# splashed mice for exhibition



## SarahC

The splashed mouse has quickly gathered a dedicated following in both hobby and exhibition mouse breeders in the U.K.I'd like to hear views on whether people think it could be a viable exhibition mouse and if so what standard could be applied.I'd also like to see the standards that are accepted in other countries,how popular they are and pictures of winners and/or the various colours and what those colours could be labelled as.What do people think could/should be achieved with this variety


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## Cait

Hmmm, quite a difficult question. I have splashed as you know, intended to breed tricolours. I actually like the splashed now I've had them for a while, probably more than tricolours when I think about it. Oddly I never really saw much of an attraction with variegateds, which is probably the best existing comparison. The splashed have softer splashes and the range of colours that we've seen so far is more than we have with variegated since I've been showing (since 2002). A standard would be difficult to get I expect.


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## Wight Isle Stud

With the following they have, I think its going to be a case of just a suitably devised standard. The more I think about splashed, the more I realise its going to Happen. I think the standard ought to allow for small areas of splashing distributed evenly over the mouse,comprising two or more colours. I dont think we want a mouse that is patched with splashes or single haired splashes, but a splash to be defined as a group of hairs not amounting to a patch or spot.
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## Loganberry

Two of us, Dave B and I, have submitted a standard to the exec for.consideration at the next meeting, in 2 weeks. Fingers crossed!


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## Cait

I would be surprised if it were granted a standard but pleased. I remember how much opposition there was to even the idea of a standard for hairless mice, which are so different to other mice we show it's almost too obvious!


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## Loganberry

Yes, but I'm against hairless being granted a standard. They aren't normal mice at all. They are.a fetish mouse! A spl is just a marked mouse.


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## Alex

I tend to read a LOT of posts on this forum (it's a great way to wind-down after work), and the more I read, the more I'm impressed with the massive interest and dedication of the members here. It's very rare to see a group of people interested in an exhibition animal who are interested in the animal rather than climbing over each other to get the red rosette! I don't think that I've read ANY posts that come across as angry or picky (apart from stern advice given to those who seem not to be listening despite previous advice generously given!). Kudos to you all, I love your enthusiasm, knowledge and good humoured way of looking at the world! I'm getting progressively more keen to get myself some exhibition mice!


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## Cait

I was trying to make the point about them being clearly a unique variety, whereas splashed has the variegated to be compared to. I do like hairless mice but I don't know if a standard for them would work. Anyway, how have you addressed the issue of splashed vs. variegated that is bound to arise?


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## SarahY

> Oddly I never really saw much of an attraction with variegateds, which is probably the best existing comparison.


Splashed is nothing like variegated at all in my opinion... but I've seen plenty of splashed that could easily have been brindles. Except for the fancier appeal, I'm afraid I don't really see a reason for their standardisation because brindle is so similar. Splashed could easily be bred to fit the brindle standard:

Brindle Standard: "The brindle mouse shall have streaks, bars and numerous little areas of any colour over a diluted background. These markings shall be evenly distributed over the mouse including the face and belly. Large blotches of solid colour or white background to be considered a fault. Central demarcation lines along spine, face and belly permissible. Eye any colour."

They would be shown in the AOV section, as marked is colour on white. In fact, assuming they received a full standard, they'd be shown initially in the AOV class, along with Brindle. How are the judges supposed to know which is supposed to be which?

On top of this, splashed are a mere by-product/ingredient of tricolour to me, like stone is a by-product/ingredient of breeding creams.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this recently as I know it's going to come up before the committee eventually, but it'd take a pretty special looking splashed to convince me.

They only thing they have going for them is the fancier appeal, in my opinion.


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## Cait

None of my splashed have looked like brindles, which I have also bred, but I have had two that may have been passable to show as variegated. I personally see a distinction between all three (variegated, splashed and brindle).


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## SarahY

I have never seen a splashed that looked like a variegated.


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## Cait

I'll have to try and remember to get a photo for you


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## Loganberry

I think spl are very distinct from varis, and tho it is possible for some to look like brindles, I've personally never bred one that looks like a brindle, and when there is a standard they will be bred towards that - currently all we are doing is breeding them to make more, which is very different to breeding towards a goal look.

I also do not believe they are a by product to tri breeding. If anything, tris are the by product of splashed.

Splashed are neat, tidy, and attractive in my opinion, which is why I want them standardised. They are also fit and healthy, no sex-linked defects (like both varis and brindles, bless 'em) and have unknown genetic interest as more people play with them.

They also have strong fancier appeal, with a good number of breeders interested in showing them. It's all good - I don't see what the problem is. Or what the point of arguing against them is - at the very least it's more money for the club through entries, and no one can say they will distract from the varieties they are rumoured give similar to -for instance, I love splashed but I have no interest in breeding brindles or varigated.


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## SarahY

All good points xx


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## Loganberry

Xxx


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## Alex

I wonder has anyone thought of getting any of the splashed mice they have genetically analysed? I'm not sure how much this might cost, but I could find out if anyone is interested?


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## moustress

Splashed has never looked anything like brindle in my mousery. I think that a standard should be similar to that of variegated, with splashes evenly throughout the coat, with solid splotches detracting from the score, and no white markings allowed. The background would only be allowed as white for light hues such as yellow, where that is the only likely dilution, though I suppose a cream background is possible as well.

It's possible, of course, for splashed to do all kinds of crazy things, and maybe a second standard would be required, but as I understand the concept, a standard should present a challenge to the breeder.


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## SarahC

Great response,I'm having problems with forum tools,no quote or edit available.I think Alex that some of our American fanciers might help with your question.I wonder if the gene is in any other animal and if anything has been achieved with it.I would be interested.Good point about no white as well moustress.I'm going to contribute a few pictures over the weekend.I'm interested particularly on the colour front.I like the strong dark colours but I think most people favour the paler mice which do excel for size and type,a bonus.On the comparison to getting hairless standardised I'd say that although I keep hairless I would be opposed to a standard.The more hairless they are the higher the percentage of health issues and I wouldn't want the club to support them for that reason.Especially in this day and age with the troubles over pedigree dogs.


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## SarahC

@white isle stud.You don't think that a harlequin type standard is the way to go then?and what do people think abot the odd eye.I personally think odd eye is not only an added beauty but would add something unique.


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## SarahY

I think odd-eye should be an added beauty; as you say SarahC there are no other variety that exhibit odd-eyes unless they are blind in one eye (which is something I see quite a few of in my Dutch).

I don't think that Siamese points should be allowed though; that would create a more solid block of colour on the nose and tail set which is something to be avoided.


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## Rhasputin

In the UMC the standards for variegated and splashed are very similar. Both call for small splashes over the whole body of the mouse, the main difference is that one is colour on white, and one is colour on colour.

I have seen splashes which look like -brindles before.


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## SiamMeece

Loganberry said:


> I also do not believe they are a by product to tri breeding. If anything, tris are the by product of splashed.


That would be a logical thing to think since you need splashed mice to create tricolors, though I tend to agree with SarahY. If you want to breed showable splashed you want to avoid piebald. If you've reached the point that you can be sure the splashed are non carriers for piebald, it will not be likely to find tricolors in their litters.

Tricolors on the other hand often throw splashed marked mice and if there's little white on them they resemble normal splashed. Ususally no showing material markingwise but still very pleasant 
to the eye


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## SarahC

I took a few photos of random splashed today,not the best quality.Judge Terrys words 'just because it can be satinised doesn't mean it should be 'came to mind,replace satin with splash.
splashed chocolate fox









splashed chinchilla,I've got brown cast and the normal grey but there's no difference to how the splashing appears








splash all but disappeared leaving a whit mouse








sibling to the white mouse but not lost the splash








with patches








the usual sort of splashed








with white,between splashed and standardised tri colour








black ones,my preference








choc ones








orange ones


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## Laigaie

Ooh, but I'm terribly interested in the bellies of splashed tan/fox. Do you perchance have a photo of that?


