[Wilko]

I've got 5 does (2 Fawn LH, one called Duchess who is the mother of the other Fawn LH, 1 Dove tan, 1 Dove, 1 Chocolate) and 1 buck (Champagne Tan Satin) called Gaston, and 2 days ago I put 2 does - the daughter Fawn LH and the Dove in Gaston's cage.
Today I've had to faff with pulling out damp sawdust twice from Gaston's cage as they piled the sawdust ontop of the water bottle spout and get everything damp. But after checking just now the Fawn LH doe had blood on the side of her face (though no visable injury anywhere), so I've split Gaston back into his own cage (an old ferplast, mostly plastic cage), put the unharmed Dove doe into the 64L RUB with the other 3 does, and put the injured Fawn LH doe into a seperate wire cage with wooden cat litter as a substrate.
I don't know if Gaston or the Dove doe inflicted the injury (which seems to have been pretty minor), but I did hear fighting/squeaks when I had all 5 does in the 64L. I never managed to see who was actually fighting, but I suspect it was the Dove does... but again can't identify who because their really distinguishing marks are on their bellys... but should I split the Dove (not tan) from the rest of the group, just in case? I just have a 35L glass tank left as a possible mouse cage.
I was hoping to keep the Fawn LH and Dove in the same cage through pregnancy, birth etc, (and put in Duchess as a nanny as she's too old to breed) but I'm guessing it's best to keep the Dove seperate incase she's the one being aggressive?

I don't know what's best to do - I'm running out of room for cages XD Oh and I know sawdust isn't the best substrate for mice, but it was all I had yesterday when I cleaned Gaston and the does out. I do have wood based cat litter now though.

 

[moustress]

You need to sit and watch what's going on so you know who is/are the trouble makers. The wood based cat litter might be based on pine, which would not be good. Try shredded black and white newsprint. It's ugly, but it's cheap. I ond't know where you live, but in my neck of the woods there are a lot of free 'news'-papers for the taking in many locations.

The thing with piling up stuff and wicking the water is pretty typical mousie behavior. Raise the water bottle so they can get it it with a little effort, but no lower than that. Use a smaller water bottle; that might help as well.

 

[Wilko]

Okay, I'll mouse watch during the evenings when they're most active. Trouble is that when I have been watching and hearing angry squeaks they've been fighting in their beds/shredded paper towl bedding so I still can't see who's fighting XD Once I've pinpointed who's starting the fights I'll remove them immediately. Don't want any more injured mice if I can help it :/

Typical, it is pine based wooden cat litter =_= I'll see if I can find free newspapers then lol

The behavior is fine, it's just that the design of the cage has the waterbottle inside and quite low down I've substited a small water bottle and taken out some of the substrate for now.

 

[moustress]

Sounds good.

 

[Wilko]

Well, it's definitely the Dove doe, I caught her harassing Duchess the older Fawn LH. I think I'll call the Dove doe "Stroppy Lil Miss" XD

 

[moustress]

For some reason, I've had more problems with champagne, dove, and beige does being nasty to cagemates. I wonder if anyone else has had this same experience?

 

[CatWoman]

Typical, it is pine based wooden cat litter =_= I'll see if I can find free newspapers then lol

If it's a formulation of pelleted wood cat litter (Feline Pine or the generic equivalents), then it's perfectly safe for the mice.

If it's something like CedarFresh or other granular or scoopable wood formulations, then obviously not safe, for oh so many reasons..

 

[Stina]

Agreed CatWoman. Pelleted pine based beddings are perfectly safe. The pelleting process removes the harmful oils from the wood. I use pine pellets meant as horse bedding for my mice and rats......its about $6 for a 40 lb bag at Tractor Supply....cheap, super absorbant, and fabulous odor control.

 

[Megzilla]

When I manage to get a new bulk bale substrate for my mice, i'll bag some up and send it off your way For now, try aspen? I've resorted to ordering some from reptech (the guy knows I have plenty of mice and advised me on the cheapest) and the mice seem to love it! You must have some lying around somewhere xx

 

[CatWoman]

There's a hardwood floor manufacturing plant near me and they pelletize their leftover sawdust for use in wood pellet burning stoves. I've been using a mixture of red and white oak pellets for several months, which I prefer over pine. But, for many years I was rotating through pine when the stores here sold out of heating pellets for the season. I don't notice much of a difference between the hardwood and softwood with the mice, but I notice a HUUUUUGE difference with my cats. And, I get the 40lb bags for $4 each, which is really hard to beat because it lasts so long.

 

[Wilko]

Yay thanks for all the replys - I was pretty sure that pelleted wooden cat litter was fine. Has anyone got any tips on trying to get everyone to play nice? I know about reintroducing them in the bath, and using proper vanilla extract to make everyone smell the same.

 

[zigable]

I have a doe who seemed to fight consistantly with the other does, never causing injury but certainly causing serious cuffuffle. She has a sister who gets on fine with everyone else so what I did was eat two tubs of ice cream (best bit over with) then wash out the tubs and convert them into nest boxes. The stroppy doe hopped in her own and the others took the other one, she eventually learned that it was warmer and happier to share and now all get along famously.

 

[moustress]

Oooh, lordie, don't you just hate the thing you have to do sometimes in the interest of your meeces?! Ice cream! the very thought...and then you have to let them have the container as well! Harummph!