# satin



## kloo1123 (Dec 11, 2011)

I've got a satin buck and a satin doe. They're... less than amazing. While it's obvious they're satin, it looks like a rather poor satin compared to other mice I've seen. Will all their babies have poor coat quality, too? How can I improve?


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

It's hard to get good quality offspring from adults that aren't in good condition. Maybe you could do a writeup of how you care for your meeces; what kind of cage, bedding, food you have and what the space you keep your meeces in is like.

Or you could spen some time browsing the care sections of this forum, as there is a wealth of information contained in it. The search function at the top of the 'forum pages works really well. There are also lot of other web sites that have info on mousie care.

Poor coat condition does indicate some sort of problem, and I'm glad you want to learn how to remedy the situation. Your mousies might have as simple a problem as mites or other pests that can be gotten rid of with three weekly treatments. That's the first thing I do when I see a mousie with a messed up looking coat.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Satin is a simple on/off, it's satin or it's not. You can't get poor satin. You can get poor coat density, which can make a satin coat look rather sparse, but it will be just as shiny. I think moustress may be on the right track with the condition, but also you have to consider the colour which the satin coat is on. If it's a dark colour it will never look as striking as a white or champagne or argente satin


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## kloo1123 (Dec 11, 2011)

The buck is in a cage by himself and the doe is in with 2 other does and a buck. I believe they call that "harem style"? Their bedding is the wood shavings and tissue papers and whatnot, but I was planning on buying some of the more paper-looking bedding that I saw when I bought this wood stuff. They eat a pre-mixed mousie food, with kitty kibbles and fresh fruits and veggies.

The buck is a PEW (that is pink-eyed white, right?) and the doe is agouti. They were both found in the feeder bin, so I wasn't surprised that their coats weren't in the best condition. I just don't know how to fix it 

I'm thinking I should probably treat for mites, then.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Pine or cedar bedding can be harmful; too many aromatic fumes that are a wee bit toxic and irritating to the eyes and ears, and lungs. Aspen bedding works well, and a lot of folks use the paper bedding with no problem. Shredded paper is used by some; and of course there's the commercially manufactured stuff made from paper. Paper's fine as long as it doesn't get persistently damp.

Citrus and pineapple are not good for mousies, ditto to onions and tomatoes. The commercial mixed rodent foods vary a lot in composition and quality.

And,  really, do you know how unlikely it is to find a satin mousie in a feeder bin?


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

Depending on the location, its not THAT unlikely to find satins in feeder bins...


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

Maybe a picture would show?


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## kloo1123 (Dec 11, 2011)

Oh they had a ton of satins! I had to exercise quite a bit of restraint to keep from getting all of them 

Thanks for your help! Hopefully my babies will be beautiful and shiny in no time!


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Yeah, well if they are breeding satin to satin that's all gonna be satin babies, as it's a recessive gene. You might be able to produce bigger more healthy meeces breeding from these once you get them into better condition.


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

I picked up a satin at the pet store... turned out to be one of my tamest bucks ever. And many of my pet store finds carry satin, I've found out through breeding.


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## jadeguppy (Jun 4, 2011)

kloo, I highly suggest removing the buck from the does. It sounds like you have a lot of research to do before caring for babies. It is also best for the mother if she is in top health before getting pregnant. What premix are you using? Fruits and vegtables shoudl be used sparingly and many can cause health problems.


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