Part-Time Producer Sells 900 Head A Month

Part-Time Producer Sells 900 Head A Month AG WORLD Ag World 18-1-19 Shannon Peterson has a feedlot operation that might make many farmers jealous. Working part-time and operating out of the corner of a quonset hut, she sells 900 head a month - of mice. Peterson and her husband Ken have a 480-acre farm near Beaverlodge, Alberta. When she started looking around for ways to earn extra Income, she read an article about raising mice and decided it would be perfect for her. She also runs a pet cemetary and crematorium as well as a small flour mill for custom-grinding grain. Peterson has about 100 breeding pairs of domestic mice. The offspring are sold to pet stores as food for snakes and other reptiles. It takes about 2 hrs. to feed all her stock. Mice are kept in rectangular plastic tubs with wire mesh lids. She uses the tops off 1-quart pop bottles to funnel oats and dog food into the cages. Mice begin breeding at 28 days. The gestation period is three weeks and they can be rebred 24 hrs. after giving birth. Babies stay with their parents for 16 to 18 days before being sexed and placed in holding pens. By 5 to 6 weeks of age, they're ready for market. Peterson sells titmice to wholesalers in Edmonton and Calgary for 50 cents apiece. It's a good income for a small amount of work and low initial cost, she says. Keeping track of mice to prevent in-breeding is her biggest problem. An inbred condition called "waltzing" causes them to lose their balance ability and makes them unable to function. Female breeding mice are kept for 6 months. An average litter is 6 to 8 although some can have a dozen. Peterson is working to develop more markets since she hopes to be able to sell 4,000 head a month. (West-ern Producer)

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