Breeding
Mice have a rapid reproduction rate; the gestation period is approximately 19 to 23 days. The typical litter size is 4 to 12 young. In some instances, up to thirty young have been born. Males can mate with the female as soon as the litter is born, which means that a female could become pregnant with another litter within 3 days of giving birth. Female mice should not be bred before 12 weeks or after 8 months; doing so can be very dangerous, and some mice can die while giving birth. Females come into heat around every three to five days, so the pair can be kept together for up to ten days. Baby mice, called pinkies or pups, are born blind, naked, and deaf. Their eyes are closed and their ears are stuck to the sides of their heads. Mothers may eat any dead or sickly offspring. Pups begin to grow hair at two to four days. Ears open at three to five days, and the pups will start vocalizing. Eyes open at 14 days, and the babies will start exploring the world around them. At three weeks old they look like miniature versions of adult mice. At four weeks the males in the litter should be separated out so as to not cause the mother and sisters to become pregnant, while the females can be left in with the mother.
Read more about this topic: Fancy Mouse
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—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)
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—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)