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Not Mothering

3K views 12 replies 4 participants last post by  Jack Garcia 
#1 ·
My mouse Dakota recently had a litter. It seems like she's never with it and nearly every time I look into the cage, she's eating. I am really worried (I am a worry wart). Is her behavior normal? Will the litter turn out well? I am sorry if I am bugging people. This site is full of experienced mice breeders though.
 
#5 ·
I have done that once, and that is why I'm worried. She was removed into a container (not to mention put around the corned so she couldn't see the nest at all) and I opened up the nest. Her nest is all weaved, so I nearly destroyed it in whole. When I checked them they had milk bellies though. I probably should stop worrying, but that's just me.
 
#7 ·
I give the mother a treat as a sort of bribe or payment for the priviledge of poking about it the nest ball. You really should handle the babies when they are two or three days old to get them used to The Hand. It's very rare for a doe to get upset enough to do anything to the babies after the first few days, in any case.
 
#10 ·
Yeah, this is the girl that I was freaking out about. I watched her for about twenty minutes and noticed that she goes, eats and drinks, and returns to the nest for five minutes and then repeats, so she is being a good mommy. I looked in the nest in 'exchange' of cooked rice (she was removed before I opened the nest). I had to dig a little bit to find the pups, but as soon as I put her back in she ran and checked on her babies, as well as restoring her nest, then restarted her cycle. She had I believe 9, though I couldn't really tell where one started and where it ended, but they were wiggling and squeaking, so their healthy. They did have milk bellies, so of course, she is actually a good mommy.
 
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