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## SarahC

I'll get one when I feed again.It's the same as a normal fox ,not selected for the best belly quality as I don't have show quality chin or fox but I can't see any reason it wouldn't be possible.I'm afraid I've messed about instead of being focused


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## SarahY

I like the darker, mostly black ones as well. Very pretty, and I don't really like splashed mice. Sarah, would you post that picture of the black brindle on this thread please? I ask because the dark splashed and the black brindle look similar. I am extremely taken with that black brindle 

I also really like the Harlequin-looking splashed mouse with the solid patches.


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## moustress

I don't think it's possible to produce a tan belly on a splashed or tri mousie.


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## Rhasputin

It very much is possible to have a splashed fox.


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## Wight Isle Stud

It certainly is- all with clear bellies. They were a step in the Making of my Choc Tris. I would much prefer the splashing to be in small clumps, but very distinct from a patch or spot.


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## Stina

Splashed or tri mice, since they must be c-diluted, cannot have "tan" bellies...however they can have "fox" bellies with tan markings.

This is a photo from '09...but you can see the fox line with tan markings on it. 

09-10-12 166 by CSBeck, on Flickr

Splashed works the same all over the mouse...there tends to be less markings on the belly, but it reverts c-dilution to, or close to, undiluted color wherever it occurs, regardless of the dilution (besides c/c) and original color. A "fox" mouse that is also splashed, will have tan markings on the belly if it happens to get splashes there.


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## moustress

Interesting. Thanks.


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## Laigaie

Thankyou, everyone, for treating what must've sounded like a newb question politely.

What I mean is: Yes. No joke. Obviously, a c-diluted mouse (like a splash) will have a foxed belly. What splashed does, however, is bring back the color from under the c-dilute. For at/* bellies, that means tan rather than fox (because fox is c-diluted tan). What I'm wanting to know is whether splashes happen on bellies, and if so, whether they bring tan back from fox, so that you have a white belly with tan splashes. To my understanding of the way Spl works, that's what you'd get, except that the undiluted splashes aren't as undiluted as if the mouse hadn't been diluted in the first place. That's why you get black splashed that aren't as black as a C/C black. Since the yellow coloring is so susceptible to c-dilutions, I'm fearing that the Spl won't be enough to bring back visibly tan coloration, or that splashing isn't as common on the underside of the mouse.


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## SarahC

The black brindle that Sarahy mentioned.I shared the picture with her in a jokey OMG thread I am being overrun with non exhibition mice type of thing and now I'm more alarmed than ever,they are squeezing out the show stuff


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## Stina

laigaie, yes, you get tan splashes on the belly....see my previous post where I posted a picture of a mouse with tan splashing on its "fox" belly.......


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## Laigaie

Aha! By clicking through, and through some more, I found the original image size, where the tan is visible. Your original image did not at first appear to apply, but really it's just very subtle.


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## Stina

Yes, it is pretty subtle.....but again, splash doesn't usually revert the color ALL the way...and she would have been a poor tan to begin with...so the tan is very light. But it is definitely there!


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## SarahC

congratulations to Loganberry for getting a provisional standard accepted by the NMC for the splashed mouse :clap


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## Laigaie

Oh, wow! Congrats, indeed!


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## Loganberry

*Bow!* It's me and Dave bumford. So we now have a provisional standard! Whohoo! Still on my way home from the show. I'll post the new standard tomorrow.


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## laoshu

Congratulations  Do you have any photos of the provisional standard, I did read the standard whilst there but a photo always helps. 
I do like the splashed from what I have seen of them. Also what does the provisional stand for , can they now be shown for a year or something until properly standardized. sorry for asking silly questions but if you dont know  :lol:


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## Loganberry

I'll start a new thread with the standard, but a provisional is like a trial that last for two years. At the end of two years the executive will take a further look at what we have achieved over the two years in terms of developing the breed and how popular it is, I believe, and then they have another vote to decide whether splashed will be 'discontinued' or awarded a full standard.


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