Mouse Care

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Mice in General

Life span: 1-1/2 to 3 years. 2 years being the average. (wild mice live longer.. around 5 years).

Maturity: 4-1/2 - 8 weeks of age, varying from mouse to mouse. This is the time that males and females become fertile. Note that mice should NEVER be bred until they are at least 12 weeks age. If you don't know the line really well, wait until at least 12 weeks, if not longer. Some mice are not fully developed until 4 months of age! Breeding too young can cause a weak mother, weak babies, shorter life spans, and even death of all of them!

Estrus cycle: Every 4 to 5 days all year round until becoming pregnant.

Gestation: 19-24 days. The average is 20 days.

Postpartum Estrus: A female can come back into heat 14-28 hours after giving birth! This means that she can become pregnant after having her litter! Females should NEVER have back to back litters. It risks the health of the mother as well as the babies. It can even result in death of some or all of them (including the mother)!

Litter size: 1-24 pups. The average is between 9 and 12 pups. A first time mom often has fewer pups.

Weaning: 4 weeks of age. It is best not to take the babies from their mother until they are 4 weeks of age. Once the males are 4 weeks of age, they need to be taken away from the group to prevent unwanted breeding (to the mom and the sisters). Also note that males almost always need to be separated from each other around 5 to 12 weeks of age.



Written by Barbara from The Fun Mouse