How to Keep Feeder Mice

Feeder mice can be used as an inexpensive source of food for your pet reptiles. If you want to keep your own supply of mice for your reptile friends, you must properly care for the mice as you would any pet to ensure that they remain healthy. While properly keeping feeder mice isn't challenging, it does require a basic knowledge of rodent care as well as the proper supplies.

Things You'll Need

  • 3 mice cages
  • 3 water bottles
  • 3 tip-resistant food dishes
  • Mice food
  • Alf-Alfa blocks
  • 3 exercise wheels
  • Bedding
  • All-purpose cleaner
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Setup your cages. Three cages will be needed -- one to house females, a second to house the males and a third to quarantine any mice that display signs of illness. Each cage should be equipped with a rodent water bottle, exercise wheel and a tip-resistant food dish. Place 3 inches of bedding in each cage to absorb urine.

    • 2

      Clean the cages on a daily basis. This includes removing any soiled food and bedding. A full cleaning of the cages, which includes complete bedding replacement and a through cleaning of the cage, should be done on a weekly basis with an all-purpose cleaner.

    • 3

      Clean and refill the water bottles with fresh water on a daily basis. You should also supply a clean bowl of mouse food at all times, and supplement their diet with fresh fruits and vegetables one to two times per week. Your mice should also have access to alf-alfa blocks to help ground down their constantly growing teeth.

    • 4

      Ensure the area where you keep your mice is between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This will keep the mice from developing lung infections and make them more likely to breed should you decide to do so in the future.

    • 5

      Do not allow your cages to become overcrowded. Having too many mice in one cage could lead to fights and cause your mice to hurt or kill each other. A 10-gallon aquarium can humanely house three to four mice.

    • 6

      Remove any mice that display signs of illness immediately, and quarantine them in a separate cage. You should avoid feeding your reptiles any of the mice that came in contact with the sick mouse for six to 10 days. This will prevent the spread of infection or disease to your reptiles.