Reptile & Amphibian Forums

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Jaye- " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)

hehehe, I laugh, 'cause as soon as I say an age, you find a male in a group of girls....just happens.
That said, both mice and rat FEMALES have visible nipples from the time they are tiny fuzzys. That is the key to sexing very young. I will sometimes pick a favorite new breeder this way, and handle it early. Or I tend to feed off the males if I don't want them fighting (mice). Otherwise I would say I don't really bother to check til I am weaning them. Then all you do is check the bottoms of their feet...just like puppies! J/K
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

Keep holding the forum down like you do, you have an abundance of knowledge and im going to suck it out of you one way or another lol.
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Jaye- " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)

I don't get the joke about sexing mice/rats by checking the bottom of their feet like you do puppies. Only way I know how to sex puppies is checking their plumbing, same with mice and rats. I have heard breeders of rats who can sex pinkies but personally, to me, teh easiest way to sex mice and rats is about 4-5 weeks of age, when the male's testicles drop. No doubt then..if you keep in mind the male buggers can 'suck them in', in which case, look for the little wrinkle of skin between anus and urethra.

>>I don't get the joke about sexing mice/rats by checking the bottom of their feet like you do puppies.

Sorry, I think it was some Family Circus or some really old comic (I was a kid....so, 70s) about an embarrassed dad lifting puppies and looking at their 'tummys' to sex them. And the little kid is standing there telling his sib how daddy has to look at the bottom's of their feet to tell the boys and girls apart.

Only way I know how to sex puppies is checking their plumbing, same with mice and rats. I have heard breeders of rats who can sex pinkies but personally, to me, teh easiest way to sex mice and rats is about 4-5 weeks of age, when the male's testicles drop. No doubt then..if you keep in mind the male buggers can 'suck them in', in which case, look for the little wrinkle of skin between anus and urethra.

For me it is like kittens, I can sex them as they are born or I can wait til they are weaned. In between can be a bit harder. With rats I tend to squeeze tummys and see what pops out. Mice are generally so obvious, but rats can be shy sometimes.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron