# Introducing two larges does with small doe



## seawitch (Dec 22, 2014)

Hi there! First post, overall new to mice-keeping.

So I recently acquired a small fancy mouse that was sold as a "hopper" feeder. Luckily the snake it was going to be fed to wasn't hungry and my friend allowed me to take her home. That was about a week ago, and since then I have her in a 30 gallon with aspen and appropriate food and water. Doing some research, I realize it's really important for them to have at least one or two other females to socialize with. So I picked up two other does who are full grown (nothing smaller was available), but I was told that the small one should be fine with the larger two.

I took my time introducing one each into the tank with the small one, but once both were in, there was some evident chasing and it seemed like they ganged up on the smaller one. So I took them both out, and put one back in after everyone settled, and she immediately went back to bullying. Now they're all separated until I can get some advice.

So my main question is, am I wasting my time trying to introduce two adults with a hopper? And if it CAN be safely done, how should I be approaching this? Because I can tell I'm not doing it right.  Thanks!


----------



## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

I think it will work but maybe you need to raise the little girl up a bit longer.


----------



## Fluffnstuff (Nov 29, 2014)

I suspect you may have too much space, ironic as that may sound. Especially if that 30 gallon isn't cluttered with tubes, boxes, and small places to hide.

I introduced a tiny, tiny, hopper whose eyes were just barely open to my existing girls with no issues. I just made sure the tank was completely clean and there were lots of places to hide. There was some chasing and a little squeaking but very quickly everyone settled down into a nestbox together and it was done.

So, that's my advice. Thoroughly clean of the tank (and furnishings), rearrange everything, lots of places to hide and downgrade if you can, size wise. Don't give them enough space to establish separate territories.


----------



## seawitch (Dec 22, 2014)

Thanks for the advice! I will rearrange some cages and eventually use a 15 gal. As it is, I've been working on one of the larger gals and the hopper by putting them in my tub and monitoring their interaction. I want to wait a bit for the smallest to get a bit larger before trying a cage together again. But I do have one more question!

Sometimes it seems like the large doe is attacking the hoppers genital area, and she starts squeaking loudly. I've been interfering when this happens, but is this something I should let happen, or is it actually aggressive like I think? Thanks again!


----------



## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

Have you double checked all are female?

Give the tank a good clean to remove scents and put in lots of hides like toilet roll tubes so that they can break the line of sight if needed.

Has there been any injuries? It could be the bigger doe is just sniffing her genitals and she is freaking out over it, some of mine do that but once they sit still and shut up the other does sniff them then walk off.

If no injuries I'd make up a tank for them scatter food about with lots of hides and leave then over night, they will need to sort out who's who and should all be settled by the next day.


----------

