# Blacks at Blackthorn Stud



## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Hi Everybody!

I've given in to my secret love of black selfs and I am now breeding them to show. I bought in some black selfs to help eliminate the tan on the vents of my doves and to darken up the dove colour (and hopefully get rid of the silvers!), but they are so stunning that I want to keep them around 

I only have a few blacks at the moment but I took some photos today and thought I'd share the pictures. They are pretty quick and active little mice compared to my lumbering dove selfs, so only the pictures of these three mice were usable. The rest are photos of black bottoms and tails, or black mice with blurry heads :lol:























































Sarah xxx


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

I REALLY want at least ONE extreme black mouse like those...

Is there any way to breed them from other stock? Unless someone brings them to the fall Rodent fest, I'll never get one of these beauties. ):


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

They're very nice. With a little work the black could be even deeper.


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## tanzaniterose (Apr 28, 2010)

Gorgeous, they look rather silky.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Thanks guys!



> I REALLY want at least ONE extreme black mouse like those...
> 
> Is there any way to breed them from other stock? Unless someone brings them to the fall Rodent fest, I'll never get one of these beauties. ):


These aren't extreme (ae/ae) blacks, they are a/a blacks that have been selectively bred to be really black. You can do it that way, breeding the darkest to the darkest every generation, but it will take years. Needless to say, if you can find good, dark show stock it'd be quicker for you. I have never seen an extreme black, all the show stock I have seen have been a/a - you can tell from spotting even just one tan hair.

These mice are blacker than they appear in these photos, they were sat in bright sunshine to have their picture taken and their shiny coats are reflecting the wood colour around them.

Sarah xxx


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## The Boggit keeper (Mar 5, 2010)

I love your self blacks  
I'm impressed that you got such good pics of them as I am still struggling to get a decent pic of my black, Inka ( I just end up with a feature-less black blob :lol: )


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Healthy standard black mousies are really hard to tell from satins; you have to look at the belly to see if it's shiny. And we all know just how much meeces like being turned upside down!

I guess that was an unfair statement, Sarah. I had a couple of extreme blacks at one point, and they are just unbelievable. Too bad I couldn't get them to reproduce with one another. They were part of a shipment of ratties and mousies that got left on the plane too long during unloading in cold weather. I've noticed that meeces get physically stressed when exposed to too much cold or heat for too long, and sometimes lose fertility or vitality, or whatever.


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## zany_toon (Apr 3, 2010)

They are so handsome and striking. I would love them...I really need to stay off this section because every time I see a piccie I want more and I think with 32 and 4 more coming I have enough!!


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

So pretty! Love the deep coloring


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## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

They are BEAUTIFUL! Absolutely stunning.  I'm amazed at the pure blackness of them. I've never seen one before that is pure black. The closest I have seen to pure black is the one I own, and he has a skinny white band on his back, and 3/4 of his belly is white, obviously not pure black, but where he is black, he is a very solid black, no stray colors mixed in.

I'm rambling, sorry, they are just too pretty!!


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## nanette37 (Feb 1, 2010)

they are so lovely! one thing i love about black mice like this is how dark their feet and tail are. so cute!


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## Jemma (Mar 11, 2010)

They're gorgeous, Sarah - I can see why you wanted to keep them on 

And I'm glad I'm not the only person who's mice have an uncanny ability to blur their heads when they spot a camera!!


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

Wow!
I'm amazed that these aren't extreme blacks....
I'd love to be able to breed black selfs into something like this. :>

All of my blacks, have yellowish hairs on their feet, ears, and genitals. Maybe I'll try to breed for some nice blacks. I just recently had a really nice black banded that had a litter of like 14, and a good chunk of them are solid black. If they inherited their mother's colour, then they'll be really nice and dark.

You've inspired me to try really hard and create some of these! 
Add it to my list of goals, I guess. <3


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## WoodWitch (Oct 18, 2009)

It's only right and proper that "Blackthorn Stud" should breed "Blacks" Sarah


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

So true. I love my blacks! I am now impatiently waiting for my first black x black litters, I will post pictures when they arrive - which won't be for another couple of weeks, I'm just excited. Can't wait to see those little black baby paws :love1

Sarah xxx


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

Ack... more temptation for blacks! *cries*

I have decided not to breed anymore blues btw... they are MENTAL *lols*


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

I had read somewhere that blues were prone to nervous system problems; is that what you're talking about?


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

The adults are not as bad as the young blues i have... but I swear the young ones (They are coming up to weaning) are acting wild, literally.
Biting, jumping, trying to escape constantly. I have lost one already.

W xx


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

Are small white spots on the belly considered faults on black mice? And how do you breed it out? Is it recessive or dominant?


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

moustress said:


> I had read somewhere that blues were prone to nervous system problems; is that what you're talking about?


Mine are all fine, docile and easy to handle from birth. They're not prone to any nervous system problems that I am aware of, this being the second time I've them to show.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

Rhasputin said:


> Unless someone brings them to the fall Rodent fest...


I might. If I can afford to come, I will have them with me.



Autumn2005 said:


> Are small white spots on the belly considered faults on black mice? And how do you breed it out? Is it recessive or dominant?


White spots anywhere on a black mouse are a fault and are sometimes disqualifying. At the recent ECMA show we actually had an otherwise very good dove mouse who had a white spot on her belly and was disqualified. Self mice with white spots (even on the tail or toes, where it will appear pink) should not be bred from.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Teensie white spots in the fur of a black mousie might just be a 'sport' that isn't inheritable. I got asll excited once when a champagne buck had an orange spot on his back, that is the sort of thing of which I speak.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

We're talking about white spotting. Most often white spots are due to the effects any of the white-spotting genes (recessive white spotting [even/broken], dominant spotting [variegated], belted, banded, rumpwhite, Dutch, headspot, and possibly others)...

You're right that a color-on-color spot can be an instance of chimerism and never reproduce, but white spots almost always do. They're an anathema on any self mouse.


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

Is white spotting the same as if the black is a little less black in areas? Maybe more grey or brownish? Or is it a different effect altogether?


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

Wow! I'm really gonna hope you make it to Rodent fest then!
I'd love to have a super duper black like these! 

Maybe we could give you a ride, to make sure you get there, LOL!


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

If you have white spotting mice, will breeding the ones with the least white eventually breed out the white spots? I didn't realize it was a fault until I read this topic, and now what I thought was cute I want to get away from.


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