# Advice on my pinkies



## Tinkers Mousery (Feb 20, 2011)

My baby mice will be 7 days old tomorrow and still have no furr??? im a bit worried. this is the mum's (patches) first litter and there are 8 babies. i dont know if this makes any difference? these pics are of them at 6 days old. their darker patches have only just started showing on their skin.


6 days old by Tinkers Mousery, on Flickr[/url]


6 days old. by Tinkers Mousery, on Flickr[/url]


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## Oneweek22 (Feb 13, 2011)

If you look at them closely you should see some light fuzz on them especially there face and back. Dont worry it is growing.


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## Tinkers Mousery (Feb 20, 2011)

ok thanks. i shall have a good look at them 2moz


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## jessilynn (Jul 9, 2010)

They look very skinny :? Have you thought about culling at all?


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

Yes, they are quite thin, they should have a good layer of fat on them by now.


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## Matt Haslam (Mar 13, 2010)

yep, very thin for 7 days, look more like a day or two old. You can see their fur coming, but they are quite slow developing.

have you considered culling?

what is the nursing doe eating? how is she looking?


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## Tinkers Mousery (Feb 20, 2011)

well when we got her we didnt even know she was pregnant. so she hasnt been put to any of my bucks. what type of food is good for milk production?? im sorry but culling is not my thing. patches( the mum) is still looking a bit porky but eating well but only on a mix at mo. was guna make up my own food for her.


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## Matt Haslam (Mar 13, 2010)

Fancy Mice Wales said:


> well when we got her we didnt even know she was pregnant. so she hasnt been put to any of my bucks. what type of food is good for milk production?? im sorry but culling is not my thing. patches( the mum) is still looking a bit porky but eating well but only on a mix at mo. was guna make up my own food for her.


give her scrambled egg, sprinkle lactol on her food. Chicken growers pellets or a good dog kibble can be good for protein.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Eight babies is not a huge amount, once they've started eating on their own they'll be fine I'm sure. Just feed them as Shiprat has described. 


> im sorry but culling is not my thing.


Since you seem so interested in exhibiting mice, I just wanted to make you aware that you're not going to be able to successfully breed and show mice without culling. If you can't cull then exhibiting mice is not the hobby for you I'm afraid. ETA: If you'd like a proper explanation as to the benefits and the reasoning then PM me and I'd be happy to explain or you can have a look at this page on my website, which I wrote for people thinking of exhibiting: http://www.blackthornmice.co.uk/novice10.html.

Sarah xxx


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## Tinkers Mousery (Feb 20, 2011)

hi sarah i have read your page on your website and i have decided as i really want to show then i am willing to do it. these mice that i am breeding at the mo are for pets and petshops that i am supplying so the culling may not be needed.

For the show mice that i want to get i will apply the culling. when they are pinkies how can you tell the bucks from the does and also how do you go about culling them??


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## Tinkers Mousery (Feb 20, 2011)

also shiprat - thankyou for the info. i have given her dried mealworms, some pedigree small bite mixer,some parakeet mix and some bread. ( a sprinkling of each thing on top of that normal mouse mix from pets at home.) hopefully this will help her. I want to make up my own mix.

question - can mice eat rolled barley and crushed oats????

if they can then the mix i was thinking off was -

Rolled barley - 2 scoops
Crushed oats - 2 scoops
parakeet mix - 1 scoop

this was going to be my general mix then for my pregnant and nursing mice i was going to add

pedigree small bite mixer - 1 scoop - to the actual mix.

Then give them these as extras-

dried mealworms
wild bird seed 
scrambled egg cold

is this going to be ok???
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.


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## Matt Haslam (Mar 13, 2010)

That mix sounds good.

as to telling the bucks from does, you get used to it, but from about 5 days you can see the does nipples; they look like pin prick indentations. Have a look on your babies now, you should be able to see them.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

If you'd like to ask for advice about culling either PM someone you know culls or ask to join the culling forum  Glad you're still wanting to show! 

Sarah xxx


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## Tinkers Mousery (Feb 20, 2011)

ok shiprat thankyou very much for the info. i took more pics of my babies today ( 8 days old) they have started to fuzz and their ears are starting to stick out. as they are only pet mice i was going to leave all of them with their mum. and only apply the culling to any show mice i get?? what do you think??

sarah - ok thankyou i will join the culling forum thanks


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## Matt Haslam (Mar 13, 2010)

i've given you access to the culling forum.


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## Tinkers Mousery (Feb 20, 2011)

ok thankyou


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