# Hello from Australia



## Minnie Mouse (Aug 22, 2017)

Hi there everyone

I have just gotten 6 pet mice and they are so cute! Originally I was going to breed them, but after doing some research I have decided not to breed these guys and just keep them as pets only and get some good quality pedigree mice to breed with.

I have been in touch with a few responsible breeders that have good lines and hopefully I will get some mice from them in the coming months. I am still in the process of setting up my enclosures and shelves and tubs and have to work up the courage to talk to my neighbours and hopefully get their approval so I can become a registered breeder.

I'm currently in hospital atm so there's not much I can physically do right now.

I find the whole genetics side absolutely fascinating and just want to learn more and more and wonder where everyone else has learnt about it from? I have only found 2 websites that are really helpful and I haven't come across any books either so I was just wondering how everyone knows so much about the genetics?

Also with breeding is there like some sort of a system? Like when is it ok to inbreed and how often? And also how often do you need to outcross?


----------



## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

Hi, there.


----------



## Fantasia Mousery (Jul 16, 2011)

Welcome! 

Good call not breeding until you have proper mice (though I'm sure your current ones will make excellent pets!).
Honestly, there aren't any books that I know of either. We learn from each other and from the few useful websites out there. I definitely recommend http://hiiret.fi/eng/ - but keep in mind some of the terms can differ from country to country.
As for inbreeding, I wouldn't recommend it in the beginning. There's no absolute rule, and it's all very fluid, but I would personally say get to know your line before you start inbreeding. However, an occasional father/daughter or mother/son pairing shouldn't ruin anything. The thing to know about inbreeding, and the reason I think it's best to know your line really well first, is that it reinforces ALL genes - the good and the bad. So you need to be as sure as possible that there's nothing harmful in your lines, like heriditary tumours or something like that.


----------



## Minnie Mouse (Aug 22, 2017)

Ok great, thanks for the advice fantasia mousery. How long does it take to get to know my line? And is there a specific strategy for getting to know my line?


----------



## Lilly (Nov 21, 2015)

The other side of the coin with the bad genes is that if they are there it might be better to know in the first few generations to be able to do something about it or scrap the line and start again, rather than getting several generations in when you suddenly find that all your mice have something and have to go through a lot longer process to get rid or more emotional ties with regards to just restarting


----------



## KingoftheWindlover (Apr 10, 2017)

Hello and welcome! I haven't gotten any mice yet, but based on what I've read, it seams as though inbreeding early on is better because if any bad genes show up, you can quickly stop the line before you waste too much time or take steps to fix the problem. If you do choose to breed your pet store mice and start that way, Lilly also told me(in my thread) that you should wait 5-6 months to see if any tumors or problems arise with them before you breed.


----------



## Amtma Mousery (Jan 29, 2015)

Welcome!


----------

