# Tri and C-dilutes questions



## 5CM (May 28, 2012)

I know this is done to death on here and I apologize in advance for that but I have having a hard time understanding tri more than anything else. That being said I ask anyone to please answer my questions in the simplest of terms.

I have a surprise tricolor doe and a blue pied buck I wanted to breed them together to get more tris and to improve type. I don't think the buck has any c-dilutes but I'm not sure. His mother was also blue pied and the father a pink eyed silver. If this pairing will not get me tris than what could I possibly expect? And to get more tris would it be best to cross offspring or cross a son back to the tri doe?


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

The offspring should produce splashed and maybe tricolors when inbred. You may have to do multiple litters.

Crossing a young buck with the 'right stuff' back to his mother would do it too.

Two c dilutes plus splashed genes equals splashed; two c dilutes plus splashed plus pied equals tricolor. One cannot comment on what to expect, how bold the markings might be, how distinct the patches of color, but that's it in a nutshell.

The only exception would be if a baby inherits albino from both sides; albino still covers up everything Also, with light colors from pink eyed dilution might dilute to white or near white. I have a number of what look like BEW's (black eyed whites) who have, when you look closely, just a smidge of yellow on them, and I've had a great number of out and out BEW's, some with a faint buttery hue, others just kind of off white.

If the buck carries a c dilute, you should get splashed first time around or even tris.

Producing really good bold tricolors could take three or four generations, maybe more.


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## 5CM (May 28, 2012)

Thank you! That was very helpful! Here is a picture of the doe. I was told she has decent color but I want to improve type while somehow at least keeping something similar to her color if not improve that too.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

She has some very nice clear spots of color; nice than I started with six years ago. The big splotch of black is great, and most of the other colors slook like clear and discrete with out much marbling or brindling. I'd breed her to a buck with a lot of white markings, ideally a beige or coffee, as those are c dilutes...but breding to a blue could be intersting if she maight carry the blue recessive, you might get blue tricolors, which I am quite obsessed with currently. I have a litter of blue tri and splashed babies:

Here's a pic of a blue tricolor baby. I was not going to put this up after blowing up this pics and seeing the bites; I turned around and went back to the mousery to begin treatment of this batch. Mites happen.  On bab ies before the fur comes in, it's so easy to see. I really am surprised how bad it is as I have spent a bit of time watching these since they were born and trying to get them to grow faster and get fur!



Here's a whole bunch of them, there are a number of splashed and I think one or two more tris.


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

moustress said:


> Two c dilutes plus splashed genes equals splashed; two c dilutes plus splashed plus pied equals tricolor. One cannot comment on what to expect, how bold the markings might be, how distinct the patches of color, but that's it in a nutshell.


That's one of the most succinct explanations I've heard yet. It makes the basic genetic "recipe" for tris easy to grasp. Thanks.


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## 5CM (May 28, 2012)

Right now I do not have access to a mouse of that color but now I will be looking for a buck of those colors now. I want to breed her soon because she is prime age and this is mostly to improve type. She had very distinct spots, especially that black one, since she developed pigment as a pup. She has some lighter and darker brown mixed together but no brindle or ticking that I can see. I figured I may get blue tris, her father carried blue so she may carry it as well. Can't wait to see what I get out of her, she has been such a pretty surprise =). Thank you again for all your help, you have no idea how this will help me in the future.


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