# A few basic questions



## Pandapop (Jul 27, 2012)

That I'm sure some of you more experienced breeders could probably answer for me...

According to the Finnmouse site, you can get the following colors by combining these varieties:

Beige = Bone/Bone or CPB/CPB
Blue = Silver/Blue Burmese or Silver/Blue Tan (there are a few more)
Dove = Champagne/Silver

But what makes these mice -- Champagne? Fawn? Lilac? Silver?

I do know that (besides Lilac), you have to add the pink-eyed p/p gene to bring out these colors. Like silver is genetically a pink-eyed blue, you'd have to introduce that gene through a blue pairing? Assuming one of the blue parents carries it? Is there a simpler way to figure out color combos like the Beige, Blue and Dove listed above? I felt like they were pretty straight forward and to the point, whereas these other colors I mentioned are more complicated.

Hopefully what I'm asking makes sense.


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## gyri (Nov 20, 2012)

I produced silver quite by accident. I had a blue female and agouti male that had bred twice producing a total of about 16 young but on their third and final pairing 3 of the young had pink eyes, two silver and one argente. I was a bit surprised because if my male and female both had a single copy of the pink eyed gene I would have expected it to turn up in one of their first two litters. One of those random chance things I guess. I wish I had kept one of the males produced from my blue female, all would have carried a single copy of the gene making it a lot easier for me to produce more silvers but I did no think that far in advance unfortunately. I've had a few "coulda shoulda woulda" moments like this since I got into breeding. You should be right that adding the gene with a blue pairing then breeding one of the blue offspring to any of its siblings should eventually produce a silver young. I can't really speak to the rest though. If you would like to take a shortcut I could arrange to give you a mouse that carries the blue and red-eyed genes.

I can't speak towards the rest of your ambitions though.


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## Pandapop (Jul 27, 2012)

My first silver came from the pet store, and all others from that one mouse. It's easy enough to get silver babies if you already have a silver mouse. I was just wondering if there were an easier way to bring about silver in a litter, like how the Bone + Bone makes Beige, or Champagne + Silver makes Dove. It's not looking like there is, though. Just the matter of introducing that p/p gene.

And I totally understand, I had a lot of those moments too. Just recently had one, actually. I brought in all those mice to the pet store that I mentioned before, and just now realized I tossed in my dove brindle buck when I meant to put in the poor argente I had... Side-by-side they look pretty similar. He was an undermarked brindle, so he only had maybe three or four of the dove stripes. But, at least I still have his sister... they are pretty little things.

I don't really need a carrier mouse right now, I was just curious if there were any other ways to obtain said colors. At the moment I have wayyyy to many baby mice to make room for any adults. I've got over 40+ babies of different ages from different pairings that I have to deal with, lol. Fortunately in about a week I'll be able to rehome at least 1/3 of them. If you've got the room and are looking for more mice to add to your mousery, I could tell or show you what I've got at the moment that I don't plan to keep. Of course they're all descended from pet store mice, so there's no great heritage or pedigree to any of them.


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## gyri (Nov 20, 2012)

The heck with pedigree, but if you have any curly haired mice or carriers of that gene I'd be interested. I'm just about in the same boat as you though, so many babies.... My problem is every time I produce a new variety that I didn't have before I want to keep it as a breeder. Sooner or later I'll have to start picking and choosing though. Let me know if/when you have a curly-haired mouse available and I'll give it a good home. My girlfriend could meet you after work some time if I can't make it up into your region


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## Pandapop (Jul 27, 2012)

I only ever had one curly-haired mouse, and he was gorgeous... got him from Petco, but unfortunately he passed on a day later after purchase. Petco really does not take good care of their animals. I was devastated. I had big plans for that boy. On top of that, I'm pretty sure he was splashed. Splashed fawn I think... he did have red/pink eyes. He was (I believe) a long-haired satin astrex. :c

I'll definitely be on the look-out for one, though. I'll let you know if I ever find one again.


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## gyri (Nov 20, 2012)

Ahh. I thought I'd seen in one of your post that you had curlies. I'll let you know if I turn any up too!


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## Pandapop (Jul 27, 2012)

Nope... I want some, though. I have standards, standard satins, longhaired, longhaired satin... but that's it when it comes to coat-types.


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