1/14/2001

Initial Setup

 

I have found a supplier of a good strain of mus musculus domesticus (MMD) and have arranged to pick up the cargo at a low-key location.  Finding a dealer that could cater to my illicit needs wasn’t easy, but the transaction went well and I came back with three new patients, waiting to be admitted.  There was a further purchase of equipment and the associated costs of newly erecting a domicile for beastial inhabitation for these scientific experiments.  The total cost of intial setup was around $70 USD.  The cost of the live specimens, a whopping $2 USD.  Needlesstosay, an offshore funding account was created by the HN (Holstein Nation) for this very purpose.  Note to Self: Must rememeber to fill out expense and reimbursement vouchers.

Back at the lab, the primary domicile was erected to include several recreational, phychological, habitatual and subsitual elements for the patients’ wellbeing.  With the primary domicile complete, the patients were free to move in.  They did not initially seem to take any interest of the cedar shaving bedding, the huge 2-3 mouse wheel, or the nice bowl of fresh food stuffs in which to feast upon.  Later, two different flavored mineral salt licks were added along with a chewing stick to a hanging device that allowed easy access from the room of their straw sleeping unit.  As a side behavioural element, a piece of flat cotton pre-bedding matterial was inserted into the environment to observe if it will actually fluff to 5-times its size, creating a nice, warm bedding material.

The patients include two females (from the same brood) and a male stud puppy freak daddy strain.  Once introduced and comfortable, this species can mate every 4 weeks or so and will do it for reals alot, so it was important to have alternate chambers for post-impregnation/pre-delivery.  The gender ratio is important.  Multiple male mice living together should come from the same litter or they will more fiercly compete for hierarchy.  Once a male goes into studding, it will have the scent of the other females and will not be readily (if at all) accepted back into the original congregation of males, therefore, it is important to have a) seperate chambers for studding & non-studding males or b) have only one male.  I chose the later.  As for females, they were chosen for their phenotypic display, primarily.  More information is included below on each patient.  As is customary, and to avoid suspicion and reduce chance of overheard information, natural, anthropomorphic nomenclature was used, yielding the names Shadrack, Meshack, & Abendigo.

All three mice were introduced to the environment at the same time.  The females, naturally, reacted better and seemed to adapt more quickly.  All three primarily stayed huddled together, with the male slightly out of the group.  Jones, as normal, wanted to ensure his money was being spent wisely and was personally overseeing the entire initial phase.  He was intensely curious yet interesting repelled by the thoughts of such genetic endeavours.

 The patients seem lethargic and resting.  Allowing them to adapt to their environment.

 

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