# Tri-color for newbs



## kloo1123 (Dec 11, 2011)

What color parents would I have to breed to get a tri-color litter? They're just so adorable, but I can't find any breeders within a reasonable distance so I ought to try myself.


----------



## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Tricolors come in just about any color; you need the genes for it. It's a combination of a gene called Splashed (Spl) along with two recessives in the C locus. that would be c^h (himalayan), c^ch (chinchilla), c^e(extreme dilution), and c (albino). Any combo of these recessives with the splashed gene will yield a splashed mousie. In order to produce tricolor markings, that is, solid patches of colors, you also need some kind of white marking gene. The white marking is essential, and generally, the more white marking, the better.

There are certain combos all of these things that yield better, bolder, clearer patches of color of the sort that will yield mousies that meet the show standards. You can get all kind of interesting looking tricolors and splashed mousies outside the standards with these factors. The black based tricolors generally have the best and boldest markings, with c^e/c being the go-to combo for show quality mousies.

It sounds complicated, but you only need one mousie that is tri or splashed to start with, and one mousie that is marked AND carries or shows a C locus dilution.

The splashed gene is the only part that is currently somewhat hard to find from breeders, though they've been spread pretty far and wide in the last year. I don't know where you live, but a post in the for sale and wanted area in this forum could get you in touch with a breeder.


----------



## kloo1123 (Dec 11, 2011)

I'm totally new to the whole genetics thing so thank you for making that very easy to follow!


----------



## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Clarification: You cannot use any combination of c's. Spl with c/c will not result in a splashed mouse. Or, rather, the mouse will be splashed but still albino.


----------



## Kingnoel (Apr 23, 2011)

This leads me to a related question, is there a way to determine which c dilution you have? Will breeding splashed to splashed show you which c dilution you have in your lines?

It seems it would be very useful to know which one you had.


----------



## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

You can use a mousie who obviously shows one of those dilutions. A siamese or himalayan; pretty obvious if you have one of those, or chinchilla. I guess you need to know what the dilution looks like in different colors, or buy mousies from someone who can tell you what the genetic background is. I somewhat envy those who have been able to get a pair of tricolor or splashed to breed, but I think that it's an opportunity for a good learning experience. I know I've learned a lot since I got my first tris.

I suggest looking at finnmouse; she shows pix of the different types as well as assorted colors that arise from these dilutions. L. is right about albino plus slbino not bineg a good pairing, it covers up everything. I'd start with a beige pied mousie and one that is splashed or tricolor. It can be dome with any color, if you find a pied diluted yellow (straw), or a pied diluted blue (lilac or silver),
they would do as well in producing something that shows the splashed effect.


----------

