How to Breed Mice

There are people who breed mice for different purposes, usually to either sell them off to laboratories for scientific experiments or produce new breeds from bringing together two different kinds.

These can then also be sold off as pets which many kids and adults keep in their homes, being as easy as a hamster or a guinea pig to take care of. In order to get it right one must do his/her research on breeding mice first and foremost.

To be able to breed mice faster, it would be advisable to put together a couple of separate cages for each mating pair, so that each one has her own space to give birth to the litter.

Do not place does among one another after each one has been impregnated, since it can be too much of a pain for mothers to keep track of their young ones. It can cause them to turn aggressive and can also lead to overcrowding of the litters.

A doe's gestation period falls between about 18-20 days where each doe will have her own cycle when it comes to this. Some doe can give birth in fewer days than others, while some can take longer than 20 days to conceive.

They take about six days to become officially pregnant where mating must be done after she has aged over 3 months. If done before this period, the female's growth will be hindered and her litter will be put at risk with complications during birth. To ensure that she is strong enough to take on a pregnancy, a doe must only mate after she turns 3 months old.

You'll need about 4 does in a cage with only one male mouse present, to help select among the four as to which one he mates with. Do not place the mice in the opposite positions of four males against one female since this can lead to fights to out do the others, in order to mate with the doe.

Once the male mouse has made his choice, you can separate the two on the 14th day so that she can have her own area to eat, drink and eventually give birth. Keeping the male with her would only lead him to harm the litter, so it is best that they are kept separately post the 14th day into her pregnancy.

It is important not to allow the female next to the male after she has given birth, since she can be sexually active and ready to mate again within 14 - 28 hours. This would lead to yet another pregnancy while coping with the young that had already been previously conceived.

Feeding them and dealing with a pregnancy at the same time can prove to be quite unnerving for the doe. Avoid male contact until the offspring are able to cope without her as the weeks progress.

Do not disturb the young, once they are born. You'll need to wait for at least four days before you can handle them, since the doe can get agitated and turn on her offspring out of fright. If your doe is used to your company and senses that you are someone she can trust, then you can approach her and the offspring without worrying about her turning violent.

Food has to be provided at all times including plenteous water supply. The litter will consist of a large number of babies although this can differ from one doe to another. The older it gets the lesser the bulk of the litter over time. Food has to contain high traces of protein and fats for both the pregnant mother and for the babies once they start to wean.

When mating two mice together it is advisable to choose a male and a female mouse based on their temperaments since the young will inherit these as they age. Mixing two coat colors to come up with something new and experimental can be done, although research on which kinds can be matched together is important.

Avoid breeding mice that have defects and health issues, since this can hamper the health of a future offspring. When breeding them you need to be sure that you have a place to keep them all, and have interested buyers. Pet stores may buy them to feed reptiles so you're better off option would be to sell them as pets or to labs that deal with gentle testing.

Breeding mice is simple, although it does take a lot of knowledge exploration on your part before trying out a venture of this sort. Keep cages clean and disinfected to avoid any diseases from settling into the mice. Keep them in well ventilated rooms and away from direct sunlight with ample nesting materials like hay and straw for the mice and their young.