Cheap DIY Housing For Male mice

by kookiesenpai Wed 09 Oct 2019, 3:40 pm

I recently got three more female mice and i found out there was a male in the tank they were in at the store. What would be some good DIY cages for any males? I can do bins, but I'm not sure what size would work. Would it be okay to keep them in smaller bins until i could purchase larger ones? Also what size wire mesh would be okay for them to not escape if i do go the bin route?

by CallaLily Wed 09 Oct 2019, 4:18 pm

The Proper Housing thread and the Cage Calculator should help you determine what size bin you should aim for. It’s ok for temporary housing to be the bare minimum as long as it’s just that. Temporary. The absolute bare minimum for 1 male mouse is usually said to be a ten gallon tank (20x10x12 inches) but it can be really tough to fit much in a space this small and many mice can become quite bored here. Because of that many recommend to go no smaller than a twenty gallon tank (30x12x12 inches). I’d say most mice will prefer more space than that (though always packed with tons of toys and hides) but some don’t do well with it, so a lot can also depend on your individual mouse. You’ll want 1/4 inch metal hardware cloth.

by kookiesenpai Wed 09 Oct 2019, 4:44 pm

CallaLily wrote:The Proper Housing thread and the Cage Calculator should help you determine what size bin you should aim for. It’s ok for temporary housing to be the bare minimum as long as it’s just that. Temporary. The absolute bare minimum for 1 male mouse is usually said to be a ten gallon tank (20x10x12 inches) but it can be really tough to fit much in a space this small and many mice can become quite bored here. Because of that many recommend to go no smaller than a twenty gallon tank (30x12x12 inches). I’d say most mice will prefer more space than that (though always packed with tons of toys and hides) but some don’t do well with it, so a lot can also depend on your individual mouse. You’ll want 1/4 inch metal hardware cloth.

I was planning on getting a hamster soon so i bought 1/2 inch mesh. Would it work if i doubled it over so the holes were divided in half or should i just go out and get the 1/4 inch after all?

by CallaLily Wed 09 Oct 2019, 5:01 pm

I’ve used 1/2 inch hardware cloth on play bins with no trouble but I’ve seen others mention smaller mice getting their heads stuck, so it probably isn’t a good idea for permanent housing. But I would think doubled over like that could work so long as it’s held tightly together.

by kookiesenpai Wed 09 Oct 2019, 9:45 pm

Awesome so would a 56 quart bin be enough space for them or should I try for something bigger?

by CallaLily Thu 10 Oct 2019, 9:01 am

That depends on the exact bin you’re looking at and the measurements at the base. Most bins taper a bit so the actual floor space is smaller than the dimensions given on the packaging.

by kookiesenpai Fri 11 Oct 2019, 10:35 am

I did check the dimensions and calculated how many square inches it was. It came to about 300 I’m assuming that would be okay for one male?

by CallaLily Fri 11 Oct 2019, 4:56 pm

That could work. It’s more than the absolute bare minimum. And the plus side to bin cages are they’re so cheap that if any of them end up seeming bored or cramped you could always pick up a bigger bins later on.

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Cheap DIY Housing For Male mice

Cheap DIY Housing For Male mice

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