# Show Bench + Ear Tags



## pro-petz

Due to large number of mice I have I am considering the use of ear tags, my question is would a mouse be disqualified for having an ear tag?. If not how bad a penalty would be imposed?.

I have not seen within rules that ear tags are not allowed and points for ears being 5, so am I right in assuming that a mouse with an ear tag would lose upto the full 5 points due to the ear tag or would having the ear tag not make any difference.


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## SarahC

Your mice wouldn't be anonymous if they were ear tagged so it's not really viable.It would be permissible and probably reasonable for someone to object to your exhibits on those grounds.I suppose you could just tag the breeding stock but they have such delicate ears that it's hard to imagine it being successful.What will you use?


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## pro-petz

The ears are delicate and a special ear tag tool and tags would be used, two types of tags available plastic and metal and are used in Laboratories. Also not an easy task to do without either a second pair of hands or the restraining tube.

Not something I would recommend doing without training as so easy to hit a main blood vessel with the tag.

I understand about possible objection. Of the 5 points allocated to ears how many would be lost as the tag does create a hole in the ear so can not be deemed perfect ear on that count alone, if tag could be removed and replaced like women do with ear rings.

Trying to find a solution to permanently identify stock as quickly as possible that`s the reason for asking and toe clipping I am totally against.


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## SarahC

mice are frequently shown with a slight nick in the ear,usually because the exhibitor has not spotted it . I would be pretty certain that it's chances of winning would be scuppered.The judge will be looking for reasons to whittle down the numbers.A hole in the ear would be so obvious that there would be virtually no chance of winning a section and zero chance of winning BIS.It's really got to be an absolute no for mice that you wish to show.Stick to exploring the options for the breeding stock which will be the vast majority of animals in any case.


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## pro-petz

Thanks Sarah for your rapid response.

Nail polish on toe nail/s and a bottle of remover for those that may be shown seems to be the best option I am using at present, although does need reapplying at regular intervals, having the vast array of colours does increase the number of mice kept than permanent markers. Do get some strange looks from counter staff when buying multiple colours of nail polish.

Micro chips was another option but not cost viable and having to handle the mice also for proper indentification rather than a visual source.


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## Cait

I have been told that Sharpies on tails etc work, or trimming a patch of fur short in a different location. There is no way you could tag ears and enter the mouse in a show. I don't know why you'd want to either. If you just want to know who gave birth to certain offspring it would be easier to separate does to kindle on their own and use record cards on the cages.


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## pro-petz

Ear tags are placed on Mice at an early age, Also I do quite alot of fostering also so not always possible to put different coloured to foster parents. I do use record cards of a sorts but no longer on cages all now computerised so barcodes are now used per cage, each mouse has its own barcode also.

Sharpies I have found do not last aslong as the nail polish. The question was just a general one as to if ear tags were permissable and how badly penalised having such would be which SarahC has pointed out they are permissable but would never attain an award.

Cutting of fur would be penalised just as much on show bench and carries more points that could be lost than ears max 15 against 5. Sharpies also like ear tags cold be as SarahC stated away of identifying the breeder and may also be subject to objections, as could cutting small area of fur. Seems like I will be continuing with the nail polish as that can easily be removed if mouse was upto show standard and reapplied after. Although still not a permanent way.

Split leg rings was also an idea I had of trying, but seen so many birds with broken legs due to rings am hesitant to try.


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## WoodWitch

Sarah C did not say that ear tags would be permissable on the show bench, she said it would be permissable grounds for complaint.


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## Cait

I was not suggesting you could show mice that were marked in any way, just identify them. I would not class a mouse with any manmade tag etc showable, and I'm a judge, as are sarahc and Woodwitch.


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## SarahY

Morning!

I would disqualify a mouse with any kind of identification mark; it would be the same as showing a mouse in a bright pink Maxey. With regards to holes in the ears, yes ears are not worth many points in themselves, but I would class a hole in the ear as an injury; also a disqualification in my opinion.

