# Varigated.....help!



## mousemad (Jun 7, 2010)

Please could someone out there give me a little help. I have what I believe to be a line of varigated mice. I can't seen to find much information on them tho!
I would like some advise about the best way to improve the markings, such as is it better to breed Vari to Vari or not? Is it a good idea to pair up opposites like too little markings with too much etc?
Also what effect would you get by putting a varigated to a broken?
If anyone has any pics, that would be great


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

All I know is homozygous can be fatal in variegated. 

Good thing to ask around about that!


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## WNTMousery (Jun 2, 2010)

Successful breeders often do pair Vari x Vari. You would want to pair the best markings with the best markings and not use those with too little markings or overly "clumped together" markings.

Variegated + Homozygous Recessive Spotting (aka Piebald or sometimes "Broken") = Black Eyed White


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## mousemad (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks, does anyone have any pics of a good varigated? I started with 2 does, sadly one of these has died  I have managed to get a good group of assorted varigated I was just hoping someone could give me some pointers now on how to refine them :?

Rhasputin:-Yep a double dose of varigated is fatal but unlike say RW where the double dosed babies are reabsorbed and never born, the double varigated are born as BEW. They are aniemic and sickly and will die within a few days 

This is all I have managed to find out so far


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## Seawatch Stud (Feb 8, 2009)

Varis were lost to the British mouse fancy for years. In the mid eighties a fancier named David Bumford re-created them. He is still in the NMC and knows all about varis and much else besides. His phone number is published in the NMC yearbook it costs £10 a year to join. I suggest thats what you do.


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

Here's a photo of a pretty nice vari: http://thefunmouse.com/varieties/images ... ted1LG.jpg


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## mousemad (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks for the help


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## thickgiraffe (Nov 3, 2010)

this might answer one of my query's then. i was wondering if variegated is a roan gene. if it is a semi lethal gene then i can assume it is. every now and again we have one or two variegated's crop up in litters and my partner has an interesting one currently and i wanted to ensure i pick the right male for her.


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

variegated is not the same as the roan gene. They are, so far as I'm aware, completely unrelated. Roan is an intermingling of black and white hairs that should be even across the body with no white areas caused by the gene....it is also not a lethal or semi-lethal gene. The "roan" gene in the fancy that most of us have worked with is a recessive gene and produces more merles than roans...but again, the gene does not produce white areas.


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## thickgiraffe (Nov 3, 2010)

Ahh, as roan in other species i.e. cows. produce whites when bred together and to breed the true colour you would need to mate them to a different colour, and in g.pigs they are lethal and produce (usually) dead whites when bred together as a roan. the ideal roan would be as you described but from what i have seen in these two other species they are closer to variegated's and are inherited in the same manner as variegated's.


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

Roan in mice is not the same gene. It is just called roan b/c it looks the same.


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## thickgiraffe (Nov 3, 2010)

how very odd. that is interesting though. i only ask with regards to roan as i like the variegated's and i keep getting one or two thrown out and was wondering the best way of keeping them coming and i don't want to end up with lots of whites/weak pups.


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