The offer of animals for breeding

The company supplies animals for breeding as well as animals for feedstuff, both of them alive or frozen. For more information about supply and the prices do not hesitate and call +420 608 705 665 or send an email message at the info@mouse-farm.eu.

Laboratory mouse, fattened white mouse

White laboratory mice were cultivated during ancient era in China and Japan where especially in Japan were used as decorative pets. They were cultivated from house mouse which originally lived in prairies in Europe, Asia and North Africa. Later, thank to its close connection with the humans, was house mouse expanded over the world. Nowadays house mouse lives everywhere. It is really adaptable, generative and omnivorous animal which make from it especial resistant creature.

Laboratory mice are white, but there were created more than 300 kinds of mice with a bit different color or quality of hair during the long domestication.

The weight of mouse is 20g – 90g (males weigh more), temperature around 37,1°C, heartbeat 480-740 in a minute, amount of blood is 7,6% of overall weight of mouse and number of litter 8 – 12 per year.

Mice are really active, adventurous and curious animals. They are calm and like sleeping during a day, while in the evening and at night are more active. They move or run approximately 21% of a day, 45% of a day they sleep, 12% feed or drink and 16% spend by care about their hair (serviceable behavior). Mice are excellent climbers and they can jump very high.

Excepting few cases mice never bite their breeder. On the one hand it is not possible to domesticate them as well as rats, which can obey us like dogs and we dot not have to watch over them. But on the other hand they do not demand so much daily attention during the training and in spite of that you can learn them to run on your arm, in your sleeve or you can carry them in your pocket. And if you watch over them, you can let them run on your bed for example.

Color spectra of laboratory mouse

Aguti – there are alternatively light and dark colored strips on every single hair.

White mouse with red eyes – the most common kind, foot and nose are in flesh color.

White mouse with dark eyes – hair is clear white, foots are pink and eyes are black.

Black – glossy, dark black color of hair, mouse is black, only belly is lighter.

Chocolate – chocolate brown hair, but foots, eyes, ears and tail are dark brown.

Blue – dark blue hair, belly is quite dead blue, eyes are really dark blue.

Creamy – creamed-colored mice have soft hair of ivory color and dark eyes.

Tawny – bottom part of mouse is light, while top part is dark.

Spotted – spots are set over whole body and they should not overlap, colors are various.

In addition there are special mice with Siamese or Russian characters, mice in tortoise or Dutch design, rump-white and mice with different hair (satin, longhaired, rough, curly or hairless mice called nu-nu)

Breeding establishment

There are more options where to breed mice. One of them is using normal cages. The only thing you need to be aware of is a distance between every single wire of the cage. It should not be less than 6mm. Cages are really good for mice because they enable climbing, but on the other hand mice can throw the bedding out through it.

Next option can be plastic basin (laboratory basin T4). This basin is made from tough material so mice cannot bite their way out. There is a netting wire on the top of basin (you have to ensure that mice cannot get out through it). Very useful can be old aquarium with suitable top, on the other hand glasses or wooden boxes are really bad options.

Temperature inside the breeding room should be around 21°C, but generally is possible to say – if the breeder feels comfortably, his mouse feels comfortably as well.

Feed for laboratory mouse

Mouse is omnivore. Commercial food for rodents contains everything what mouse needs (animal as well as plant components).

It is possible to feed mice by cereals (oat, barley, millet, maize), sunflower, oatflakes, old bread, various granules (for cats), etc. Occasionally we can give them fresh vegetable (carrot, parsley, celery, lettuce, kohlrabi,...) and fruit (apple, pear). But remember, too much green feed can cause them intestinal problems. In addition it is more than vital to reduce very fatty feed like nuts or sunflower’s seeds. Average daily introsusception of one mouse is only 10g per day. Automatic water-basin or shallow saucer with water is necessary for drinking, but remember that saucer can be overturned or polluted.

Difference between the genders

Difference between genders is evident when you look at anal and generative orifices. Females have the spacing between these two orifices much shorter then males have. Females are more social and favorite pets, because males disagreeably smell.

Reproduction of the mice

Earlier we decide to reproduce our mice we have to ensure enough interested persons who want buy the sucklings. Sometimes can happen we reproduce a lot of mice and then no-one wants them.

We use mice older than 3 months, because in that age they are fully adult animals. We should not let more than six females to one male. It is possible to let gravid female in the group of mice, but in this case the female can abort some sucklings. After the birth female is again let to male. Female could birth young-ones nine times per year, but so high number of births could be dangerous for her and suckling's health as well. Females do not want to be impregnated immediately they meet male, it takes some time, the most often 4 – 6 days (it depends on every single female). Gravidity of female takes 18 – 21 days. It births 4 – 11 sucklings on average (exceptionally 15). All the females living in group care about these sucklings. Young-ones hold the female’s nipples very fixedly, so if the female leaves the nest during the lactation, young-ones are ejected out of the nest. Fortunately female immediately gets them back. We should try not to interrupt female during the lactations and do not touch the sucklings during first few days. If it is necessary (cleaning of the cage), it is recommended to take bedding from the cage, absorb it to our skin and then carefully take the young-ones.

The health of sucklings depends on sustenance, mother’s condition and other outside aspects. However the females are really careful mothers.

Female can sometimes destroy the embryo in case the original male in group (father of the embryo) is substituted by the new one. It does not matter anyway because new male would kill birthed sucklings. This preventative interruption is called Bruce effect according to biologist Hilda Bruce who detected it.

The hair of young-ones starts to grow up in three days after the birth and ends in ten days. Four days later young mice start eating normal feed. We can separate them from the mother after three or four weeks (it depends on mother’s fitness). The females are generative only for two years of their life, after that they loose this ability.

Average age of mouse is two years. It depends on quality of feed it eats and number of litters.