# The Current Guys and Gals



## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

I decided it was about time to take updated pictures of all my mice but apparently my camera didn't agree and felt some pictures were not good enough so deleted all the pictures I took of Basil. Yes, I have growled my camera - not that that did any good.

Junior, Piebald Agouti - cch/ch dilution, carrying chocolate and pink eyes.









Bentley, Piebald Black - carrying either cch or ch, potentially carrying chocolate and pink eyes.
He is only 6 weeks old, (born 21st December) but will be my main stud buck to improve type by being bred back to his Mum and two sisters.









Xia, (middle) Piebald Black carrying.. nothing that I know of.
Here, she is pictured with her two daughters, Fae and Nephelie.









Firefly "Fae", Piebald Agouti carrying either cch or ch, potentially carrying chocolate and pink eyes.
She isn't the best start for type but being a sister to Bentley and daughter of Xia, there is potential to carry something to help produce some typier mice.









Nephelie, Piebald Black - carrying either cch or ch, potentially carrying chocolate and pink eyes.
Nice little tail set going on, there is a lot of potential in this little girl!









Sapphire "Saff", Piebald Black Tan - carrying either cch or ch, potentially carrying chocolate and pink eyes.
She is nothing amazing but she has a pretty little face. I'm hoping she may be pregnant to a self black buck (unlikely but possible).









Opal, Burmese - potentially carrying chocolate and pink eyes.
Possibly pregnant but again, unlikely. 









Topaz Himilayan or poor Siamese.
She may never be bred from due to who her mother is but will remain here.









Ava Himilayan - Retired.
Poor darling is now retired after only one litter, she was never 100% after giving birth and struggled to care for a small litter.









That's all folks


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## Shadowrunner (Sep 26, 2011)

Wow cordane, these guys look amazing.
I remember reading somewhere that you only have access to pet store mice?
Just in the last couple of months it looks like you've made progress with their ears and faces.


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## TwitchingWhiskers (Feb 2, 2013)

I agree with Shadow. Their ears look nice and tulip shaped.

I love Opal by the way


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## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

Shadowrunner said:


> Wow cordane, these guys look amazing.
> I remember reading somewhere that you only have access to pet store mice?
> Just in the last couple of months it looks like you've made progress with their ears and faces.


Yep, only pet shop mice. "Breeders" in NZ don't have goals, they breed "just because". One Breeder will put the same coloured mice together but thats about as good as it gets around here (though even that breeder doesn't know the difference between RY, Champagne and Argente and says they are all argente).

Honestly, thank you so much for the huge compliment but I cannot take all the credit even though I paired them and bred some. You see, Xia and Ava are pet shop mice. The others all have one parents who is a pet shop mouse..



TwitchingWhiskers said:


> I agree with Shadow. Their ears look nice and tulip shaped.
> 
> I love Opal by the way


Thank you!
Opal is a lovely girl, she was rather.. round for a while but as soon as I gave her a wheel, she slimmed down quite nicely


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

i realy like fae!


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## Gill (Sep 16, 2011)

As I said on Facebook, I am very impressed with what you have done. And I know how frustrating it can be working with poor stock - I'm not having much success with my longhaired pieds.

With my love of "fluffy" mice, I'd be tempted to put Fae to Junior if they were mine (and I'm also rather fond of agoutis).


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## ThatCertainGlow (Jun 23, 2012)

The faces of your pied are so unique to me. Especially Bentley, Xia, and Fae. (I too would be interested in exploring the lengthiness of some coats via Fae and Junior. I don't recall if you said angora/longhair is already in NZ.) I hope that uniqueness remains, and makes everyone want a NZ mouse in 60 years. But of course, we can't have one.  (Unless the export/import allows animals out, seeing how we have the rabbits and such. Hmm.)

I would guess that might help make up for the remaining gap in type by then too, somewhat like the US versions of tri-color, angora, and brindle. I'd love to see NZ and Australia with a thriving mouse fancy. I think that what would be produced would be unique, and interesting. Obviously above the common, but still different from any other place.

I do hope nothing ever prevents you and MojoMouse from continuing to improve your mice. Then I'm desperately hoping someone picks up the banner, and continues. (Forgive me if there are other NZ or Australia breeders who are as far, or further, forward.) The UK wouldn't have the mice it does without the back to back multiple lifetimes of dedication. Of course, I won't be around to see any of that passing of the torch bit, not particularly keen on living past 90. :lol: However, I can only think that a huge rise in popularity of healthy well-bred mice could be so helpful in drawing those in the veterinary field to take on their care, and better food/housing made specifically for them.

-Zanne


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## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

PPVallhunds said:


> i realy like fae!


She's cute huh?


Gill said:


> As I said on Facebook, I am very impressed with what you have done. And I know how frustrating it can be working with poor stock - I'm not having much success with my longhaired pieds.
> 
> With my love of "fluffy" mice, I'd be tempted to put Fae to Junior if they were mine (and I'm also rather fond of agoutis).


Why thank you - again!
I'm at a stage where already where I'm not 100% sure on my next few steps. Xia and Nephelie will be put to Bentley and hopefully they will produce a few nice babies - if not.. I'm a bit stuck.
I have seen your fluffies! They are very very pretty! 
I will definitely look at breeding Fae to Junior. While she is Xia's daughter, she lacks a lot of what Nephelie inherited..

Zanne - Thank you! I definitely prefer the faces on my pied blacks, especially Bentley, he has wide cheek bones and just an unsual face shape overall. It's just a shame he is rather skittish despite a lot of handling..
I'm not actually sure about the exporting rules, I don't see why we couldn't. The reasons we cannot import is due to the amount of damage it has done in the past so I would assume, it is all dependant on everyone elses importing rules. Oh! We only have long-haired mice, no angora. Maybe that should be my side project.. fluffies.. Hmmmm
Australia is definitely further ahead in the breeding though I'm not sure on how many are working towards show quality type.. In NZ, as far as I know, I am the only one breeding towards better type though in saying that, I haven't talked to a lot of breeders in NZ but the ones I have talked to mostly breed "just because" or those with goals have since stopped. 
That is definitely one thing I am nervous about, say I manage to improve type significantly during my life-time (providing luck is on my side).. What if after I die, no-one wants to continue improving type? What if I do all this "work" and then it's just.. lost?


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## Veritai (Jan 26, 2013)

Whoa, pretty mousefaces, I love the ears! Is Saff related to Xia and kids or just also spotted? Pet shop or not I think you've got some conformation worth keeping 

I wish I had a simple solution to making other people carry on families, but I don't ... I suppose once you build something good you put some effort into raising interest and getting stock out and I would imagine a certain amount of mentoring or some sort of equivalent so as to not just be blindly throwing good genes away but seeing the family continue and progress instead of tending back towards mediocrity. Or, you know, be happy to be young and have much time ahead before worrying about smuggling a rodentry into the old folks home.


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## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

Oooooo oddly enough, now that you put it that way.. I'm looking forward to come up with some genius ways to smuggle mice into an old folks home 

Thank you by the way 
Saff is a half sister to Fae, Nephelie and Bentley (same dad) but from my knowledge, she is as unrelated as I can get to Xia.


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