I wonder why you feel you need to identify every single mouse? I'm not being mean here, I just wonder if you're making things harder for yourself than you need to? Saying that, I know every mouse in my stud. I keep very detailed records (because that is my nature, not because it makes me a better breeder/exhibitor) in a table in a word document and if you pointed at a random mouse, I could tell you its date of birth, who its parents were, and if it carries any other genes. But many successful show breeders do not keep records at all and identifying individual mice is not important for winning.

Otherwise, if record keeping won't work for you, maybe you would be comfortable with breeding marked varieties for showing as each individual is unique in appearance?


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## pro-petz

The reason I want to identify every mouse is for holiday period mainly so that as I know my mice a person caring for them whist away does not and at least if something does happen to go wrong they would be able to communicate with which mouse. Also indentification also help in that as for same reason I could instruct to pair certain mice together prior to my return.

As many will know I breed feeders and pet mice and only recently started with show line stock past 12 months as above holiday period would be main concern as would not want to inform babysitter to pair a PEW from cage x to a buck in cage y as all my does are mixed in a cage and would not want a show line being paired to a feeder.

Guess I`ll have to abandon holiday plans til new mousery built and more organised in housing with the extra tubs that will be available.

Thanks all for the response, especially from judges. has certainly given me more insight into how you all think when judging. Certainly between one just marking down on a fault and others that instant disqualification. Which from original post thought all would do.


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## SarahY

Unless you are going away for weeks and weeks, don't worry about it! You could safely leave your mice for two weeks in the hands of a carer: 
1) Plan your breeding so you have no litters to wean in that fortnight, wean just before or just after.
2) Pair up your breeding pairs the day before you go.
3) When you get back you can remove the females in kindle from the males (assuming you do that) and everything can continue as normal.

If you are going away for weeks and weeks, breed a large amount of litters so that they are ready to wean a week or so before you go, and then you can just let them grow up in the time you're away and pair them when you get home. The only thing your carer will have to worry about is separating any fighting bucks.


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## PPVallhunds

When I go away on holls I leave a list of instructions and number up all the boxes. I mark a jug for food and my list will say how much food to feed each box. I make sure I have no one who needs separating while im away and will either pair up just before I go or will wait until I get back. My friend was shocked the first time as she was also looking after her mums dogs and my mice had a longer list than for the dogs lol.

My last holliday I had 2 people pop in during the week to top up food and water. When the second person came there was a box where the mice had escaped, they knew where my spair stuff was, the fixed the box and called me to tell me how many they had found lose and what box it was so I could tell them how many there was ment to be. They found them all.


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## pro-petz

Thanks SarahY but unfortunately my holiday is going to be for quite some time 3-6 months first one in 35 years so going to make the most of it. Not going to be for another couple of years so trying to prepare everything in advance, hopefully have new mousery fully kitted out by then so would not be an issue, was working on the worst case scenario.


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## andypandy29us

you could always ship a few boxes of mice that need extra care over to me I dont mind baby sitting


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## pro-petz

Adopted the following nail painting system which hopefully will last me some time.










Now for the fun part of applying the nail polish


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## SarahC

I'm intrigued by your efforts.Let us lnow how it goes.I get angry painting my own nails.My patience would be at an all time low painting mouse nails :shock: :shock: and if you find a brand of nail polish that doesn't come off I'm even more interested.


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## pro-petz

Starting off using the cheapest I could find, Good old pound shops. Going to apply testing 2 methods first just paint on as is and secondly similar to gloss paint in that lightly sand the nail first to form a rougher surface than the usual smooth so that it has a key to adhere to and hopefully will stay on longer than just a week or so, which is good for the feeder lines but not so sure on show lines as even after using the nail polish remover may still leave traces within the abrasions caused by sanding.

Secondary factor also be monitoring is the fumes even though be doing it in well ventilated area.

Will keep you posted on results and brands of nail polish used


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