How can you breed mice? - briefly
Choose healthy, sexually mature males and females, house them together in a quiet cage with nesting material, a stable temperature (20‑24 °C), and a nutritionally complete diet; check for signs of estrus and separate the pair after the litter is born to prevent cannibalism. Provide regular cleaning, adequate space, and record breeding dates to manage subsequent generations effectively.
How can you breed mice? - in detail
Successful mouse breeding requires careful planning, controlled environment, and systematic record‑keeping.
Select a strain that matches experimental goals, considering genetics, size, and temperament. Obtain breeding stock from a reputable supplier that guarantees health status and genetic purity.
Prepare a barrier‑controlled facility to prevent pathogen entry. Maintain temperature at 20–26 °C, relative humidity at 40–60 %, and a 12‑hour light/dark cycle. Use individually ventilated cages (IVCs) with autoclaved bedding, nesting material, and enrichment objects.
Provide a balanced diet formulated for rodents, supplemented with water ad libitum. Ensure feed and water containers are sterilized regularly.
Form breeding pairs according to a proven ratio: one male to two or three females. Verify sexual maturity (6–8 weeks for most strains) before pairing. Observe mating behavior; a copulatory plug indicates successful copulation and marks gestation day 0.
Monitor pregnant females daily for health changes and weight gain. Provide additional nesting material as gestation progresses. Anticipate a gestation period of 19–21 days.
At parturition, leave the dam with the litter for at least 21 days to allow natural weaning. Record litter size, birth weight, and any abnormalities.
At post‑natal day 21, separate pups from the dam, assign unique identifiers, and transfer to clean cages. Continue health checks and maintain detailed breeding logs that include parent IDs, dates of pairing, birth, weaning, and any interventions.
Implement a rotation schedule to avoid inbreeding: track pedigree information and introduce unrelated breeders periodically.
Regularly inspect cages for signs of disease, stress, or aggression. Remove any animal showing illness and follow institutional biosecurity protocols.
By adhering to these procedures, a laboratory can achieve consistent, healthy mouse production suitable for research or colony maintenance.