I've had mice and rats and I really don't like male mouse odor, but don't  mind male rat smell.  I actually like the smell of my males better than my females.  A couple smell like warm tortilla chips.

Males cages can be cleaned more often if the smell bothers you.

Yeah, actually I'm looking for a lap/shoulder rat. A rat that will like to cuddle and be with me. Just looking for a real sweetheart!  

My male doesn't scent mark, but all 3 of my girls do.  Go figure!  

mice in general smell a lot more than rats do. i have two cages of mice and the odor they emit overpowers the 22 rats i have in my two room apartment by far.

if you want a shoulder rat, go for males - they are in general a lot more calm and more content to sit with you. girls are pretty much on the go from birth til old age- when they *usually* calm down.

personally i find that males smell more than females, but i know that other people have different results. it depends on what they are caged in, how many there are, how often you clean the cage, what bedding you use, how often you clean the toys in the cage, and if you let them marinate in their hammocks: )

  I just have to say I love how you phrased that! Ha! That's awesome...stinky, but awesome.

well i have 2 boys and when i was rat sitting a female rat, she smelled waaaaaay more! not of pee or anything but just had a smell to her.

I love the smell of my rats.  Last night as I was holding Bubba, I just kept sniffing him!  The smell kinda reminds me of a puppy.  I'm gonna check tonight for the corn chip smell!  LOL

I think it depends on the rat.  My boys have a light musky odor to them, but it's not unpleasant.  Warm and sort of woodsy.  My petstore girls smell like blueflag iris, or flowery grape soda.  My Mom thinks they smell like old lady perfume.  Very nice scent.  I thought all girls smelled like that until I got my new babies a month ago.  They smell like nothing.  No odor at all. I was actually disappointed!
I clean their cages every 5 days or so, and change their bedding every other day, and they don't stink at all.  No one can tell I have pets when they walk into the house.  I couldn't say that when I had a dog and cats.  Rats are the best, no matter what sex you get.    

yes
same number of males and females in seperate cages, the boys cage will smell before the girls does.
The rats themselves are a different matter.
I'm a totally biased girl lover.

That reminds me, when your kids get bigger, I could possibly take one or help you place a few. I'm way over my rat max (it's 6, I have but an interesting color/markings is always welcome in my house.
Anna

Mr. Jingles sprays a lot. I can smell it a bit at first but then I don't smell a thing.  

Both my male and female rattys have smelt, but it's a nice smell.  I do prefer the male smell though, and if you're looking for a lap-rat you're probably better off going with males.

I've also found that my females seem to spray urine everywhere, when I had two males in my cage the ground around it was always dry, but since I've moved 2 females in with 1 neutered boy, I've had to put it on top of a towel otherwise the ground around it will get wet with urine. Lucky I don't have carpet on the floor.
One of my boys would also mark me, that is pee on my a really tiny amount as though marking his territory, but my other boy and my two girls don't do this. Maybe it does just come down to the individual rat?

I do have a question though, you're keeping the 2 mothers right? So you might be better off keeping girls just to avoid unwanted pregnancy..

I think my boys smell like tortillas too!   I absolutely LOVE mexican food, and every time I make the comment that my Stuart smells like a tortilla, my husband says to him, "Run, Stuart!  She's gonna get ya!"

Wow!  I'm not the only one who likes the smell of some animals!  I particularly liked the smell of my late cockatiel, but I can't think of any way to describe it.  I can't wait to see what my ratties will smell like!  Someone actually tried to tell me that rats stink.  Shows ya how much he knows.

I think females have more odor than males, and, as I read on another post, they pee everywhere.  I just CANNOT get my girls to litter box train.  The boys, it was just automatic.  

Plus, males are just so large and lumbering.  I love the guys (love the girls, too, but my boys are my favorite).