# Abyssinians - with 6 rosettes!



## SarahY

I have a whole litter of Abyssinians at the moment, all with six rosettes each! One either side of the tailset, one on each flank, and one on each shoulder. They are currently three weeks old which is when the rosettes look at their worst because their baby coats are so fluffy, but since I'm so excited by this improvement in my mice I took a couple of pictures to show you all anyway 



















I'll post lots of pictures in a couple of weeks, when the coat looks more like it should.

Sarah xxx


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## SarahC

they've come on so much.


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## JayneAlison

Well done Sarah


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## Matt Haslam

do they come in dark colours yet???


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## SarahC

I've got some blue ones :mrgreen:


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## racingmouse

I`ve heard of aby guinea pigs but not mice! :shock: Is this a new kid on the block then?


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## Matt Haslam

SarahC said:


> I've got some blue ones :mrgreen:


really or are you taking the mick??

I would like these, but in Black or chocolate. Obviously i could breed some in those colours if i had a bit of a starter.

is it a recessive gene?


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## SarahY

Thanks everyone for your kind comments!



> is it a recessive gene?


Yep, and it requires much concentrating. It's taken a good eight or ten generations of breeding the best to the best to get more than two rosettes on each mouse :shock: A self outcross ruins the rosettes for another good few generations, which is making it very hard to improve for show! :roll: :lol:



> I`ve heard of aby guinea pigs but not mice!  Is this a new kid on the block then?


Kind of. The mouse fancy had Abyssinians years ago but it disappeared, then reappeared recently in some feeder lines. I feel very fortunate, I've wanted Abyssinian mice for years and years  They are much further with it Europe, it's been around overseas for a while now. I've had them nearly a couple of years now.

Sarah xxx


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## SarahC

Shiprat said:


> SarahC said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've got some blue ones :mrgreen:
> 
> 
> 
> really or are you taking the mick??
> 
> I would like these, but in Black or chocolate.
Click to expand...

  of course not.You can have some.Mine are far behind Sarahs.She has put a lot of effort into them.I haven't


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## Matt Haslam

SarahC said:


> Shiprat said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SarahC said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've got some blue ones :mrgreen:
> 
> 
> 
> really or are you taking the mick??
> 
> I would like these, but in Black or chocolate.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> of course not.You can have some.Mine are far behind Sarahs.She has put a lot of effort into them.I haven't
Click to expand...

I'll take whatever you have Sarah! thanks, i want to make chocolate abys


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## Wight Isle Stud

I have said this before- In every other Fancy, there is a big following in the "coated varieties" - Abbys, longhair, Texel, we can all name them. - this is exciting for our fancy. Well done you. New NMC section in the future ? NSC. Non smooth coat.


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## SephysManda

So cool! With the Abyssinian gpigs, I've seen pictures of them from the 20's and they look totally different from the ones we have today (well show quality). I bet it took them a good while to get up to the 8-10 rosettes.

Your mice look awesome and you've done a great job!


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## moustress

Congratulations! :!: This is really big news; I know you've been working on this for quite awhile. I suspect that the rosettes show better in light colors, but I'm eager to see more pix as your babies come along.

I bet satin abby mousies are really great looking.

I am very, very happy for you.


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## Stina

OOOH!! Gorgeous!!!


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## SarahC

I'll be back. said:


> I have said this before- In every other Fancy, there is a big following in the "coated varieties" - Abbys, longhair, Texel, we can all name them. - this is exciting for our fancy. Well done you. New NMC section in the future ? NSC. Non smooth coat.


great idea.We may put a non standardised on at our Midlands show.


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## SarahC

Shiprat said:


> I'll take whatever you have Sarah! thanks, i want to make chocolate abys


they already throw choc and lilac.


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## Matt Haslam

SarahC said:


> Shiprat said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'll take whatever you have Sarah! thanks, i want to make chocolate abys
> 
> 
> 
> they already throw choc and lilac.
Click to expand...

Excellent!


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## laoshu

They are looking great sarah well done  
the swirls are very hard to get right whilst trying to improve size ect aswell so I know how much work you have put into them sarah.

I have abbys here in blue, black, chocolate, dove, chapagne and pew. I think you can nver have enough abbys :lol: . I have shown mine in the non standardised at the enfeild show to get them seen , it would be great if they did get back on the table as a standard.


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## Matt Haslam

What would the standard be?

as many rosettes as possible, or a certain number, i think in Cavy its a certain number? 6?

It would be nice to have another coat type standardised.


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## WillowDragon

I *think* its 8 rosettes on an Aby pig


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## Matt Haslam

WillowDragon said:


> I *think* its 8 rosettes on an Aby pig


correct!

http://www.britishcavycouncil.org.uk/Breeds/ACC/Aby-std.shtml


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## WillowDragon

Yay! I rock! Hehe


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## Rosewood

They look awesome! I didn't know you could have more than two rosettes  I've only got one abby and he's a Satin Blue Fox Abbyssinian. Unfortunately, can't breed from him, bless him. He is gorgeous to goggle at though xD Good luck with these Sarah!


