Lacey and her Cagemates! *9/17*

[Heather]

So to make a loooong story short I ended up taking 3 orphan wild mice from a friend and traveled 45 mins one way to a feeder breeder today to find a nursing mom. I got one (she got stressed when they removed her from her tank and put a few of her babies in with her that she attacked them so I only got her) and told the people I would return her when the babies were weaned or if they died and they told me "we don't want her back- just toss her in the woods or something when you're done. we have 1000 more." Well needless to say I have 3 orphans, one which I caught nursing a few mins ago (she ignores them but I think it crawled over to her when she layed down) and 2 that are buried somewhere in the shavings, and a mother mouse that coule be pregnant again. I'm reluctant to mess with the babies too much but they were so hungry I had to supplement them alittle. I moved her into a small cage so she cannot easily escape the monsters. Pics to follow in a few days. I want to be absolutely sure she is caring for them before I interrupt with a flashy thing in her face. She is a beatiful black self that we decided to name Lacey. I'll post pics as the babies develop if they survive and their journey to be released back into the wild. And who knows, I might end up posting pics of a new litter if she's knocked up again. Time will tell!

[Heather]

One of the babies died today. I fed the other 2 because she doesn't seem to be lactating right. The remaining 2 will latch on and she drags them around (has no interest in nursing them) but they don't seem to get milk bellies. *sigh*

EDIT- Maybe she is gonna nurse the remaining 2! She was in a nursing position (sitting slightly elevated above the babies) on the "nest" when I checked on her alittle bit ago and they were latched on suckling. I am starting to worry maybe she is not lactating. She was in with another female that had babies but they said she had babies too.. she looks too fat for that though. When rats have babies they get skinny again and for having babies like 2-3 days ago she is not looking skinny. They told me she was lactating though and nursing babies. I wonder if she was just keeping the babies of her cagemate warm while she was off the nest though and they mistaked it for nursing.

[Heather]

Not sure if anyone's reading updates but the last baby died today. Now all I have is Lacey who is possibly pregnant.

[Moondust]

Aww I'm sorry to hear that they died.

It might be for the better in the end, wild-animals aren't like domestic animals and can sometimes (not always) have problems when kept in captivity. 

Good for you for keeping Lacey.  She sounds pretty.  Would love to see pics if she has a litter...would love to see pics anyways!  I love mice; I just don't have room for more critters right now!

[Heather]

Wow, God has his hand on this one.

Lacey just gave birth to THREE babies sometime last night or today. I lifted up her hidey house today to check on her (she's been hiding in there since the last orphan died) and she looked up at me with a little pink jelly bean under her. I gasped and went to put the house back down but she jumped off the nest and I seen 3 babies, which started to roll and wiggle around. I was too afraid of setting the house down on them so I moved it to the other side of the cage. She just moved the last baby back in it and I guess she's gonna build a nest up around them again. I'll get pics soon! I am leary of disrupting her too much because I don't want her to hurt or eat them.

[julztoni97]

How sweet!  Hope all goes well

[star2]

Congratulations on being a Grandma!!  
Pictures of your grandkids??

[Heather]

I'll get them in another day or 2. I don't want to disrupt her (lifting up her nest house again) for fear she will get stressed. LOTS of pics will follow as soon as I can start handling them but I was way too excited to wait to post until I had them. I hope they are all girls so I can keep them all. Only problem is if they are black selfs like Lacey I will have a rough time telling them apart. Praying for some other colors!! The girl who said she would keep a momma and her litter, when we had the orphans, will end up with any boys but I haven't been able to get ahold of her yet to confirm. I just don't want to have a bunch of cages of boys because they smell and I'm pretty busy to clean the rat cage AND 4 mouse cages (if the 3 babies are all boys, plus momma by herself). Lacey is really keeping watch over her kids.. probably because every litter she's had have been taken away to be fed off.

[Heather]

I checked the babies tonight and all 3 are getting pigment and look very healthy. Gender count - 2 girls 1 boy! The boy looks like he might be a charcoal self like his momma, as well as a little girl. The other girl has THE CUTEST blaze going up her face. My camera died tonight and the batteries are recharging so I'll try and get pics tomorrow. They are at the point that they need to be handled and socialized so there will be lots of time for pics. In the mean time I am SO EXCITED that there's atleast one girl to keep Lacey company and that my friend only has to deal with one boy at her house (she told me she would take any boys). I am so excited about the blazey girl! She's going to be gorgeous when her fur starts coming in!

[Heather]

For the few watching this thread I have pics tonight!

DAY FOUR

Altogether in the nest


Blazey girl taking center stage


Look at that cuteness!


Snuggled in my hand

[Anesthesia]

OH THE CUTENESS!!!!          

[Kendra]

Wow!  They're so tiny! 

[TheChicagoCrew]

Man I forgot how small mice babies were! They are very cute though. What are you going to name them?

-Melina

[Heather]

Taking name suggestions ANYTIME now. I want them to be elegant names. The song "Fancy" by Reba Macentire keeps running through my head when I look at them. I can imagine the babies singing "I might've been born just plain white trash, but Fancy was my name!" Except they're black not white mice but still they were pretty much.. well.. I posted where they came from.

 

[tonivan]

they are so itty bitty and so cute!!

[Heather]

Lacey lost all 3 babies tonight. I didn't hear them peeping for awhile and I just checked to find all 3 gone. I don't know what happened.. I'm so heartbroke and Lacey keeps wandering aimlessly around the cage now that she has no nest to attend to. I just can't believe it. The blazed one was definately a girl. I was looking forward to watching her grow. I intend to find a female cagemate for Lacey though. I hope it works out.

[julztoni97]

I'm so sorry   That's terrible.  I hope you find Lacey a friend and she feels better.

[tonivan]

Oh...how sad!  Any idea what happened?

[Amaranth]

I'm so sorry. I just brought home a mother and her 2-3 week old baby from the pet store, and the baby died last night as well, so I know how it feels. I'm sure that getting a cagemate for Lacey will make you both feel better though. Still, I'm very sorry for your loss.

[wonderrodent]

Oh no! I am so sorry, Heather 

[whtnyte]

How is Lacey doing?

[Heather]

Update on Lacey if anyone wants to know. She now has 2 cagemates, Lucy a satin agouti self and Faith, a spotted agouti. They love cuddling together in their nest and I even hear them playing and wrestling around the cage at night. Lacey was starting to get some hairloss around her face so I treated her for mites and hopefully that takes care of it. I know I seen some buggies on Faith so I figured that's what was Lacey's problem as well. All got treated. They are all pretty social. I can pick them up without a problem and sometimes when I'm getting ready in the morning I'll stick one on my shoulder while I'm putting my shoes on and they just sit there. Faith had an episode not long after I got her where her blood sugar dropped pretty low and I almost lost her. They're on Harlan blocks now and I make absolutely sure there's food available at all times. She hasn't had a problem since. I really need to get some pics..