Separating babies

Question
Hello again. My mouse Coral had a wonderful and seemingly healthy litter recently (perhaps you remember me from a week or two ago). Well now the babies (there are twelve of them X3) are 24 days old today (it being the 24th) and I was wondering how much longer they can stand to be together?

They like to steal food from each other and just run around willy nilly, but in the last couple of days I've heard them squeaking somewhat loudly. I don't know if they're just squeaking because they're roughing each other up (with that food business again) or if someone's manhood dropped early. I only consider this because the only time I've heard my mice squeaking in the past was when they were having sex, so I don't know, perhaps they make those sounds whenever they're being bothered. It's really difficult to tell exactly what they're squeaking about because of the way the cage is set up. It makes it very difficult for me to see them sometimes.

Either way, I get paranoid easily and I'd really like to separate the boys and girls quickly. The thing is that I'm not 100% sure if Mom's weaned them yet. And maybe they're too young to leave her anyway? I'm just not sure. I've heard people say they need to be separated right after they're weaned, others say you can wait until almost they're almost 5 weeks.

So, I think what I'm specifically trying to ask is, do you think the boys are too young to be separated from their mom? At 24 days old, are they still in that pre-sexual safe zone? What do you think?

Answer
Dear Korinne,

The pre-sexual phase ends at 4 1/2 weeks at the earliest, so you have time.  

Mice are generally weaned just about now, at 3 1/2 weeks.  Mother mice can have babies as often as every three weeks, so babies have to be able to pretty much fend for themselves at that time.    

As for squeaking, they do that with any kind of squabbling.  My rule about any mice together is chasing and squeaking are fine, but blood is not.

Thus you are fine; you can separate them if you like, but can also wait a week; and the squeaking is no cause for concern.

How I wish all my questioners' problems were so easily and happily solved!  

squeaks n giggles,

Natasha