breeding mice for food

[grannykins]

Been thinking about this, particularly in the breeding season when just pinkies or fuzzies are needed in numbers. Its impractical to just order pinks online, and I dont live near any of the wholesale outlets.
What size of breeding group of multi mammates is best to start with to try it out, and what kind of accomadation do they need e.g. size of tank, how many it will hold etc. Do the males have to be kept seperately, and how soon do you seperate the babies if growing them on. I've reseached a co2 chamber, and think I could cope with that. Any advice would be welcome.

[saxon]

Hi,

Multi pinks are a good bit bigger than mice pinks if it's mice pinks you're needing!!!!

It would work out cheaper with what you have to breed your own food I think.

With multi's i use 42ltr RUB's with mesh panels.
I keep them in trios and they breed every 28 days or so.
I leave the male in 24/7 as if you take him out the females can be aggressive when you put him back in.
Bear in mind multi's dont' breed until after 3 months old sometimes 4 months.
If you're growing on multi's you can leae them in with the parents but it's best to take them out at about 4-5 weeks so the other litters can be fed without being squashed by the older babies again I move the gorwing on's to another 42 ltr RUB.

I use a CO2 chamber and I've quickly got used to the idea of having to cull the rodents. Just make sure you dont' get attached to any of them or you will end up keeping more than you cull!!!!!!!

[grannykins]

Thanks. How many mice do you keep, and how many 'food items' do they provide for you?

[saxon]

I have about 32 boxes with normal mice in now.
Most will have trio's in and some have growing on young'uns in them. I also have three boxes of multi's.
If I culled and bred them back to back, which I dont', then I would have many, many frozen items. As it is I sell quite a few as breeders and pets. I breed different varieties of mice as well so I dont' always get huge litters of normal mice. I cull to keep the litters small so the babies grow nice and big. I have show line mice as well.

As it is I cull around 150-200 a month, different sizes, not including the pinks I cull.

When the multi's get going again it will go up.

I also have hamsters and rats that I breed for pets and I sometimes have to cull them to keep the numbers down.

I dont' breed 'as a feeder breeder' I give my does a rest between litters. I dont' leave the males in 24/7, except the multi's, as I am breeding for particular varieties in hobby and show line mice.

I'm currently working with naked, texel and satin longhaired mice.

[grannykins]

Wow, bet they all keep you busy caring for them! How many multis do you have to a box and how big are the boxes?

[gnipper]

I've got 25 in a box now out of three females they all dropped within a week and one must have only had a few as she was half the size of the others.

[amymidge]

hey i red what youve write about mice and could do with a hand on some things. im breedin multi's atm ive 5 females 2 males but im findin once they have babies half of them are disapearin, i gather there bein eaten. but i need to grow the bbies on but this is provin hard as a female will have about 13 bbies and by the time i can take them out at fluff stage there will only be 3!!! i only check on the nest every week and a half, fed them daily and never disturb them, can you just give me some advice please as im unsure what im doin wrong atm


after the pinkies are born what age can they be taken out???

cheers amy