[Effy]

I'm not entirely sure this is the right place to ask this, but I couldn't find a better place.

I was talking to someone yesterday about me not being able to tell one mouse from another most of the time and he said jokingly that he should put his small bird leg rings on them.
Thinking about this seriously...could you use the smallest leg rings on mice? :?
I don't particularly WANT to...if I had so many mice that I needed to do that, I'd be tail-dipping...but COULD you?

I imagine it would either annoy them too much or they'd chew it off and risk chewing themselves...but if they fitted comfortably, I can't think of a reason why they shouldn't be OK most of the time...but then again...I've never owned mice, have I? :roll: :lol:

 

[Paul]

I can't see how that could work.

With birds the shape of the foot enables you to put on a ring big enough for an adult without it falling off while it's still a chick (the feet are very flexible and the rear facing toe can be folded up to get it through the ring) - with mice you would have to replace the rings as it grew which would mean they were big enough to fall off.... but as you say, they'd probably be chewed off anyway.

The marking is defnately a conundrum - some cat breeders use nail varnish to identify kittens (different colours, different toes etc ), you could try that on your mice!

 

[Cait]

I don't think the size and shape of a mouse's foot would prevent them taking the ring off before long, or catching it on something, or chewing it. If you had a box of mice that were all the same variety and you were desperate to identify individuals you could use Sharpie non-toxic markers on the tails etc (they do this in the US) but tbh you don't really need to know who is who, and can often tell anyway from their small faults etc.

 

[Effy]

Fair enough, thanks all. =]

 

[demon_x_slash]

Some of my pet mice still don't have names as they're so identical! I can definitely tell Bump from Leda and Giselle, but can't tell the latter apart any more (Giselle used to be fatter and Leda had a little nip that's healed now). I've two fat mice who are identical. I'm intrigued by the Sharpies - wouldn't it wear off after time?

 

[Cait]

Yes it's a temporary thing, I think more often used to identify babies in a litter, but could be used for adults if you wanted.

 

[Alan_Calderwood]

one the pet shops i used to work in used to buy in rabbits from a show breeder and they used to have split rings on there legs just above the hock they were just small enough that they would not fall off the hock but gave plenty movement use split metal rings on some on my canaries and u can get them any size and because they are split you could put the on at any time so i suppose you could use them on mice

hope this helps
Alan