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Post by Die Fledermaus on Oct 31, 2007 0:03:02 GMT -4
I just spent a few hard long hours sexing and separating several dozen spiny mice. This is awfully hard! You can not scruff them like hamsters, or quickly hold them up by the tail base like a gerbil. They can't be scruffed, and their tails are way too fragile, plus they are too squirmy. I had to put on black leather gloves, medium thickness, and then grab one of the fast moving mice in the tank, mice that try to immediately jump out of the tank. I then had to sex them holding them with both hands, the mouse squirming all the time, and if it got away I'd never catch it. After the hard job of sexing them, and they are a lot harder than most rodents, I had to safely stash them until all were sexed and separated; keep in mind they were always trying to get away and jump out. It took a lot of concentration. Finally, I could clean their tank (one holding tank, for the girls, was already cleaned and ready), and then I dumped the guys back in. And then I had to clean their toys and wheels and stuff. And now I have to get their food and water ready. I hope I got them all correct, although four were too young to be separated and might be males - to be determined. In several days I will have the second big tank of mice to sex and separate - the 45 gallon!! I will have to repair a 20L tank first. Whew. At least things smell better. The breeding had to be stopped.
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Post by pinky on Oct 31, 2007 0:12:54 GMT -4
Whew! Sounds like serious work!
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Oct 31, 2007 0:17:06 GMT -4
Whew! Sounds like serious work! Quite tiring. And I had to hold the critter firmly enough so it could not escape, but not so hard as to be injured.
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Post by Hamsters82 on Oct 31, 2007 17:02:48 GMT -4
So how long exactly does that take you? I remember doing Benny, Theo, and Harriet's cages back to back and that took long cause *coughJoshwouldn'thelpcough*.
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Post by Andrea on Oct 31, 2007 17:26:51 GMT -4
Ack, i can just imagine. Sexing Degus is also very hard, though they are bigger and so easier to hold their genitals are almost exactly the same! The males testicles are hidden inside their body so that's no help.
I hope you were able to get them all sexed and separated to stop with all the breeding. Do the males all get along together? I know regular male mice can't be quit vicious to one another.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Oct 31, 2007 18:39:56 GMT -4
One young juvenile had been seriously bitten when I got in there, and was soon finished off before I could stop the other females in the holding tank. The males are in front of me - why I moved the females outside - so I can watch them. So far so good. No females scents around. But the above juvie was the only bitten mouse of a few dozen. Supposedly checking the nipple line is the "easiest" way - not when they squirm. It was the anal/urethral distance and appearance I got used to. Harder to do with juvies. Some young ones are still with the females - I'll have to recheck them soon. Meanwhile, after 15 days of split-screening and switching daily a gerbil split-screening failed. So I moved "Bitey" out (the other was not very aggressive) and will screen with a third male. But now they are both agouti colored. Regular (fancy) male mice CAN be vicious to each other, although that is less likely (though possible) if from the same litter. Did your degus try and bite? The one god thing about this tiring process was that only a few tried at all to bite. Another tank to do soon.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Oct 31, 2007 18:42:58 GMT -4
So how long exactly does that take you? I remember doing Benny, Theo, and Harriet's cages back to back and that took long cause *coughJoshwouldn'thelpcough*. See my first sentence in the first post! ;D
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Post by Andrea on Nov 1, 2007 12:50:04 GMT -4
My Degus have never bitten anyone (not even the Vet) they are such good boys. I have to clean my Degus soon (argh they are messy), and I have a couple Gerbils tanks to do. Rabbits were done Wednesday, so they will be good for a while. My house has to be de-halloweened but i don't have time until next week, I have a pet Fair booth to organized all weekend.
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Post by Hamsters82 on Nov 1, 2007 17:35:35 GMT -4
You just said long hours, long hours is what 4-5?
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Nov 1, 2007 21:06:32 GMT -4
You just said long hours, long hours is what 4-5? Is this a gag?? I said a FEW. >> I just spent a few hard long hours << It is right up there at the top of this thread. (It was just over two hours, actually). Seemed longer.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Nov 1, 2007 21:11:08 GMT -4
My Degus have never bitten anyone (not even the Vet) they are such good boys. I have to clean my Degus soon (argh they are messy), and I have a couple Gerbils tanks to do. Rabbits were done Wednesday, so they will be good for a while. My house has to be de-halloweened but i don't have time until next week, I have a pet Fair booth to organized all weekend. Could you someday post photos of your degu setup? I know they spray and love to climb, so it seems really difficult to do, especially due to their size. I told you long ago at the Bronx Zoo they have a rodent house and a big degu display featuring them climbing up branches. . . and just pushing off others who fall down! Very rude! ;D I have never seen spiny mice or gerbils do stuff such as that.
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