Instructions
Place the male and female mouse together in a clean cage. It should be neutral territory, not the cage of either mouse. Watch them carefully over the next few days to be sure they do not fight. It will take about one to five days for mating to occur.
Remove the male from the cage no more than 16 days after they were first placed there together.
Check the female's vagina for a white plug. This is how you can confirm a mating has occurred, although you will not be able to tell if she is pregnant. Sometimes the plug is too deep to see.
Add extra fat and protein to the female's diet about nine days after the mating was confirmed. This will ensure adequate nutrition for the developing litter. You can give her eggs, oatmeal or even puppy biscuits once a day.
Wait at least 24 days from when the male and female were together, or 19 to 24 days after confirmed mating. The litter will be born sometime during this period. Since the female used should be furred, about half of the babies will be furred and the other half hairless.
How to Breed to Get a Hairless Mouse
Hairless mice originated in research laboratories. Due to genetic mutations, they are missing the thymus, which is part of the immune system. This makes them more prone to diseases, and gives them a shorter lifespan than furred mice. A furred female that carries a hairless gene must be used because hairless females often do not lactate well enough to feed a litter. A hairless female is likely to abandon or eat her offspring. Hairless mice have become popular as pets, and can make great pets if carefully bred. You will need the female's pedigree to help determine if she carries a hairless gene.