# Willow Lane Mousery - My Ongoing Log to Improving Type



## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

As with most people in North America, I am nowhere near anyone who has any sort of "show" mouse. I am stuck with the "pet store" type. I've taken a few days to drive around to all of my local pet shops to look for some mice worthy of starting a good breeding line.
So far I have 2 bucks.
1) WL Rumpelstiltskin - Chocolate and White Pied Satin Buck. He has folded ears and a poor tail set but was the ONLY satin I saw in the entire city... So I caved..
2) WL Pinocchio - Black and White Pied Buck. May be a Black Tan but has too much white on him to see, the other two males with him were black tans. Has nearly perfectly round (but high set) ears and a tail set (though needs major improvement) he is the best I have seen in the city so I am going to use him to start my line.

I have one more shop to go to that I have high hopes for, when I had mice before I got most of them there. They seem to have the most variation but they are also (of course) the furthest from my home.. They mainly have females while the rest of the shops mainly have males

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I am hoping to get some decent photos done tomorrow!


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

looking forward to seeing those pictures.


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

OK, so these pics really are blurry, I had a heck of a time trying to get decent ones!
Rum does have a really long tail which is nice, but other than that I think Pin is superior. Please leave all feedback, good or bad, I want to know their weaknesses so don't worry, my feelings will not be hurt! I think I will go out tonight to get some girls!
Pin:

























Rum:


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

I am also in one of those places without "show type mice" but I like the mice being smaller anyway! I hope you get some really nice females!


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

not all exhibition mice are large.Marked mice are not particularly.This mouse looks clean and healthy,it has smaller ears than an exhibition mouse but that's about all really.What are you aiming for.Particular markings or better size and type?The two often don't go together.


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

I am working towards size and type, particularly those big, round, low ears.
I managed to find 4 females yesterday, about the same quality of these boys. I will work on photographing them today and tomorrow.
I did choose mice to start with who had colour that I liked, since I would be at the same starting point regardless of colour. As I go from here though I am going to do my best to breed for type and ignore colour. Maybe it would have been better to simply work with PEWs or another self colour so that it couldn't be a factor in culling / breeing


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I've taken a picture of one of my (show type)marked breeding bucks.Picked one that is reasonably similar in colour to yours.There isn't a huge difference.When you see pictures posted featuring pet V show type the show type is always a PEW or other pale self against a marked or other lesser mouse mortal.It's not a fair representation of show type V pet across the board.Some exhibition mice are not that typey


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

Thanks SarahC, I guess I'll work on one thing at a time - starting with the ears. I just love the look of the huge open low ears 
I got 4 girls last nigt, Ariel and Snow White seem to have the best ears, Cinderella has a neat banded tail.. I honestly chose them on colour, there really was not a lot to pick from.. What colour is Snow? She seems to be some sort of diluted agouti? I know it is so hard to see in the photo. She has black eyes and is not pure white. There was another like her who had white markings in her colour, Snow seems to be pretty solidly marked.
Here are pics of my 4 girls:

WL Ariel:

















WL Belle:

















WL Cinderella:

















WL Snow White:


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

Well I have 3 girlies with gigantic bulging bellies! Belle may be a teeny bit bigger bit I don't think she caught. I'll wait though, they were with their boys for 12 days so she could have caught later than the other 3.
I also lost all self control and bought 3 more girls.. 
A red eyed yellow 
A Black Variegated (heavily marked)
A Dove (?) pied - she has black eyes.
So excited for babies! Once they're 10-14 days I will update with baby photos and photos of the new girls!

I think I will be doing two lines, one for conformation, one for colour! It will be neat to see them begin to split into two phenotypically different groups!


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Congrats on the upcoming litters! Thats alot of girls now  I hope your breeding plans go nicely and as planned


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

Thanks!
Cinderella had 7 babies this morning and she is still huge..! It begins!
Also, Belle is for sure pregnant, she has gotten much bigger in the last couple days!


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Congrats I hope the litters are everything you want!


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

Here are pics of the 3 new girls:

WL Flip Flop - Black Variegated very heavily marked









WL Goldielocks - Not sure exactly on her colour - red eyed yellow?

















WL Fly - Coffee(?) Pied


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

OK! Litters are colouring up now so I have some photos to post. I culled down each litter to about 1/2 of their original sizes (4-5 now per litter) except one and I have to say that one, although the oldest, has babies smaller than litters 2-4 days older so culling really does pay off and allow for bigger, healthier babies!

