[rosanna]

hi, i would like to get some fancy mice and show them, i am also hoping to jion the NMC, but i dont really know what i am doing with shows

do i have to attend every show?
does it cost anything to entry classes?
do i need any specalist equiptment to show them?
classes are there and what do i enter in them?

 

[SarahY]

Hey that's great - we need more people interested in breeding mice for exhibition! Good for you

No, you don't have to attend every show, show as much or as little as you want to. Entry is usually 60p per mouse.

You need to get hold of some Maxey show cages, mice can't be shown in anything else. The NMC does have a Maxey recycling scheme and secondhand Maxeys from there are only a fiver, but there does tend to be a wait. You could buy them brand new from http://www.showcages.co.uk for a tenner or you could try and make your own, specifications are provided upon joining the NMC. (As someone who's tried to make them, I can tell you it's well worth buying them!!). In the Maxeys you'll need to have substrate, hay or plain white shredded paper, food and a source of moisture like a piece of cucumber.

If you subscribe to the NMC news on joining the NMC you'll get the show schedule which lists all the classes and their numbers. Then, you just ring up the designated member before the deadline and tell him/her how many mice and which classes. It's all mega-easy

First thing I'd advise you to do is join the NMC. You'll get the yearbook which contains a directory of members at the back. You'll be able to see who's near you and there are also a lot of adverts from established breeders throughout. Fanciers are always ready to help people seriously interested in breeding and showing mice.

Sarah xxx

 

[rosanna]

thank you, i currenty own 3 african pygmy dormice, and that is my mouse owning history, but i love the sound of showing mice, i understand the coulours but i still dont understand some of the showing e.g opposite age classes
, what does this mean

 

[SarahY]

Shows are split into five sections - self, satin, tan, marked and AOV (which stands fro any other variety). The classes are in each section; in self you'd have PEW, Black, Silver/Champagne; in Tan you'd have black tan, chocolate tan, silver tan; and so on.

The classes are Adult and U/8 (under 8 weeks old). If you entered a pink eyed white mouse in PEW U/8 and it won it's class, it would go forward to the self challenge, which compares all the winners of the self classes. So say an adult black won best self, the best opposite age would be the best of all of the mice entered in the U/8 classes. Your young PEW could win that and become the BOA Self.

The winners of each section are entered in the grand challenge, which is for best in show. If a baby champagne satin won best in show, the opposite age would become all of the adults and the black that won best self could beat all of the other adults and become the BOA in Show.

Sarah xxx

 

[rosanna]

ok thank you that mqakes sence now