[FlufferNutter]

Check out these shots I grabbed of my new little yellow (poor) dutch longhair buck. The breeder from whom I purchased him was breeding specifically for a hamster-ish body type, with big "squishy" bodies and rounded faces. I'm quite taken with him, great personality.

 

[Fantasia Mousery]

He looks absolutely adorable, don't get me wrong, but I think that's a terrible breeding goal. You have no idea how that'll affect organs and bone structure. There's a reason mice have the body type they do.

 

[FlufferNutter]

Really? could it actually affect the mouse's health? I never thought of that. I guess I'll see if it affects his health and longevity, I certainly didn't get into mouse breeding to go all "island of dr moreau" crazy with it.

 

[Lilly]

Well the "squishy" body shape is likely chosing towards overweight mice and in the varieties where they are prone to obesity they are generally bred a bit younger before they get too big. Breeding to chose the fattest at the youngest age is likely not good overall and then there as been reports of snubby noses having health issues and people with snub noses are carefully monitoring them and a couple are planning to remove the skull after they pass for research.

They may be no problems with some of the mice from that line, but I would imagine the chance of them is increased somewhat... also if the breeder wants a hamster shape... why not breed hamsters?

 

[Daisy&Peach]

... also if the breeder wants a hamster shape... why not breed hamsters?

That's exactly what I thought :lol: He does look adorable, I'm sure he's a lovely little guy. But I agree that it's not a good breeding goal... Breeding for good health should always be the number one priority.

 

[Laigaie]

Woah! Super cobby! One thing this body shape will do is make angoras look a lot longer-haired than they are.