First is Ariel's litter. This was the first one born and I culled on day 2 before any pattern began to show. I kept the 5 biggest and sadly 4 are bucks and just 1 is a doe. They are ALL Black Tans though which I am SO happy about, and after a close inspection of Ariel's belly she is a Black Tan too, she just has so much pattern I didn't notice before. The rest I waited to cull a few more days until I was able to tell genders..

1. Black Tan (even marked?) Doe









2. Black Tan Colour Rump Buck









3. Black Tan Colour Rump Buck (mismarked)









4. Black Tan Broken Buck









5. Black Tan Pied Buck (looks exactly the same as his mom, but opposite side!)









Second is Cinderella's litter. This is the one I didn't cull (at first). There was 6 does and 3 bucks. About a week ago I culled the bucks. There are two Black (the one with more black is a Black Tan), two are either Blue or Chocolate, and the last two are Coffee. Now to wait until they mature a bit to know if they'll be any good 

1. The Black girls









2. The Blue / Chocolate girls








and here is a better one of the face of the blazed one









3. The Coffee girls









This is Snow's litter, and she is a Satin carrier <3 I'm really happy with these bubs! Just one pic of them all together, 1 looks like a PEW, one is a Yellow pied and two Satins, not sure if they have pattern yet as the satin makes it hard to tell! They're all does.









Last is Belle's litter, she just gave birth on the 23rd so they're not quite at the same stage as the others.. I am not sure on genders yet, until I can see nipples I am not confident enough to sex them.


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

All litters are stunning but I love snows!


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

Updated photos & info on Generation 1 babies. Sorry about the quality of the pics.. poor light and only my cellphone to take pics with now.

Keepers:

1) Sally - PEW - Doe
I am really pleased with this girl, definitely the best of the litters I've had this past month! Her mom is Snow and her dad is Rum









2) Silver - Satin BEW (?) - Doe
Sally's sister. Not quite as nice but still stunning!









3) Amie - Black Tan Even Marked - Doe
Mom is Ariel, dad is Pin. She was the only girl in her litter.









Potentials:

1) Artimus - Black Tan Colour Rump - Buck
Amie's brother. I am not sure I am keeping him. I am waiting to see how a male in Goldie X Rum turns out as he may be superior. Also considering rebreeding Snow to Rum to keep a 1st generation buck from that cross. Kicking myself now for culling the pretty yellow pied buck. I didn't expect Snow's litter to be so beautiful!









2) Bambi - Coffee Pied - Doe
This is a Belle X Rum baby. Belle really wasn't the best looking and I am not too impressed with this baby, but giving her a couple more weeks to mature!









3) Coya - Black Tan Pied - Doe
This little girl is Cinderella X Rum. Love her colour, just waiting for her to mature another week or two









4) Cappa - Chocolate? Pied - Doe
This girl is super cute, Coya's sister. She definitely isn't black but is so dark it is hard to know exactly what colour she is. I think very dark chocolate or maybe very dark blue.









I might be really slowing down this line as I just got some amazing beauties from Moustress today and I am going to be focusing more on them for now!


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

So I haven't updated this line in a while... I got a little side tracked when I got all my beauties from Moustress!!
Sorry no pics at the moment, but I got a little side tracked on this line as well... some stunning dove and lilac popped up, along with LONG hair (really long..!) and tan. So accidentally my type line is moving more towards a colour line... oops... I can't help myself!! Anyway they're still eye candy none the less and I will post photos soon! I am in the process of culling and moving my micies into the house for the winter.. I find in the summer when they're in my "mouse house" (shed) I am less strict with the culling.. Somehow I have to get 150 down to about 12-15... Wish me luck!!


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## firstmice (Sep 18, 2013)

Lovely mice  
Good luck, looking forward to seeing more pics


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

Well culling didn't go as planned. I've got 55 I just can't part with 
Above is my favorite pied lilac tan doe.
Also have a couple litters due this week and one born a couple days ago. One day I'll get photos of all of them!


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

I really like the pied tan; maybe when I'm ready to breed mousies again you'll have a tan mousie or two for me.


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## Apex (Apr 12, 2014)

I am sure I will! They are one of my favourite colours and I am planning a few litters
I also have a nice pied chocolate fox so I will be working on that colour as well


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

This has been exciting to read! Glad it's going well!


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