Breeding feeder mice is not only fun and easy but you can make a good profit $$ aswell. the pet stores average price for mice is to much, $2.49 each (you should make that profit or savings) . To start a small breeding oporation you'll need housing for the mice, 4 containers, 4 watering bottles, a bag of cider chips, food and dont forget the Mice.

• Housing5gal buckets or glass aquariums something made of hard plastic would be good, walmart sells large plastic containers of all shapes and sizes . Length and depth doesn't mater as much as height, mice are good jumpers, Ive never seen a mouse jump higher than 15" (I use 5gal buckets from home depot). no matter what type of container you use be shure there are no ridges that the little guys can climb up the side.
• Watering bottles   For mice it really doesn't mater the size of bottle (I prefer larger = less times refilling) don't fall pray to marketing that says "For Mice" or "For Hamsters"... how ever the type of bottles you perches is important, the "neck" of the bottle needs to be bent at a 45 degree angle (some times celled "bent neck")
• Cider Chips  Good for bedding, smell removal and Mice toiletpaper (lol)
• Food  Any thing vegetarian.  things like grains and starches. Thay love left overs like speggity (mice will eat around the meat). also cat, dog or bird food.
• Mice   start with only 1 male, and 3 or more females (for each addional female you'll need 1 addional 5 gal bucket )

First, housing mice. Make a hole in the side of the bucket large enough to fit the water bottle's tip thru, then fill and attach the water bottle. All the females are to be kept in one bucket with some food and cider chips. They will separate or hide there food as the Lady's feel fit, there good at putting things where they wont things and they tend to get bossier when they become moms... Now make a bucket for the male, he's kept separate so that he'll breed when you want him too also some times females can go into heat half way thru pregnecy (bad for development of babes she currently has and will make her more pregenent also the additional ones will come out preemie) and directly after giving birth, ether way its very hard on there body.

Well i think most people know what to do to get the females to become pregnant, grab a female and put her in with the male leave her for 12 to 15 hrs (if the male has been by him self for a long time it may only take 30Min's lol) . I like to rotate the females IE. day 1 female 1, day 2 no female, day 3 female 2, day 4 no female, day 5 female 3, exec.. I have found that giving him the day in the middle makes him breed more pups per litter (and yes baby mice are called pups).

Now to tell if shes pregnant, if its not obvious hold her across your fingers and lift one finger directly under her belly, wile looking at her back if she looks like she has round marbles on each side of her belly she maybe pregnant. If you think a the mom is pregnant make a new bucket and place her in and add lots of extra food and bedding when she gets close to her due date she will make a nest like bed.

Smells are very important to mice. Never but moms with moms, most of the time if a baby has the the smell of any other mom she will eat the pups. If you need to add one litter to another wash the pups with dish detergent to give them a smell other than there mom. one mom can take care of up to 12 pups and can birth up to 14

When returning mom to the rest of the females you'll need to give her a bath so that the other females wont attack her.

extra info: Pups bite when there eyes start to open, if you handle them for a fue days they'll stop.

Hantavirus Concerns

The Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is an uncommon but serious disease spread from mice to people when people breathe in dust contaminated by droppings, urine, or saliva from an infected mouse. The disease can also be spread when people touch contaminated objects and then touch their nose or mouth. In many cases of hantavirus syndrome, deer mice have been the carrier. House mice have not been identified as carriers. About a hundred cases have been reported in the Pacific Northwest.

Because of hantavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend precautions when cleaning up mouse-infested areas. CDC recommends that you wear gloves and wet contaminated areas and dead mice with household detergent or bleach solutions before cleaning them up. Be sure to wash the gloves before removing them. For details, visit the CDC web site (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/prevent3.htm).

Even tho there cute too, Don't keep deer mice! If you catch one ware a mask (handkerchief over mouth and nose) and yes you can feed them, even pet them. All ways WASH your hands and anything else that is touched by the deer mice. Description   Color varies greatly with habitat and geographic area. Often grayish to red-dish brown above; white below. Tail distinctly bicolor and short haired. 2 forms in eastern part of range: woodland and prairie. Woodland form has much longer tail and larger feet, ears, and body than prairie form.