Husbandry notes from my personal experience

Bedding: I have my animals on aspen bedding, supplemented with paper towels for nesting. Aspen is a prefered small animal bedding because it does not have the harmful (irritating to the sensitive tracts of rodents and other small animals) aromatics found in pine and cedar.

Food: I am feeding rat and mouse lab blocks as their staple food (Harlan Teklad when I can get it, Prolab RMH 3000 when I can't get the Harlan). This is a complete diet and chewing on the blocks is good for their teeth. I'm also supplementing with a millet-heavy seed mix and whole oats on the recommendation of other breeders. I also provide pieces of wood for them to chew.

Water: I use both plastic and glass water bottles.

Cages: I have a 1.2 trio in a 20L and a 1.1 pair in a 10, both tanks have integrated screen lids.

Furnishings: I provide hides (pvc and toilet paper tubes) and "silent spinner" wheels which the animals seem to use regularly. Toilet paper tubes get chewed up regularly.

Handling: My adults were purchased from CV Exotics and are a bit jumpy. I pick them up by the base of their tales when moving them. They tend to bite when restrained in other ways. However, I have not had problems when moving their furnishing or removing babies for handling.

I have also recently aquired stock from another person* who has been breeding for temperment.

Weaning: I'll be weaning at 21 days. (These guys mature c. 54 days / 50-70 grams.)

Breeding: My females start breeding when they are between 60-80 days old (and 60-70 grams in weight). They have litters of 8-14, usually 23 or so days apart.

*She keeps her animals in lab cages with shredded paper bedding, and recommends not providing hides for adults when they are not raising litters. She feeds a mix of hamster/parrot food, oats whole and rolled, and millet.

Praomys/Mastomys natalenis main page