# Longhaired mice



## Zamwyn

I'm curious; if you keep/breed longhaired mice, do you know which of the lh genes you have? And even if you don't have any yourself, do you know which is the prevalent kind kept within the mouse fancy of your specific country (or any others you're familiar with)?

Also, pics never hurt, but are optional of course.


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## SarahC

I've always kept a few.Had the odd decent one turn up and did win the aov section just the once with one.All UK ones,no idea what that genetically means.Then I had some randomly occur in my splashed mice.The splashed came from Europe and prior to that the USA.Those had better fur than the UK ones so I've replaced all of my UK ones with them.USA or European I have no idea.I was breeding them in white but the splashed keeps coming back so now I'm changing the colour AGAIN which is a set back to the fur.I can't decide on which colour to go for either.They have particularly awful tails,like threads of cotton I notice to.I only keep a maximum of three cages,usually two so progress is slow.


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## Zamwyn

Very interesting, Sarah! From pictures I've seen, many lh mice in the US as well as Australia, seem to have a slightly different kind of fur to most of those we have here in Sweden (or had anyway, I'm a bit rusty and haven't kept up), and possibly most of Europe(?). Much, much longer, and more dense too. In the past it's been theorized that we had both go and lgh, and maybe we did and that's the reason our longhairs differed so in appearance.

Longhairs aren't that popular in the UK, are they? For showing, I mean?


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## SarahC

The USA ones appear far superior for coat length than the UK ones.They aren't popular for showing in the UK because what we have are rubbish(rather than a lack of interest).Doesn't matter what you cross in out comes more rubbish.Poor type,small eyes,awful tails .Resistant to any real improvement.There's the occasional exception but even if that one is a buck and you use it to every available doe it doesn't become fixed.


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## WoodWitch

I'm breeding British Longhaired mice too. 
Mine are not the same as Sarah's and are sturdy mice with better type, but they lack the wonderful tresses we both lust after. I have seen an improvement in type over time but, even breeding lh x lh, I've yet to see the longhair improve more than a miniscule amount. As an added obesrvation, mine are good for showing for about a week!


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## SarahC

that's a good point.To show them you have to know when they will be at their best and which show you are attending and then time your matings so that they will be just right.Most of the interest in them is more from the pet breeder side and that sort of organistion rarely goes hand in hand with the pet side of mouse keeping.
My current group of does.Can't decide what to do with them.Mate to another LH which will perpetuate the splashed or to a different colour and lose even more of the fur length


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## Zamwyn

WoodWich, do I understand you correctly that your mice of a different type to Sarah's are of UK origins through and through?

Overall, I'm wondering if some bad longhairs might simply miss some of the polygenes needed to improve fur length. Otherwise it stands to reason selective breeding should have more of an effect.


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## WoodWitch

Zamwyn said:


> WoodWich, do I understand you correctly that your mice of a different type to Sarah's are of UK origins through and through?


My longhaired mice are completely unrelated to SarahC's but are entirely of British blood (as far as I'm aware). They do throw out the odd litter with better tresses, but as Sarah says, it's not a trait I've managed to fix. I hope that perseverance will prove fruitful because a nice one is really rather lovely!


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## Zamwyn

WoodWitch said:


> I hope that perseverance will prove fruitful because a nice one is really rather lovely!


Couldn't agree more! They have always been my favourites, and a great coat is gorgeous on a lh. Keeping fingers crossed for your efforts to pay off eventually.


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## PPVallhunds

ive had long hair twice, my first ones the coats seemed different to the last one I more reasontly had. My old ones the coats seemed shorter but thicker and the more reason one the hair was longer but finer. will see if I can find photos


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## PPVallhunds

The original ones I had, just out of some feeder/pet mice Their coats were shorter than the last one I had but didn't seem fine but the black tan pied did have a more finer coat then the argente pied.
Argente peids coat was all the same length and not fine








black tan pied she had some longer fine hairs mixed in with her other fur









The more reasont one was out of my original Siamese line (which orignaly came from the line above) however they had longer finer whispy hair. The one I kept (the middle one) did get more fluffier as she got older and it did seem to thicken a bit more but the fur was still fine. I didn't get any pics of her when older that I can find. could never get her to breed.


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## WoodWitch

My best young doe.


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## pauly

I have to admit, they really aren't my cup of tea, but that one is probably the nicest I've seen a pic of.


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## SarahC

they wouldn't be my first choice but they appeal to newcomers particularly those making the transition from pet to exhibition and it's just a shame they can't be consistently better.Angora rabbits and some of the cavies are to extreme for me but there's some really good exhibition hamsters that strike a happy balance imo.


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## Zamwyn

Love all the photo examples. They really can vary quite a lot, the little rascals. The albino is very nice! That's kind of how most of my lh females over the years have looked, although not always as even, I'd say.


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## WoodWitch

pauly said:


> I have to admit, they really aren't my cup of tea, but that one is probably the nicest I've seen a pic of.


Thank You Paul (and Zamwyn). All the more encouraging from someone who isn't sold on the variety!


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