[kisha]

I'm rather new to the mouse breeding thing. I've had a few litters here and there. I do have some fancy mice and one particular breeding has surprised me. I'd like help in identifying where these babies came from? I had a female mouse give birth to 9 babies. I have not sexed them yet and they are all walking/exploring the cage and are pretty easy to handle. I've been handling them from several days, since just before they opened their eyes. I got several colors produced from a black male and a tan female with white markings. It seems to me that 3 babies have curly coats?????? I have never seen a mouse with a curly coat and none of the parents or the parent's siblings... How did I end up with 3 curly babies??? I find this rather odd...

The female came from petsmart. The male is a baby I kept and this is his first litter. His parents were a black male and a black/white female. And their parents were also from a few non-related mice I had bred and raised. No curly coated mice in the bunch... So.... help?

 

[Mouse Girl]

the curly coat gene is carried by a reccesive gene and therefore can take many many generations before any curly coat mice are born so long as all the babies are healthy etc there's nothing to worry about you simply have some extra adorable babies

 

[kisha]

So both bloodlines would have to carry the hidden gene for it to show up in the babies I have now? I know line breeding exists in animals like dogs and such... would it be safe to do the same with mice?

 

[kisha]

I should update this old post by saying that back THEN, I was working with very furry generation of mouse. not a rex. I NOW know the difference, ha ha.