# Mice!



## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

I'm rather new here, but I've been breeding mice since the middle of 2010. I'd like to show off some of my mice and possibly get some help in identifying types/breeds? I'm not quite sure as to how to uploads pictures from my computer though... Anyway, I am a feeder breeder, but they are a lot of fun to work with and I'm working on improving colors and health and most of all, temperament <3 Can anyone help me out with the picture part? Thank you


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

http://www.fancymicebreeders.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=12


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi! I see you never made an Intro post, so I was wondering where you're from. Also, in your other thread (from last April) you asked if linebreeding is OK with mice, but did not get a response. I hope you've found out by now that linebreeding is a very, very good thing with mice, and that though you may go through a difficult period, linebreeding or inbreeding are the best ways to effectively intensify the traits you're seeing in your mice. I look forward to seeing your mice, and helping out however possible. There are a lot of resources here, and they're generally pretty awesome.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

No intro post? Then please do make one before posting further as this is a forum rule


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

Working on uploading pics now, photobucket is not my computer's friend, its really slow. But I did find out about the inbreeding part by doing it myself.. My first accidental inbreeding turned out really poorly, so I assumed it was bad, but someone I spoke with urged me to try again with my favorite male Jared and I did...and we have a strong healthy colony for Jared who I hope will pass on his super tame nature. His first babies have been born, a week old today. (Thought I had posted an intro post a few months back???). Oh, and I'm from the USA (Florida) but I can't find a good mouse forum so I came here ._.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Don't worry; there are plenty of us in the US, even members in FL. I'm in AR, for example.


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

The two blue brothers recently produced - I kept the boy on the right and sold off the one on the left. Anyone seen this color before on a mouse? I've had little success looking on the internet but I could be searching under the wrong name of "blue mouse"... Anyway, I need a name for him, he's going to be my newest colony boy. I name all my males and that's how I distinguish colonies.

















And then this is a comparison of one of the light gray females who will be in the new colony with the blue male. Here she is next to a white mouse. This female and the blue male were both born with a naturally calm and tame temperament, they are not afraid to be picked up or handled & are comfortable to be pet.









And then this is the same female with the blue male to show color differences again.









Then, this is Hammel, it's a good possibility that he is the biological father of blue brothers - long story but we're not definite on the parentage, we had to combine new females into Hammel's colony and that restorted in taking all pinkies and fostering them into Ice's Colony (not yet pictured). So this is Mr. Hammel. Colors? Breed/type?









Our (satin?) brindle female, the female held back from a 2-year line I started, well, 2 years ago. lol. She's apart of Hammel's colony.









And here is Mr. Ice, my white male (from fancy parents) who is the best male for fostering needy babies. He will happily accept and protect and care for any baby mouse up to 2 weeks old. He loves his girls and babies. A favorite boy of mine. Possible satin? He has the shiny glossy coat, different from the average white mouse.









...and, some of the babies we produce (all were just sold for new blood to another breeder).









(FYI, these pics were taken on cleaning day, just before the work began XD)


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

...dont know why Ice's pic popped up twice.....


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

Cuties!  I have many blues and variations on blue myself...its not an uncommon color, though not many work with it for show purposes.

The light gray female is dove, which is pink eyed black (a recessive gene that dilutes black to gray with red eyes...it dilutes blue to silver and chocolate to champagne)

Hammel looks like a variegated agouti. Variegated is a dominant spotting gene...so if none of that litter had white markings, they aren't likely his offspring...agouti is also dominant, so if none were ticked its also likely they aren't his offspring

The brindle is definitely satin, and looks longhaired (angora) as well

Is ice black eyed? He definitely looks satin to me  Looking at the markings of the babies and stuff it looks like Ice (and probably all the whites you have) are probably pied variegateds...pied is recessive spotting, and variegated is dominant spotting, when they are combined you usually get black eyed whites (or pink eyed white if the pink eyed gene is present, which you definitely also have). The pied ones are the ones with markings that are more smoth along the edges (the one in the pile near the top facing right, the one behind the brindle in front of the pile, the one to the left of them, and the booty at the very front left is pied)...and the variegated ones are the ones with jagged markings (the one at the front of the pile facing back and hammel are variegated).


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Blue is indeed the color you're looking at! And his pink-eyed grey companion looks like dove. Mr. Hammel is agouti... piebald? variegated? Odd-shaped spotting there. The blue could be blue agouti, given dad's color. It is occasionally hard to tell, if you're not used to the distinctions, since blue is a fairly mealy color, and mealiness and ticking can be hard to tell apart. Is Mr. Ice black-eyed?

Also, I'm curious about their container. That's a remarkably large bin! What am I looking at?


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

the blue agoutis I've had had significantly more brown to them then either of the 2 pictured above...the one on the left could *maybe* be blue agouti...but I think its just really meally. The one on the right doesn't look at all like blue agouti to me.


