[nofinga911]

I have 10 bin set up with 1 male and 3 females. After about a week I have removed the females. Now can I keep all the pregnant females together in a big tank? Or do I have to have a separate bin for every individual mouse I have?

 

[Cait]

The bucks will have to be kept separate from each other or they will fight, but you can have more than one pregnant doe litter together. Just bear in mind how much room you will need for the young to grow on when deciding how many to put in each cage you have.

 

[Kallan]

Following on from this... How do pregnant females handle the change from being in a group to being by themselves? Do you need to interact with them more to keep them happy?

 

[moustress]

Leaving the does together may make it difficult knowing which babies came from which doe. You could wait until a doe is showing before giving her a separate tank. I think they'd be all right; just give them stuff to build a nest ball and a little new stuff each day; that'll keep the doe occupied and help her instincts kick in. Usually does who litter together get along just fine but on occasion if one litters days before the others there can be jealousy resulting in mousenapping, which is hard on the babies. I'd just keep a close eye on the does when they are nearing their delivery so you can intervene if necessary. Removing a doe and her new babies to a fresh tank, or the ones still pregnant, shouldn't be a problem either. I'd watch out for your fingies, though, as the new and expectant moms can get nippish.

 

[Cait]

Removing a doe and her new babies to a fresh tank, or the ones still pregnant, shouldn't be a problem either. I'd watch out for your fingies, though, as the new and expectant moms can get nippish.

I disagree with this - I would really recommend against moving a litter of newborns unless absolutely necessary. Why would you risk it? No wonder they nip you, they are trying to defend themselves and their new babies! Mine never nip, full stop.

To answer Kallan's question above, single mothers do fine alone wihout extra handling (they are kept very busy by their babies) but I have 2 or more does litter together 99.9% of the time and like it that way. The does can share the work and aren't as drained afterwards.

 

[moustress]

Of course one wouldn't disturb the new mom and her babies without a good reason. I didn't mean to imply anything else. One could also move the ones that haven't delivered and leave the mom and babies where they are. My mousie moms have never bit me as they are used to having my hand on them from the time they are one day old. The only time within recent memory that I've been bitten at all was a young mousie (five weeks) who was being rehoused and had to bite me three times before he broke the skin; didn't work, as I try not to let go of a mousie in that situation as it teaches them that biting is a strategy for getting loose.

I'd be very careful handling a new mom or her babies if she was raised in some else's mousery and wasn't used to me. On the other hand, if I thought there was a health or safety issue, I'd not hesitate.