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Post by fuzzymom on May 8, 2010 12:09:56 GMT -5
Updating all my colony logs now. My mice are doing very well! My main group, Group B, which is now Group A, produced 24 recorded feeders. I say recorded feeders because there may have been times that I fed off a baby and didn't write it down and there are always losses in litters when they are still pinkies. So for their first 'cycle', I got 24 feeders. They are already producing their next cycle of feeders and as of a few days ago there were 20+ and I still had another female or two ready to drop. From that group, I am about to set up Group B, which consists of 1.6 of Group A's offspring. They should begin producing in the next month or so. I have already witnessed some breeding behavior. My little pairs are doing well too. My siamese and brindle pair have 4 males they are raising up. These will probably be fed off once they are weaned and large enough. The agouti pair have a litter as well that is growing well.
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Post by horse656 on May 8, 2010 17:13:32 GMT -5
do you know if inbreeding affects the mice a lot? i am just wondering... i obviously know its bad for them
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Post by fuzzymom on May 12, 2010 13:26:50 GMT -5
I inbreed my mice. I currently have 6 girls in with their brother. Inbreeding is actually not as bad as you would think. Many mice are inbred and even people who show mice will inbreed to get a certain color or coat type. I plan on inbreeding my mice for a few generations then getting brand new males to bring in new blood.
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Post by fuzzymom on May 17, 2010 12:53:07 GMT -5
Just another little update. The new Group A is doing great. I just pulled 8 weans from the tub as feeders today for the snakes, though if a few of the snakes don't eat them, then the ferrets are having mice today. There is easily another 20-30 babies in the baby pile, so I will be pulling them as they wean.
I'm hoping to get to the point (enough breeding groups) that I'm pulling weans on a weekly basis and I can grow the weans up to adults. Right now I am in such need of mice for the snakes, I'm having to feed them off as weans because I don't have time to allow them to grow up to adults. The snakes require 3-5 adult mice per week. But it takes a mouse another 5-7 weeks to become an adult mouse from weaning. So I hope to get to that point that I can pull a bunch of weans and let them grow, while still adding in new weans every week.
I am in desperate need of new tubs. I'm running out of space for all my rodents. The new Group B needs a tub. They are currently in a 10g (no babies from them yet) and I'm hoping to put together another group of mice. I never did make that tub I was going to make. Maybe that will be my project on Wednesday. Even then, I need several more tubs or tanks.
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Post by carnivorouszoo on May 21, 2010 16:27:14 GMT -5
The tan refers to having a black top and "tan" underside. These are poor quality tans though so the "tan" is actually a white color. Black on top and white bellies are black foxes not tans Nice find!
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Post by fuzzymom on May 22, 2010 9:38:42 GMT -5
No, they lack a specific gene to be foxes. I asked several breeders and all confirmed they are poor quality black tans. When you have a poor quality tan, the tan becomes a creamy white and you can see the some dark hairs underneath. (I'll have to get a picture of my black tan girls) I would LOVE to have some real foxes or some high quality tans though. Maybe when I'm not having to worry about money as much, I can invest in some really good quality mice.
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Post by carnivorouszoo on May 22, 2010 11:50:34 GMT -5
Huh, because poor quality foxes have dark hairs in the white area too. Did you get them from someone who knows the genetics they have? Because otherwise you might never know lol! Which ever you have I am sure they are cute.
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Post by fuzzymom on May 22, 2010 13:54:28 GMT -5
I'd have to dig up the discussion on the other forum I'm on (fancy mouse breeding forum) but I bred them myself from some blue satins bred to a himilayan. I wish they were foxes cause I LOVE foxes and high quality tans. These are my "kind of sort of" foxes. Hehe.
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Post by carnivorouszoo on May 23, 2010 8:15:49 GMT -5
It would be hard to tell for sure without a known fox to breed to. Either way they are still neat lil buggers.
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Post by fuzzymom on May 24, 2010 12:34:46 GMT -5
Finally! Group B finally has a pregnant female! She looks like she will pop any day now. I can't wait! There are all sorts of genetics that are possible in this litter.....
Black Tan Blue Long Hair Standard Hair Agouti Satin Black Self
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Post by carnivorouszoo on May 24, 2010 17:25:37 GMT -5
Nice! Wish I were closer to buy some stock off of you! He hehe, rainbow treats for the ferrets, LOL
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Post by fuzzymom on May 26, 2010 13:11:15 GMT -5
Harvest Day!
Haha, that is what I call it when I go through all my tubs and pull out mouse weans. Out of my two pairs, I have about 14 weans. I haven't done the big tub yet. Probably around 20 or more in there.
Since I am out of rat food (feeding the colony scraps from the kitchen) and don't get paid till Friday, I'm hoping to sell many of the mouse weans as snake food. I'll get more for them by selling them than I would using them as ferret food. So the snakes will get some of them (maybe half?) and the other half will be sold as feeders or pets.
Group B had their litter but they ate all of them. This is probably due to the fact they don't have a steady supply of food. I built up my rodent colonies on the fact that I'd have a steady supply of food. Well the pet store I get it from in bulk messed up and now I've been waiting 3 weeks for a bag of rat food. I've been buying the smaller bags but I don't get paid till Friday to get another bag. I just bought a bag 2 days ago and I'm already out. Its a lower quality block so they eat more of it. Ugh! Maybe selling these mice will earn me enough to buy a few bags.
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Post by fuzzymom on May 26, 2010 14:04:24 GMT -5
30 mouse weans in total were pulled from my colony. Woohoo! And on top of that I have two girls from Group B ready to drop. Soon I'll be pulling 40-50 per month.
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Post by horse656 on May 27, 2010 6:48:13 GMT -5
thats really good! i wish i could produce like that mice everyday yippee. how much do you make selling your mice? as feeders.
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Post by fuzzymom on May 27, 2010 10:44:07 GMT -5
Right now, nothing. I give feeders to friends but I haven't actually sold anything yet. I hope in the next month or so I can put together 2-3 more mouse groups.
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