[Benjamin]

Do mice miscarry?

I had, two trios of black's together for 3 weeks with no visible signs of pregnancy in either of the 4 females, so in an effort to entice them along a bit I swapped the bucks over on monday (4th) - this seemed to get them fired up and they spent lots of time sniffing the 'business' end and attempting to mount. But this morning I was greeted with blood soaked bedding and shavings in one of the cages - none of the mice are injured so I can only assume one of the females miscarried?

Any ideas?

 

[ian]

I have heard that pregnant females can sometimes reabsorb if they come into contact with a new buck, I suppose this is in order to become reimpregnanted by a more attractive male if one comes along. I dont know if it happens far enough into the pregnancy to cause a miscarriage.

Have you checked the bucks scrotum for teeth marks that seems to be a key target for reluctant does?

 

[Cait]

I would guess that all animals can miscarry, however again like other animals they would have to expel the dead babies or the female would die from infection or other complications. It may be that they would eat the babies though, as they do with stillborns etc. If everyone seems healthy then don't worry too much, just keep an eye on them and leave them in the groups they're in.

 

[Benjamin]

Wow this forum is great - always such fast and helpful responses - Thank you

Ian - thankfully the little fella is all in one piece :thumbuo

I will do as mousebreeder suggests and not attemp to swap bucks again any time soon - I would assume she will come into season again now she has potentially miscarried

 

[Cait]

Just wanted to add that I don't think that it's because you swapped bucks if it was a miscarriage. I think they can only abort due to the presence of another more dominant male in the early stages, at which time they'd rebsorb rather than expel the foetuses. That's just my opinion though, I have read a little in the past on the subject area but not specifically about miscarriage.

 

[Benjamin]

Thanks mousebreeder - I'm just glad they all seem fine.

Who ever said mice breed easily was obviously in lala land - I don't know what Im doing wrong - can you get mouse IVF? :?

 

[Cait]

:lol:

You're right, sometimes they breed really well, then sometimes you get a period where they refuse to produce many litters in certain varieties :roll: Welcome to mouse breeding ha ha...

 

[ian]

I'm having the same issues with my blacks, even the proven bucks aren't doing their job any more. It's very frustrating as some of my does are getting older and have been in with the bucks for over a month already.

 

[Cait]

I have some does that I got from another breeder that have been in with different bucks for almost 3 months and still no pregnancies. I'll be honest, I have given up on them which is a shame because they are lovely big typey mice. My only option now is to replace them with new fresh young stock.

Though as Sarah (C) will probably agree, the bigger selfs seem to get to a point and just stop reproducing well, as if it's a side effect of their size. I have also heard that certain lines of show blacks have a problem reproducing Ian, so depending on where you got yours that may be related. The solution may be a buck from a different source.

 

[ian]

I have brought in a new buck and there is a hint of a belly bulge in one of the does he has been with so I have my fingers crossed. Soon I'm going to have to put all of the black does in with my big blue stud buck, just to make sure they have their first litters while they are still able to.

 

[dangermouse]

ohh lots of babies then ian....

 

[Benjamin]

It's not just me then

After what I said yesterday - I just noticed today that two of my blue does and one of the Black does seem to be a little bigger, I've got my fingers crossed that they are pregnant and its just not me being deluded :roll: