# Abyssinian litters



## laoshu

I was expecting three nice big litter this week but not all went so well.....

First litter was born at the weekend, all seemed well at first.

Second litter was born but no babys  mums first litter and cold weather could of been a factor.

Third litter was born and only two babys, one of which was dead.  
the little single baby i know would proberly disapear because they were not nesting with it but it was just laying around so i decided that i would pop it in with the first litter that was born.

When i went to pop the baby with the first litter that was born i was shocked to see a nest full of little ribby babys and no milk bands, The other female was sitting with them and not prodcing milk and looks like she wasnt letting mum on them ether so i whipped her out in hope that the mum would take up feeding them a day 1/2 late.

The last few days i have been keeping out of the nest to let mum settle with her babys properly and when looking under the clear bottom of the tub i could see a few small milk bands 

Tonight i have a had a propper look and they look like the first day of lack of milk has not affected them and they are looking all lovely and healthy.

I will post progress photos of these as they grow...
not sure how the swirls will be on these or even if they will show up with my camera skills but i will try my best.

photos to follow shortly


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## Cait

I look forward to the photos  How many abyssinians do you have? Do they look better in any particular colour? I'd have thought paler colours and satin might show the rosettes better...


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## laoshu

I dont have many to be honist, I am breeding and keeping but trying to get them out there at the same time so the gene does not disappear again.

I have 11 breeders of abbys and then i have a group i have just got going of abby x show.
I have luckly been able to buy a few more tubs over the last week so i am gradually being able to keep more mice ... now i am saving up for some wood to make a rack.

I definatly think the satins are the best lookers, colour wise i love the argentines and the champagnes but mainly because the satins look great on these colours and show the swirls better.

here is the babys dad ( more brushed than swirls)
mum is dark so the swirls dont show well in photos.










babys










bit blury this one but i love the little mouth open wide ready for next meal


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## moustress

Hope the little dear isn't gasping for breath. I'm glad you have some fairly healthy looking babies.


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## Toast

moustress said:


> Hope the little dear isn't gasping for breath. I'm glad you have some fairly healthy looking babies.


It does look like That! Anyway, their adorable!


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## laoshu

It does look that way a little but i am confident it was just a yawn, I took about half a dozen photos of them and s/he was fine in the other photos


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## laoshu

had a head count today and there is 15 babys, two looking slightly smaller ( one might be the foster) i will keep a eye on them.



















I will take some new photos of them every two days, next photos of them should show the brushed furr where the swirls should be. ( not sure how good they will be though as mum and dads swirls are not brilliant)


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## laoshu

todays photos as promised ( sorry they are not very good )

you can see the fur markings starting to show now.
you have to catch it in the the right light though.


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## mouseling

They are gorgeous!


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## ian

I am really surprised that the swirls show through so distinctly at this age.

My aby carrier litter has been reduced down to 2 by the mothers, both are rump white does, one a black tan the other a chocolate fox (I have had one fox crop up in a rumpwhite litter before so I know the gene is lurking about). Apart from abandoning nearly all of thier babies at birth the mothers are doing well and both of the babies are proper fatties.


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## laoshu

thank you mouseling



ian said:


> I am really surprised that the swirls show through so distinctly at this age.
> 
> My aby carrier litter has been reduced down to 2 by the mothers, both are rump white does, one a black tan the other a chocolate fox (I have had one fox crop up in a rumpwhite litter before so I know the gene is lurking about). Apart from abandoning nearly all of thier babies at birth the mothers are doing well and both of the babies are proper fatties.


They show at this stage then if i remember right they start to disapear again at about two weeks I think ( not all.. but some of the less swirly ones, something to do with the length of hair?) we will see the development on here though as the swirls come and go


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## laoshu

I know the last photo was only taken yesterday but i had the camera in my hands and they looked so shiney today


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## SarahY

Beautiful babies, it looks like you've got some really good ones in there!

Sarah xxx


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## julieszoo

They are lovely!


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## laoshu

Thanks you two


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## Toast

Absolutely, positively, amazing. Looks like you got a lot of variety, too!


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## laoshu

glad you like them toast 

here are some more photos , not so much change in them now from the last lot of photos.


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## julieszoo

*Fills pockets and sidles away whistling....*


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## Mousekateers

OMG, satins and abbyssinians! :mrgreen: with envy!
What we'd give for something like that in Australia!


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## WillowDragon

A couple of those bubbas swirls are looking REALLY good! (To my untrained eye anyway! lol)

Congrats!

Willow xx


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## moustress

*sneak**sneaksneaksneak* *grab* *runrunrun* *GLUB*


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## laoshu

julieszoo said:


> *Fills pockets and sidles away whistling....*


i am watching you  :lol:



Mousekateers said:


> OMG, satins and abbyssinians! :mrgreen: with envy!
> What we'd give for something like that in Australia!


I will post you some over in a cake tin 



WillowDragon said:


> A couple of those bubbas swirls are looking REALLY good! (To my untrained eye anyway! lol)
> 
> Congrats!
> 
> Willow xx


yep they sure are, the ones with big patches end up having good swirls, little patches tend to have little brushed patches on rumps .



moustress said:


> *sneak**sneaksneaksneak* *grab* *runrunrun* *GLUB*


looks like i need to keep a eye on a few of you  :lol:


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## moustress

*dang ocean*


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## Velvet_Meece

Superb 

Still trying to obtain some abi's myself but only found ones so far that are just too far away... I really do hope they become more readily available in the not to distant future.


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## laoshu

moustress said:


> *dang ocean*


I am good at making little paper boats if that helps :lol:



Velvet_Meece said:


> Superb
> 
> Still trying to obtain some abi's myself but only found ones so far that are just too far away... I really do hope they become more readily available in the not to distant future.


They are starting to get around so hopefully you will see some soon.  
as some mice dont show it to well i am guessing they will at one point be found popping up in litters unexpectedly after being bred about.
The one's i have bred (carryers or visuals) are all noted and not mixed at all with anything else i breed as I dont want them popping up unexpectly at the moment.


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## laoshu

todays photots.




























one of two of these have very good ridges.


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## moustress

Pretty shiny itsybitsyteensieweensiecutsiewootsiemousieswousies with fur thingies stickin' up and swirly and stuff. Very nice!


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## laoshu

14 days old today. some are still less advanced but this is probably due to the amount mum is raising?


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## julieszoo

Lovely! Look at all those little shiny swirlies


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## moustress

Not being familiar with Abysinnians, I'm wondering if there's the potential for getting more tufts and swirls either as they grow or by breeding for more tufts and swirls. In any case, they are just adorable with their little eyes just opening.


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## laoshu

julieszoo said:


> Lovely! Look at all those little shiny swirlies


pretty arnt they 



moustress said:


> Not being familiar with Abysinnians, I'm wondering if there's the potential for getting more tufts and swirls either as they grow or by breeding for more tufts and swirls. In any case, they are just adorable with their little eyes just opening.


I know that some breeders in other countrys have bred these with more that just two swirls but so far out of all the babys i have produced (aprox 80ish) all have had two swirls one on each hip.. some are hardly visable and some really good. The swirls dont change as they grow.. they stay where they are and they ether have good ones or bad ones (although it will vary very slightly with moults)

I was talking about this the other day wondering if the gene mutates or there is another gene making more swirls than these have??

guess with lots more breedings we should find out. 

oh i forgot that they do have a third swirl on there tummy ... even the poor marked ones have a what i have been calling a zipper swirl (looks like a undone zip going up the tummy)


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## Cait

I'd guess that with more selection (and culling of litters) that the swirls could be improved, much like other coat types and markings. I'd personally breed them in cream and PEW (or the satin versions) as coat types tend to show better in paler colours.


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## laoshu

The last litter i had both parents had good swirls but the babys where hit and miss some had ok ones and other hardly any. 
This litter both parents had just brushed patches but there are some really good swirls on these babys ... I suppose more breedings will prove if better parents make better swirls.
I have a feeling its going to be like breeding rump whites, I once bred a miss marked rump white ( just had a white tail) to a broken female and had stunning rump markings on loads of the babys.

Definatly agree on the light colours.. even though the dark ones have nice swirls they dont show as much and definatly not in the photos... I think i will be working on the pew as this might be the easyer one to breed to get the better type into the abbys and then i shouldnt have to much trouble with the colour.
watch this space ...it might take some time 
:lol:

oh just to add i had about 30 ish babys born in the last day or so from show type x abbys (carryers) so be interesting to see if i get any good swirls at all from the carryers.


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## laoshu

16 days old.. some are a little under developed for their age.


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## julieszoo

I was lucky enough to see these yesterday and they are even prettier in the fur  I am amazed at how well the swirls show even when they are teeny, especially on the satins


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## moustress

I want to stick my finger in the pix and tickle the little cuties; they are just so cute. But I feel that way about all baby mousies at this stage. *cootchycootchy*


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## laoshu

This is that stage where they all look a bit messy and the swirls dont show as well on some as they first did.



















although the really good ones stand out still


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## moustress

Their baby coats don't fit them right anymore.


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## Paula

Hi Kelly

You should be very proud of yourself!!!
They are gorgeous 

Paula x


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## laoshu

Thanks paula

here are some today.. smaller than they should be but great swirls..


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