[WillowDragon]

A simple question... what is more important when judging a mouse in a show? Type or Colour?

I know ideally the perfect mouse would have both, but what if one mouse had good colour and excellent type, and another mouse had good type and excellent colour? What do judges hold more highly??

Willow xx

 

[SarahC]

generally speaking colour would win the day but it does depend on the variety.You would never win with a pew or cream that had poor type,where as you could win best in show with a dutch that had poor type.Colour holds 50 points,straight forward in selfs but in say tans the points are split between top,belly and feet which together equal 50 points.The other 50 points are made up of condition,type ears,eyes etc.

 

[WillowDragon]

Hmmm... I would guess the marked mice would be awarded more based on how good thier markings are.

Basically I'm wondering what to aim for first with my Lilacs, great type and then work on colour, or great colour and then work on type! hehehe

Willow xx

 

[SarahC]

colour on your variety will be very open to interpretation.You might try showing light and dark ones under the same judge to see their preferrence.Also to consider is lighting.At this time of year they will be judged under artificial lighting which can alter colour appearance for better or worse.For your variety it will be very important to have no/little tan hairs around the vent and no line under(a small seem on the belly where hair meets )Those faults on a self will be quickly swooped on.A well marked mouse will wow any judge when it's first seen,sadly they are like hens teeth.

 

[Jack Garcia]

I'm not a judge, so keep that in mind. I would breed for type before color. A Dutch fancier told me like this, "You have to build the house before you paint it."

 

[WillowDragon]

It will be a while before they are up to snuff for showing, because i'm having to start from scratch but hopefully size, ears and tails won't be too much of a problem, because my foundation stock is well bred.
My blue buck has the longest tail I have ever seen! lol And my Champs are Loganberry and Blackthorne bred

I was already keeping a steely eye on tan hairs, but thanks for the tip about tummy lines, that didn't occur to me!

One of my lines will have albino in it, so I will be interested to see if the lilacs with C/c are any lighter than others.

I love white marked mice, I especially like Dutch and even marked mice, but I think breeding those would drive me insane!! lol And I don't reckon I have enoough space.

Willow xx

 

[SarahC]

the odd lilac dutch is shown,very pretty.They could make a second complimentary string to your bow in future.At least when you breed dutch all the young born will be dutch unlike some of the other marked mice.Jack is right about the building of your breeding stock.