# handling babies



## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

Is handling blind young helpful for taming? Surely a baby will only be tamed once its eyes are open and it can see hands? Any views on this?


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I do like to handle blind young, both for my sake and theirs. I feel like it helps them be easier to tame again later. They do go through flea stage and pretend they've gone crazy, but they're used to the smell and feel of the hand, even if they're not used to what it looks like.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I handle young from day one. It doesn't matter that they can't see you. Like Laigaie says they can smell you, and this is a far more important sense to a mouse than sight.


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

I handle from day one.
Even if they cant see, they can still smell you and be used to handling.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

i also handle from day one everyday normaly.


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## Gill (Sep 16, 2011)

I'm new to breeding, but I have also been handling from day one. It gets the pinkies used to your smell and, without picking them up, how do you sex them?


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## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

well i'm going to handle them tomorow, they'll be 4 days. I was just very nervous about desturbing the mum.. its her first time and when i got her (3 months ago) she was very skittish. I don't want her to have a panic attack and eat them all


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## GibblyGiblets (Oct 2, 2011)

yes, it helps, infact in my experience, you pretty much NEED to, otherwise once they go to the flea stage, they're impossible, well handled babies don't go through the flea stage as bad, it seems
I handled all my babies pretty much as soon as the momma was done birthing, and everyone was clean and dry and momma left the nest for the first time (IF the momma was friendly with me), otherwise I waited until day one.

I handled atleast twice a day until their eyes started to open,then I upped it to four or five times per day, talking to them helps as well.

I got all of my babies used to "hi babies!" when I handled them, and just talked to them lol

I had one litter who by the time they were 3 weeks, I could open the top of the cage and go "hi babies!" and they would all scurry out of the nest and climb all over my hand to be picked up and loved.

momma seemed to enjoy the break :lol:


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## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

aww how cute! ANother question how old are they through all there little stages like fur/ eyes open stuff like that?


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

mousery_girl said:


> aww how cute! ANother question how old are they through all there little stages like fur/ eyes open stuff like that?


http://www.fancymice.info/babiesdevelop.htm


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

I handle from the very beginning. If the mom is more skittish then I wait until she leaves the nest, and then put her in a small holding tank with treats while I handle the babies. I've definitely noticed that the babies I handle from the beginning get very tame. Sometimes they hardly have a flea stage at all, if I've been really diligent in keeping them socialized


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## jadeguppy (Jun 4, 2011)

Someone recently posted an article related to handling babies. The research showed that it increased the mice's stress tolerance in the long run. Not only do we get to handle the babies, but we are actually helping them in the long term. win win.


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## hlforumhl (Oct 2, 2011)

I have worked with animals other than mice, too, and one surefire way of ensuring that they will be tame adults is handling before their eyes open. 
I believe that there are two main reasons why this works.

1. When their eyes are closed, they rely on smell much more, and the smells that they smell consistently become engrained in their brain as "safe" smells, like their mother, the smell of their cage, and if you handle your mice, you.

2. Once they can see you, they can see how big and scary you are, and they can be scared. If you handle them before your eyes are open, they learn that your smell is not to be feared, and when their eyes open and they see how big and scary you are, they are less scared because they already trust your smell.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Handling the mother is important too; the babies smell you on mum and associate the smell with security. I like to hold the babies until they fall asleep: so sweet!


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## hlforumhl (Oct 2, 2011)

good link. Clears things up for a lot of people!


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## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

I have handled them twice a day since 4 days and they're a bit wriggly now (15) days, when i try to pick them up they don't like it :shock:


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

I love holding them before their eyes open, they all wriggle about and go to sleep :love1. I normally let them settle and put the telly on and cuddle them for ages :lol:. Once they have fur anyway. Especially if there is a split age group or more than one litter in the box, I like to hold one half of the litter and swap them over after a bit. Helps the smaller ones get a chance to feed without competition once a day.


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## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

awww, i'm now holding them and leaving myt hand in the cage so they crawl on me whislt toddling about and annoying mum :lol:


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