POP PREGNENCY

Question
QUESTION: HI THERE MY NAME IS EMMA THE CAPITALS ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO BE ON BUT IT WONT STOP, ANY WAY I JUST BOUGHT 3 FEMALE MICE FROM A PET SHOP... ONE IS VERY LARGE AND THE OTHER TO ARE SMALLER, THE SMALL ONE JUST LAST NIGHT HAD HER BABIES, LITTER OF 9 AND THE OTHER SMALL ONE HAD HER LITTER THIS MORNING, LITTER OF 14 I NOW HAVE 23 MICE AND THE LARGE ONE IS YET TO HAVE HERS, WHY DID THE LITTLE ONES HAVE THEIRS FIRST AND SHOULD I SEPARATE ALL THE MOTHERS, OTHER THAN THE USUAL SYMPTOMS (THE BREATHING, SQUELCHING,AND THE GOLF ALL BODY) I JUST NEED TO KNOW SOME OTHERS AND IF EVERY THING IS OK WITH HER...

ANSWER: Dear emma,
thank you for your question.
The bigger one is probably already pregnant for the second or third time depending on how old she is. For the small ones, it's probably the first litter.

They can all stay together in one group. The younger females may be able to learn from the older one. There's still a risk that they will eat their babies, it often happens with unexperienced mothers. The babies need to be separated into amles and females once they are 28 days old because they can mate at that age. The females can stay with their mothers and the males can together for some time. If you are unsure about sexing them, let a vet do it. www.rmca.org/Vets has a list of rodent vets. Any baby that you are still unsure about should stay with the males to avoid once male getting all the females pregnant or you make a third group with those mice until you can tell their sex.

The adult mice should have plenty of animal protein now (mealworms, dried silkworms), nesting material and as much rest as ossible. Don't clean the cage, don't handle them and only check on the babies if the females are out of the nest. You can handle the babies when they start to explore outside he nest and the mothers don't carry them back immediately.

Mice shouldn't squeak or make noises while breathing, if your mice do that, those are signs of a respiratory infection. You need to see a vet with them, but I would wait until the babies are two weeks old.

You can find more good mouse info on these websites:
http://www.allaboutmice.co.uk/info
http://das-maeuseasyl.de/doku.php/en/species/fancy_mouse
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi there sorry to bother you again the large one has not given birth yet and the mothers have put there babies together and are nursing them together, the large one (Jezebel) wont let me hold her at all and she is very touchy and bit me yesterday, has she gone feral or is this normal for pregnant mice??? also do you have any steps on how to make a little house??? i don't have enough money to by a actual one, and would like to make one out of card board

Answer
I would leave the mice absolutely alone for now. You can always tame them once the babies are weaned, but for now they shouldn't be handled at all, especially if they are not yet used to you. That's just stress for them and that's probably the reason why your mouse bit you.

You can just use a cardboard box and cut some holes into it, I would do that for now and leave it until the babies come out by themselves.
To make a cheap house you get a balloon and wrap it in several layers of moist tissue or toilet paper (unscented, without printing). Allow it to dry for 24 hours and then pop the balloon and cut out the bottom so that it will stand and add some holes.
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer