# Oh God why :(



## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

someone just emailed me and said their baby mouse has 8 babies! I sold her 3 girls (hopefully) on the 19th of last month and on the 1st of april she had a litter which means she got pregnant when I was looking after her!

I usually sell the babies just before 4 weeks so how could a baby have got pregnant?! I'll be separating the boys at 3 weeks in future. how embarrasing.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Firstly, you are selling those mice far too young, it's not fair to them to sell them at under five weeks old, let alone under four! Don't wean males at three weeks either; that's too early and they're still feeding from their dam.

Secondly, someone has made a mistake here. You say you sold these mice at four weeks (on the 19th) and less than two weeks later (on the 1st) a litter was born? I would say that is not possible; either you sold older mice than you thought or the person you sold them to is mistaken or lying. Do they have any other mice? If it has happened that a doe has become pregnant and kindled a litter by six weeks old, I would say this was an extremely rare, freakish case.

In future if you keep all baby mice for three weeks after you split the sexes, this won't happen again.


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## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

well on the 19th i think she was 4 weeks and almost 3 weeks later its had babies so i must have been pregnant at almost 3 weeks when she was still with mummy and her brothers. no this person has no other mice. Should i offer to buy them back?


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

It would be a decent thing to do to offer to buy them back,you can't say fairer than that.I've never heard of mice getting pregnant that young either or of bucks mating their sisters that young.Are you sure you haven't had a date mix up


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## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

I know I thought it was werid but deffinatly not, everythings on my calendar and the lady said it was the 19th I sold them to her. I will offer to buy them back now


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

Don't separate the males at three weeks, they're not fully weaned at this point and still need to learn things from their mothers.


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## maddeh (Jul 14, 2011)

Is there any chance a male somehow slipped through? Or perhaps a hermaphrodite since they seem to occur quite often on these forums  
This is such a weird case... but I agree with everyone - separating the males earlier than 4 weeks would be very unfair to them.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

Are you sure you sold her 3 females? it would make much more sence if one was a male and they bred soon after leaving. I take my boys out at 4-5 weeks. Never had a young male knock up any of the girls. I left a baby male in with his mother once as i wanted to breed them and he wouldnt mate her untill he reached 12weeks! seems my siam line mice like to play hard to get. :lol:

If i was you id either ask her to send photos of there bums or if they are close go and resex them. Also would def offer to buy them back.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

aaah,the obvious answer to the riddle :lol:


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

Somebody's dates are wrong. There is no way a 6-7 week old doe had a litter. Even if there was a buck in with the doe when they left you, the birth is still too early.


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

Dont separatr the boys at 3 weeks, thats too young.
Either one of the oens you sold is male, or they have other mice.


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## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

ah yes it was sometime in Feb not last month, i did sell her a boy by accident. what a noob  there's going to be babies popping up all over the place! I hate it when its hard to sex a mouse, why didn't the silly thing have his balls out for me to see?!!! :evil: anyway looks like I'll be taking a trip round there and buying back a load of mice :?


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

Ah mistory solved.
Prehaps you might want to consider keeping them longer befor you sell them, as it will be much easyer to see nuts on a older male than a 4 weeker. Mine dont go to new homes untill 8weeks normaly no missing nuts then lol.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Another option is to use marker on the tails of those whose nipples are visible. I find them more reliable than the presence or lack of male organs.


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## mousery_girl (Nov 13, 2011)

ok thanks guys, just asking how many of you have made mistakes with customers??


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm actually dealing with an adopter who's concerned that one of the 13wk does I sent her home with was pregnant. I'm certain she's just filling out faster than her sister, though, as neither has seen a male their entire lives! Bucks were culled out of the litter at only a few days old, and I re-check often. She'll see soon enough.

Since I've made a mistake with my own mice, I could as easily send a mistaken mouse to a pet home. Mistakes just happen.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

Ive miss sexed a few that i kept in the past, not sent any off wrong yet as i get paranoyed and tripple check befor they leave lol. But it could allways happen. i now sex mine 3 times, day 1, day 7 and 4weeks, then sex again any that are to go to a new home befor they leave. Just to make sure. i sexed a litter once as 1f 4m but it turned out i had sexed the same male twice as 2 were agouti and the one i kept missing was a female, then when i was running them on i was thinking hmmm he looks fat so had a look and he was a she lol


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## Tikmio (Oct 9, 2011)

I usually check everyday.


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