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## SarahY

This is the standard I wrote myself that I work towards  I'd really like to work towards getting them standardised this year.

"May be shown in any standardised colour, and in satin and standard coat. As a minimum there should be a ridge of hair across the middle of the back, at least two rosettes on either side of the rump, and a parting down the centre of the under from throat to vent. More rosettes is an advantage, but the overall symmetry and rosette definition is of greater import than number of rosettes."

Sarah xxx


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## ian

These are looking amazing, its obvious how much work you've put into them sarah.

I think your standard sounds fairly spot on, especially with the distinction of the rosette being more singificant than number of rosettes.

I personally think they do look better in satin as well, even the dark colours which you can tell straight away are satin unlike smooth coat dark satins where you someitmes have to look at the feet to tell. I had a few ivory abys and those were my faves, I had tried to get some cham satin abys but they all popped out with no swirls!


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## WillowDragon

The being shown in satin might be a problem? With it being two different coat types?


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## SarahC

Longhaired are standardised so I shouldn't think it will create a prob.


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## WillowDragon

But what about longhaired satins? Are they shown as a AOV or Satin?

Thats the only thing i'm thinking may be an issue... Apart from that, Sarah, l
I look forward to seeing them on the show bench!


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## Matt Haslam

SarahC said:


> I'll be back. said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have said this before- In every other Fancy, there is a big following in the "coated varieties" - Abbys, longhair, Texel, we can all name them. - this is exciting for our fancy. Well done you. New NMC section in the future ? NSC. Non smooth coat.
> 
> 
> 
> great idea.We may put a non standardised on at our Midlands show.
Click to expand...

you must definately do that! will be great to see some newish varieties.


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## SarahY

> The being shown in satin might be a problem? With it being two different coat types?


There's no difference between Abyssinian and Abyssinian satin in terms of rosette quality and difficulty breeding them. I prefer the non-satin personally but I think that satin Abyssinian should be allowed in the standards because a lot of people prefer them.

Sarah xxx


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## WillowDragon

I meant in show terms Sarah


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## SarahY

Huh? What do you mean, in show terms? I'm looking from all angles, I don't see a problem - they're the same, just one is extra shiny :lol:

ETA: I was talking about in show terms when I said that satin makes no difference to the Abyssinian coat - why seperate them if they are, for all intents and purposes, the same? I read that satin was originally seperated into it's own section simply because it was really popular. I've got a feeling Abyssinian won't have that problem. Maybe one day Gary's prediction will come true and we'll need a non-smooth-coated class for Abyssinians, astrex, rex and longhair but I think that's a long way off yet.

ETA2: Or maybe satin will will end up with an Any Other Coat Type Satin class?

Sarah xxx


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## ian

I get your point Katie. I've always found it odd that a broken satin would be shown in satin rather than marked as I feel that the markings are the most distinct part of the mouse. Of course marked mice have less type generally than the selfs and satins so the marked satins just cant compete with the big cham satins for example, this has lead to breeders actively removing satin from their marked lines.

What is the deal with longhairs then, satins and normal coats shown in longhair or split?


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## WillowDragon

I was about to mention that Ian... A satin dutch would still be placed in the satin class, it could have perfect perfect markings, but would still have to be judged against fabulously typey self satins...


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## SarahY

Oh I see! Well I imagine that for now at least Abyssinian would be standardised into AOV like longhair and astrex are, and Abyssinian satin would go in the any other satin class.

I think I see where the confusion arose- I specifically put satin in the standard I wrote because while satin and standard Abyssinian are the same, an astrex Abyssinian would be totally different. So the rosettes would be allowed in satin but not in Astrex.

Sarah xxx


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## SarahC

If it's satin it will be in the satin class,A dutch that had perfect markings and was satin would still be in with a winning chance.If it matches the standard and is the best it can possibly be for it's variety then that is all that's required.It doesn't have to be the biggest or typiest.


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## moustress

Astrex abby would be really weird. I would think it would just look messy.


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## SarahC

the thing to do really with satins of these sorts and marked ones is not to breed off of them.If one pops out and it's good enough to show then fine.You really want to create lines that can be shown in their straight classes,I want my brokens in the marked not satin section.


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## Wight Isle Stud

The NMC has historically missed the opportunities for many new members due in part to the fact that it was heavily influenced by male members in its early days. Fair enough for those times. every other fancy hs a large percentage of its membership breeding coated animals, with exceptions, these are usually female members. Not being sexist, as it is a fact. I believe that the coated mouse NSC non smooth coat , should be givn every encouragment as it is vital to the modernisation of the fa ncy. The advent of the forums and efforts put into the nmc website is the othr major advance. Come on Sarah get the NSC club going- megan get those Texels going, you can offer specials at shows all sorts, just like the Dutch support group usd to do.


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## Cait

Hmmm, interesting (and good point about coat type afficiandos usually being female). I think I'm off to start a 'non standard coat' thread!


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