[WillowDragon]

I have a litter of mice that don't seem to be growing properly!! They didn't have the best start in life with terrible mums, so I fostered them off and they have improved dramactically, they are not skinny, there fur is good and they seem perfectly in proportion, except that they are so darn small for their age!!

The parents were big and very typey, so i was expecting decently sized bubs from them. Do you think they have been stunted because of the poor care they got from thier mums in the first week? Or could it be genetic?

I'm keeping them, they aren't sick, and I would be interested to see at what size they stop growing.

Willow xx

 

[SarahY]

For the most part their adult size is set in their genes, husbandry on the part of the breeder and their mother determines how fast they get there. So as long as they are healthy there's no reason they wouldn't grow up to the right size, it just might take them a bit longer!

Sarah xxx

 

[moustress]

It's a puzzle to me as well when this happens, and it just happens I have a litter like this right now. the mother is a nice big girlie, but doesn't seem all that interested in staying in the nest, so the babies look a bit dehydrated and much smaller than they ought to be at a bit over a week old. They've got their fur in, and I'm going to try to get them taking solid food ground and mixed with milk replacer for kittens.

There are so many things that could happen in utero and postnatally; I don't think it's possible to know for certain. It could be a health problem with the doe affecting the hormones that stimulate milk production. I'm glad to hear the babies are doing better. I've had meeces who were tiny and slow to develop that grew to full size anyway, and with very little difference in ultimate maturity. Some of my lines don't reach full size, in any case, at the same point in time as other lines.

 

[WillowDragon]

This is the biggest, an 20 day old female non-satin:

And this is her next to an 11 day old bub who's eyes haven't opened yet:

This is the smallest, an 18 day old male satin:

This is him next to the same 11 day old bub:

Thats how small they are!! :shock:

Willow xx

 

[moustress]

Other than smallness, the only thing I'd be concerned about is her coat, which looks rough, but is that from a molt? I'm not sure when babies molt.

 

[WillowDragon]

She is scrunched up a bit because i took her out of a nice warm nest to pose for me lol

My mice do tend to get slightly longer coats as babies, which i am assuming is because they aren't kept in my house but in an insulated shed, but then they generally 'grow into' their coats as adults hehe But they do go through a stage of looking a bit scruffy, i'm not worried about that, aslong as it doesn't stick around when she becomes an adult.

I believe the first proper molt for a mouse is about 5 weeks old?

Willow xx