two in the litter? Thanks!


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## Lyra (Mar 1, 2013)

PPVallhunds said:


> If u do try breeding a litter I'd go with the black pied doe, PEW and agouti seem the least wanted colour for pets I'd asume as agouti looks like wild mice and albino can freak people out.


I agree. Besides, it looks like people like pied mice more since their random patterns make each one look different from another.

You should really consider what to do with mice you can't keep. It is entirely possible to have a male only litter (I had once, and it was a litter of 7!), and as finding bucks new owners is very hard, without culling you may have to keep them all, every one of them in different cage.

The result of this litter depends on whether the doe carries blue or not. If she does, 25% of the litter can be blue.

Good luck with your plans!


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## Tora (Jan 2, 2014)

Lyra said:


> PPVallhunds said:
> 
> 
> > If u do try breeding a litter I'd go with the black pied doe, PEW and agouti seem the least wanted colour for pets I'd asume as agouti looks like wild mice and albino can freak people out.
> ...


The doe does carry blue and longhair like the buck I want to buy from a breeder in my area and I have plenty of cages for the extra males in case I can't find homes for them. If my mom lets me get the buck then I can't wait to see if I can get at least one blue. If/when I do and the litter is born pics will definitely be posted on at least a weekly basis! 
I also have at least four homes with my neighbors because they were all mouse owners at one point (one reason why I have mice now x3). Thanks for the help!


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

I was going to suggest the same thing, if you're unable to cull yourself, find a reliable source (like someone with snakes, or a wild life rescue). When I first got started, I had a friend come over to give me support, & after that I was able to do it on my own.

Do you have anyone local to you where you can get some starter stock? It sure is easier when you know what you're getting & don't have to put it up to chance!


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## Tora (Jan 2, 2014)

Yea the buck, maybe two bucks, I'm hopefully getting(begging my mom xD) are from a good breeder and the 2 does I plan on ever using for breeding are from one of the breeders I knew before she moved out to California. I won't be breeding to perfect my lines, only know that I can sell mice to my friends that have a higher chance of living longer than a pet store mouse. But thanks for all the great advice you guys!


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## Tora (Jan 2, 2014)

This is the doe, Possum, that I want to breed... I don't have any pics of the buck yet, but he looks a lot like her.


here is the other one I might consider breeding, sister of Possum.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

If he doe and the buck both carry blue you have a 25% chance of getting blues


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Breed some gingers!!!!


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## Teenybits (Jun 3, 2016)

PPVallhunds said:


> Not all feeder breeders are bad, there are some very good ones count there. I've given excess stock to a local feeder breeder I know, I like his methods and he likes my show typy mice to add size to his.


Hi PPVallhunds, what are his methods? I am new in this forum and I have tons of questions.  But I want to learn so that I do the best to produce good stock in sanitary, health, nutrition which will benefit all my animals and me


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