my mama mouse ate her litter

Question
my mama mouse ate her litter. we just got the mice about a month ago. i didn't think she was ready to give birth so i didn't separate her from the other two. i just checked earlier today. the mama mouse was skinner and i couldn't figure out way. i don't know how old she is or the other two. i found three babies that where eaten. i don't know if we should try breeding her again B/ac i don't know if she will be a good breeder. should i keep her and try again. or try with the other female mouse we have. the male we have doesn't seem to eager to have any more mice. should i try another few mice or stick with the ones we have and try breeding them again? what if she does it again? what should we do?

Answer
Hi Amy,

You should have a well-developed breeding plan before you begin, depending on the reason you are breeding them.  If you are breeding for reptile food you should carefully pick your breeders based on traits that will make better feeders; if you are breeding for pets or genetics you should select your breeders based on the traits you are looking for in them.  This is going to determine who you breed and when.  Also remember to quarantine all new mice for at least three weeks before breeding them, so you don't find out about any nasty diseases that might cause problems during pregnancy after it's too late.

Mothering abilities and breedability are genetic, but sometimes first-time mothers aren't sure about what to do with their first litter.  There are several possible reasons she ate them, and genetics is only one of them.  I'm not sure what you mean by the male not wanting any more mice, but all males should be housed by themselves.  When breeding a doe you should place her in his cage for no more than two weeks, then remove her into a cage where she can get used to her surroundings and build a nest in peace, away from harassment or stressful factors.  It's important to do this whether or not you think she may have conceived, because sometimes females don't show they're pregnant until a few days before they are due.  By only leaving her with him for two weeks, you know if the mating was not successful if she hasn't had a litter by three weeks from when you separated her from the male.

Sometimes the mom isn't the one who ate the babies, but other mice in the cage.  This is why it's important to let each mother birth on her own.  Remember that breeding mice successfully and responsibly is a serious hobby, so please check out these links to learn everything you need to know:

http://fancymice.info/breedfrontpage.htm
http://www.hiiret.fi/eng/breeding/index.html
http://mouselovers.com/

Best of luck!
-Tam