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

Yes, Ice has black eyes  And because I am a feeder breeder, I needed a more convenient caging system to raise my rats and mice in. Our first rack was very basic, flimsy, and limited, and the cats could open the bins and kill all the mice. After one too many accidents, a big move to Crestview, Florida, (bought our first house ^^) and the addition of rats, I put my foot down and made my husband build me REAL rat racks. This is them, I only just finished installing the new auto water system 2 weeks ago. There are 2 racks right now that hold 6 tubs each, and we are getting ready to build rack # 3 (possibly 4) this weekend:



















^^I LOVE these things, make my life so much easier. Super easy to clean. And even though it's plastic and wood, they don't chew through anything <3


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

And I buy my food/bedding via National Pet Pharmacy because of price and free auto shipping, therefore, the brand is Harlan Teklad (a.k.a Native Earth). If anyone wondered...


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

That's a really awesome system! What is the bit on the end of your auti-waterer? I'm used to the kinds used for chickens, which wouldn't really work for mice. They'd just chew those red rubber nipples right off. Also, I'm surprised to see so similar a system as to Jadeguppy's. Perhaps the idea is in the water.


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

Laigaie, rodent racks are regularly used by feeder breeders, and so are gravity fed watering systems. 
The nozzles look like standard copper nozzles that most people use.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Rhasputin: Indeed, rodent racks are regularly used. I happen to think this is an excellent example: both well-designed and well-maintained. You can borrow designs from others, but it takes hard work and dedication to produce good work and keep it looking good. What's more, I've seen several designs for rodent racks, and find that these two are particularly similar. I am also familiar with gravity water systems, as indicated in my post. :roll: I'm glad to hear they look like the copper nozzles. It is a good choice. There are several different kinds, as you also seem aware.

Staying enthusiastic about the fancy, being interested in what other people are doing, and being polite and engaging is how I get through life. Sometimes, I feel a light rain on my parade. This is why I keep happy rainbow umbrellas.  Also, I will assume that no response to my PM is a polite "No, but thanks!", just to remind you.


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## mouselover01 (Nov 1, 2011)

Kisha, are the mice able to get to the food okay with that height? Do you use the same height as the standard rat racks everyone uses? (with the concrete mixing tubs)?

These are my creations. (with the exception of the crappy one to the right).


This one is for ASF rats, since the tubs are 'indestructible'. 
The reason there are such gaps between levels, is because i don't have the auto watering system in yet, those damn valves are so expensive. I just ordered 50 and have been plumbing since this weekend.



We're going to do a pressure regulated system.

Do you use the vari flow, or original?


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

Laigaie said:


> Also, I will assume that no response to my PM is a polite "No, but thanks!", just to remind you.


Elena contacted you for me, and let you know what mice I was getting.
Both of us have been working extremely hard organizing a mouse show lately, so she did it as a favor for me.

If you need my information again, I can send it.


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

mouselover01: Height was one of my major concerns when I first built these racks but I made a quick 1$ fix to the problem! I bought those clear plastic shoe-box bins at walmart (just 1$ each) and I cut out a door and drilled several breathing holes on the top of shoe box, presto! A cave that also serves as a nice platform where the mice can hop up and feed and drink.

Building these racks were pretty easy actually. All you need is a tool-smart person and an extra hand to put it together. The only tools we used were a screw gun with a drill bit & screw bit, a table saw, a corner clamp, measuring tape, and a stable gun. If you have a jigsaw, that's also handy, but we did not have one available to us, so we cut each 2x4 to the length we needed and then ran those cut pieces through the table saw to make nice 2x2's.

Here is where I got the instructions from: http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/rat_rack/ratrack.shtml

I'll note that we edited the instructions to our needs, so if anyone would like our edited info, let me know.

And, here is where we got all the Auto-water supplies from: http://www.reptilebasics.com/rodent-bird-watering

I can look back on my last order for specific parts used if anyone needs that info 

I might be able to make a step-by-step video with our next rack over the weekend??


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

Do you use the vari flow said:


> I used the vari flow, and I know what you mean about the price, but it was so worth the money. I was so sick of changing water bottles TWICE a day! LOL


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## mouselover01 (Nov 1, 2011)

Omg I know what you mean. I'm motivated to get the rest of these racks plumbed so I can stop doing that!


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

The wire mesh on top of your cages, what size is it? Also, is the wire mesh on the pellet size the same as on the other side, or did you make bigger holes for them to reach the pellets? Just wondering, thanks.


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## kisha (Apr 8, 2011)

I used 1/4" hardware cloth for the mouse rack and it's the same size on both sides. I used 1/2" hardware cloth for the rat racks. basically, they are all rat-rack built, but I edited the rack I wanted to use for the mice.

Use 1/4" hardware cloth if you want to use it for mice. Also, if your building for the mice, go to your local super market (walmart or whatever it may be for your area) and get the small plastic shoe boxes, they only cost me a buck for each one. I trim the tops about 1 inch all the way around them, cut out a "cave" opening, and drill several holes on the top of them to allow airflow. These serve perfect for two things: A very cheap hide cave AND a step stool so that the mice can easily reach the food and water without struggle or strain. I keep two hides for every cage so that I can swap them out once a week and wash them. Very affordable.

Sorry for the LONG overdue reply. I had so much going on this past couple months. Got a shed moved out here, remodeled a room, have a new roof on the house on the way, build another rat rack, work work work.... oh, and now my husband has JUST called to inform me that he's rear-ended another vehicle. ._. Joy.


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