# Other fancies



## Richard (Mar 10, 2009)

Hi Folks
Just though I would ask other peoples views.....
Ok, well we're all part of the mouse fancy, does anybody belong to any other fancies??
People have told me if you are in more than one fancy you will never succeed...
For instance, i'm a real animal lover and I want everything!! But I don't just want one of each, I have to have a stud of whatever it is and breed and show them. So until recently I was trying to breed and show, Rabbits, cavies, poultry and mice.....but I found I was breeding them but as I had so many animals to look after I didn't have the time to get to shows.
Aswell at the small animals, I also breed and show Welsh Mountain Ponies and Pygmy Goats, which take up most of my time and money!
So I have come to the conclusion, that I have far too many animals and my finger in too many pies!
So as of a couple of weeks ago I have been dispersing my Rabbit and cavy studs and my flock of poultry so I can concentrate on my mice.
Has anybody else been in the same situation and have you found cutting down to being involved in one fancy has made things easier?


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## candycorn (Oct 31, 2011)

Well my partner and I started out several years ago building our reptile collection to breed. There are no shows for snakes, but we were going to breed pied and albino ball pythons, and cornsnakes. Well after going to the largest reptile show (like a flea market for herps not a confirmation show) and being invited to another owners house...we decided to never breed our reptiles. The guy's house was a nightmare. Dead animals, starved animals, filth...and he was outed *by me* to the community for how he treated his animals. I felt like I had to do it...because one of the animals he killed was given to him by us. And others had given him some rare animals because they trusted him. Well after he was outed...people wanted to forgive him and started selling him animals again. We were disgusted. That was it. We lost almost all interest in the reptile keeping community and we will never breed any of our herps again. 
I feel like with some education and research, almost anyone can successfully keep a pet mouse for their short lifespan. But snakes do need specialized care in many cases and they live over 20 years....so we just could not sell babies and not feel responsible. Just like I would not be able to breed rabbits or puppies...I would feel so responsible for each baby! Glad not everyone feels like me though!


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## Richard (Mar 10, 2009)

Don't get me wrong Candycorn, although I have a lot of animals none of them want for anything, they are all well fed and well kept. Also, I work for myself and some of my larger animals are my living as I have a mobile farm I take to childrens parties so I spend all day everyday with my animals.
But I can totally see why you were put off breeding after visiting a bad breeder


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## candycorn (Oct 31, 2011)

Richard said:


> Don't get me wrong Candycorn, although I have a lot of animals none of them want for anything, they are all well fed and well kept.


Oh I do not at all get you wrong! I keep rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, snakes, lizards, torts, birds, mice, dogs, cats, and even a pair of horses. But like you, mine want for NOTHING! I spend hours and thousands keeping my babies happy!!!


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm in both the mouse fancy and in poultry. I don't show birds, as we live in the city and don't really have the space for a real breeding operation of birds, but we're starting with a small-scale production of black and barred OEGBs.


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## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

I don't breed any of the animals I keep, but I love all of them. Among other things I have rats, mice, and chickens.


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## Shadowrunner (Sep 26, 2011)

I used to breed gouldian finches,canaries and cockatiels for showing, but the club got really hostile and I switched over to mice.

Before that My whole family was involved with breeding Siamese and himi show cats.
But after volunteering for the local shelter and finding one of our babies in bad shape there, we decided to stop.
It wasn't worth it.


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## m137b (Sep 22, 2010)

I know I can't handle more than one active fancy. It takes so much work and time to stay competitive with just one species.

For 18 years I was very heavy in showing rabbits, went to 20+ shows a year, had 100+ animals, always had at litters on the ground, and spent every spare second working with my show animals. During all that time I had other animals, mice, cavys, and hamsters but they were always second to the buns. Now that we're not showing rarely breed I've gotten much more interested in the mice.

I also raise/breed rats and chickens but wouldn't even consider showing them while I'm working on the mice.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I over do everything Richard.I could do without going to work there is so much work at home and this time of year there is little joy in doing it.I am once and for all reducing my mice which has been on going over the last month.I've joined the rabbit club and something has to give.I'm staying small time with the rabbits though.


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

I only show mice, though people have tried to tempt me into other fancies in the past :lol:


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

Mice and cavies


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I go to, on average, two mouse shows a month. I couldn't possibly fit in showing another species.


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## Richard (Mar 10, 2009)

Well i'm glad i'm not the only one who goes over board and has too many animals but I will be relieved when they have all gone!! lol


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