# Changing of the Stud Bucks (and some randoms)



## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Today was the "Changing of the Stud Bucks". I prefer to choose new stud bucks from young adults (usually about four months old) so I keep a couple of boxes of young bucks running on and every few months change the old stud bucks for younger blood. These are the ones I've kept on for breeding and why:

This agouti buck is lightly marked, which is a good compliment to my heavily marked does. Despite having so little pigment on his face, his saddle is pretty good. His agouti colour is also very fiery. For some reason he has tiny ears, which isn't great, but he is HUGE! Chunky, solid, and manly:




























This black buck is nearly as big as the agouti above, again with the same small ears but good solid type. He has bigger markings, so I'll use him for does which are light to medium marked:










This argente Dutch is younger than a new stud buck would usually be, but he has nice big ears and lovely type. I will use him mostly for improving type and ear size:










This hunky pink eyed white buck came from Loganberry Stud as an outcross to improve type and size in my silver foxes:



















These are my two current marten sable studs. They are carrying on for a while longer as I don't have any young marten sables as good:



















And just some random pictures of a rather nice agouti Dutch doe and some litters I have currently:


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

That last pic has an outsider in the middle! "What do you mean I don't blend in?" So cute!


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

:lol:


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## Kingnoel (Apr 23, 2011)

Love the shot of the Marten litter, just stunning! Someday.......


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

It's interesting to see all the different shades and degrees of coverage in that group of marten sables.


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## laoshu (Sep 16, 2009)

They are look lovely Sarah


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

Very interesting, SarahY! Thank you. I assumed that the only studs you'd keep would have perfect markings, but I can see that's not the way to breed - rather, you need the studs as sort of modifyers to bring the best out of the females. Love the boofy boys!


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## Loganberry (Oct 24, 2008)

Lovely, again! Because I don't breed marked it's always really interesting to see how you manage yours.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Thank you everyone


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## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

You're mice are to die for. So handsome and gorgeous


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

MojoMouse said:


> Very interesting, SarahY! Thank you. I assumed that the only studs you'd keep would have perfect markings, but I can see that's not the way to breed - rather, you need the studs as sort of modifyers to bring the best out of the females. Love the boofy boys!


My way of balancing the markings is not the only way to do it. I put different stud bucks into active service regularly to meet my needs depending on what kind of does I have. My Dutch lines are very new and unpredictable, so balancing the markings between the bucks and does is the way that I've always gone about it and I had success before my major type outcrosses. Lots of people will keep only well marked bucks and those people have success on the showbench too. I'm still a new breeder of Dutch really, I've only had them 20 months, and I'm feeling my way


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