# Chocolate (b/b?)



## Seafolly (Mar 13, 2012)

After just under 1000 km of travel, I finally have some wonderful mice and am absolutely ecstatic the transport worked out!

This doe (9 weeks) is of the best type among my new crew. I know next to nothing about the backgrounds as, as far as I understand it, these mice originated from Ohio and came up to Canada with no records. All I can do is look at appearances.

From what I've read, true chocolate should have tan hairs. I do not see any on her here, though I've been leaving them alone to get settled in. The guard hairs look to me like they're white. She appears much warmer in different light but I'm finding the various chocolates to be difficult to photograph accurately. Assuming I'm seeing white hairs, does this mean she's b/b? aka mock chocolate? If so, is she of any use to what I'm told is a red splash buck?

After meeting these chocolate mice in person, two of which are tan, I'm loving the variety and am somewhat ambivalent as to whether the line sways red or chocolate. I know red won't be deepened with the chocolate so am trying not to get too excited about the future litters.

Should I choose a chocolate tan to breed to the red splashed? Their type is good, but she's just a giant beauty so I thought I'd ask how the b/b might effect red, or rather how the red might effect chocolate tan and mock chocolate.

Finally, one of the chocolate tan does has white on her tail. I understand this is a fault. However, could she be the key in unlocking tri? Assuming the white is caused by a pied gene?


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

mock choc isn't b/b its a c diluted black that looks choc usually cch/chh or cch/ce but can be cch/c.
Isthat a pic if the choc in question? if so it does look c diluted to me


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## Seafolly (Mar 13, 2012)

Oh, I didn't know that! I was reading the Finnmouse page regarding the lookalikes and thought white guard hairs meant mock chocolate (genetically, what is that then?). 
Knowing my luck she could very well be c dilute. So I'm guessing based on that, the red babies won't be very red at all.  Skip her, and use chocolate tan?


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

I'd asume white guard hairs will be a sing of mock choc as c dilutes have a strong effect on red pigment so the tan fault hairs will be diluted to shades of white. All my foxes have white tickin but they show up best on the blacks
Where as a brown b/b would still have the faulty tan hairs


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## pauly (Feb 21, 2013)

Certainly on my Chocs, they have tan hairs along the flanks & around the vent.


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## Seafolly (Mar 13, 2012)

So if they're chocolate tan...do we know anything for sure genetically? Other than the at?


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