We bought four mice recently and one is pregnant. We were told they were all girls so we put them in one cage. Over the last two weeks it has became increasingly obvious that one is a boy at we couldn't see anything at all but now it looks obvious.

All of the mice were kept in a larger version of this cage:

and we have now took the male out and put him into a fish tank on his own.

Our pregnant female is in with her sisters but we're worried as the male is her brother as we were sold them thinking they were all sisters. Will this result in any problems with the babies? Also what should we put the female in to have the babies? She already looks very rounded and we think she's only got a few days left.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

This is an all too common problem am afraid. At least you have taken the male out...though you do realise there is quite a high chance that the other two girls are pregnant too...just keep you eye out!!

Secondly the cage is far too small for any animal am afriad. You would be better getting another fish tank...3ft at least! Mice need lots of running room. Plus a fish tank will allow you to be creative with the decorating Will also be safer for babies.

Thirdly if she is well rounded you are looking at almost imminent birthing. I would be prepared for tonight...though yes it still could be a couple of days. But they don't often show till last few days.

Leave her with her sisters...aunties can often help with babies.

I don't know how old she is but if male has only recently become "obviously male" it sounds like they are all young. So you have to be prepared for the heartbreak of mum neglecting the litter. And the chances of handrearing are slim...worth trying maybe...but rarely successful.

Oh also up the protein of mum...I would for all of them too as there is a chance of pregnancy in them all. So small amounts of scrambled egg for instance will do this. Will help quality of mother's milk and mother's health.

Thats all I can think of. Good luck!!

Oh might be worth double checking the other two "girls" are actually female!

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MY ZOO-LET
Syrian: Dini
Winter Whites: Alaska, Apollo, Hero and Ares
Bunnies: Saffy, Gus, Cookie and Cream and 5 babies!!
Piggies: Bubble and Squeak

RIP Tilly, Thom, Tiny, Cassius, Stuart Little, George, Baby Pom (Mice), Melvin (Chameleon) Harry (Cambells Russian) Charlie and Roma (Syrians) Eros (Winter White) Jet, Rainbow and Angel (Rabbits) Neva (Ratty girl)

I wouldn't worry about the mice being related to each other, the babies should be fine. Mum will need access to plenty of water and some extra protein in her food (a small amount of scrambled egg or a dog biscuit perhaps). She'll benefit from having plenty of bedding to make a nest but make sure it isn't the stuff with small fibres that can get wound round the foot of a baby mouse.

And thinking ahead a bit, you'll need to split the baby boys from the girls at about four weeks so that you don't end up with more babies.

I hope it all goes well.

Thanks, our cage is a bigger version that the one shown, it seems to be fine for them, they all can fit in the bed with a lot of space free, we're looking to convert one of our unused vivariums into a big tank for them, it's 3 foot long and we have spare branches and such from our reptiles that will be nice in there for them.

They are around 12 weeks old now and were 6 weeks when we got them. It was only from about 10 weeks old that we started noticing the one was a male. We'd never paid much attention until then as we thought they were all female. The other two look definitely female and neither look pregnant, although we know you can't always tell. We have phoned the lady we got them from and she says that she definitely would have been able to tell if he was a male but it is now blatantly obvious. She thinks the female may have got pregnant by another mouse but if she was pregnant when we got her, she would have had the babies by now. Also we have no other mice here so there's no way she could have got pregnant by any other mouse..

We'll start giving her the scrambled egg when we feed her this evening, we've also been told to give her some cat food as it will help with the quality of her milk.

Even the bigger version of that cage isnt suitable for mice Im afraid, they need far more space than you would realise, also when the babies arrive they will easily escape from that cage, where are you located? If youre near enough I will probably have one suitable that you can borrow while the babies are tiddly. As far as giving them scrambled egg, be careful while they are still pregnant, it can make the babies too big and healthy which obviously isnt good for mum to deliver them, once they are born scrambled egg, cooked chicken and egg food are all great.

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gsds (Henrick and Bella), the cats (Syd, Lilly, Elvis and Dizzy), the gerbils (Honey, Lisa, crusty, Millhouse, Flanders, Bart and Homer), the rats (Valentine, Flower, Petal, Blossom, Koda, Cava, George), the mice (Minnie, Pop, Seudag, Caraid, Silver, Trouble, Athena, Pandora, Aphrodite, Meep, and Springtime)

I have never heard that about cat food but remember small doses! I bought Lactol for a lactating rat which is kitten/puppy milk....though I have heard on this forum of something else that is suppposed to be better thatn that....unfortunately I can't remember the name...not helpful I know!

Cage wise I know which one you are talking about but it's still not brilliant for mice. A converted vivarium would be much better...but am presuming its not such a simple transfer else you would have done it by now. The problem with levels in the cage is that if mum lays her next on a level babies can tumble off and lie unnoticed at the bottom of the cage. Also bars provide opportunity to for babies...either newborn or older...to fall through the bars...or indeed escape! Baby mice are tiny...even running around Just keep your eye on the cage. xx

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MY ZOO-LET
Syrian: Dini
Winter Whites: Alaska, Apollo, Hero and Ares
Bunnies: Saffy, Gus, Cookie and Cream and 5 babies!!
Piggies: Bubble and Squeak

RIP Tilly, Thom, Tiny, Cassius, Stuart Little, George, Baby Pom (Mice), Melvin (Chameleon) Harry (Cambells Russian) Charlie and Roma (Syrians) Eros (Winter White) Jet, Rainbow and Angel (Rabbits) Neva (Ratty girl)

Oh wow didn't know that! Learn something new every day

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MY ZOO-LET
Syrian: Dini
Winter Whites: Alaska, Apollo, Hero and Ares
Bunnies: Saffy, Gus, Cookie and Cream and 5 babies!!
Piggies: Bubble and Squeak

RIP Tilly, Thom, Tiny, Cassius, Stuart Little, George, Baby Pom (Mice), Melvin (Chameleon) Harry (Cambells Russian) Charlie and Roma (Syrians) Eros (Winter White) Jet, Rainbow and Angel (Rabbits) Neva (Ratty girl)

I sound like I know a lot dont I , someone told me on here when I had my 'surprise' mouse litters

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gsds (Henrick and Bella), the cats (Syd, Lilly, Elvis and Dizzy), the gerbils (Honey, Lisa, crusty, Millhouse, Flanders, Bart and Homer), the rats (Valentine, Flower, Petal, Blossom, Koda, Cava, George), the mice (Minnie, Pop, Seudag, Caraid, Silver, Trouble, Athena, Pandora, Aphrodite, Meep, and Springtime)

We do have a small fish tank, just a plastic one that might do the babies while they're tiny.
We're located in Stafford, Staffordshire.

The vivarium just needs a water bottle really. And decor. but we could do that any time. If we transferred the females into the viv this evening, would they be okay with a food dish until we can get a water bottle to go in there tomorrow? Also do you know of any water bottles that are freestanding or can go on glass or wood?

A converted viv would be fab all I would say is add some extra vents in them (cheap as chips at b&q)

Good luck x

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Owner to-
lots of rodents
2 monster dogs
1 slinky cat