[Cait]

I thought I'd start a topic to share all the ironic things that happen when breeding mice. For example at the moment I have a well marked rumpwhite but she is a dilute doe - the only one I have had pop up for ages - and therefore can't be shown or bred from for show. Luckily she has a nice home waiting with a family that came to the NMC Spring Cup Show at Manchester, who were looking for rumpwhites as pets. Anyway, here she is, enjoy the irony!

 

[SarahC]

how gutting

 

[Cait]

A normal occurance as you know What about you Sarah? I am reminded of the story of the wonderful baby broken. Another one I get is a great buck who ends up with a nick in his ear so I can't show him.

 

[SarahC]

I have another ruined broken,not the caliber of wonder mouse but the only showable baby born for a while.I'll get a picture.Good topic idea.

 

[dangermouse]

oh id like too see the showble broken pic please Sarah....... great topic idea by the way Mousebreeder.....

 

[SarahC]

I'll dig him out tomorrow and get a pic complete with missing tail tip thanks to his mother grrr...

 

[Cait]

I'll dig him out tomorrow and get a pic complete with missing tail tip thanks to his mother grrr...

D'oh - typical! I have a rumpwhite with a blunt tail tip and good markings too. No intervention from mother as far as I know, just born like that as they are occasionally and hardly noticeable. Grrr :roll:

 

[SarahC]

there's another debate,I've never put blunt tails down to nature,always blame the adult mice,same as whisker chewing :x

 

[Cait]

I always thought blunt tail tips could be both. Also when it has been done by one of the adults I see red at the end of the tail as a pinky, this mouse was fine, no injuries noted. They just have a very very slight blunt tail tip when adult, not like the ones who have had a tail tip taken off who always lose more and are much more obvious. Mind you, it doesn't always matter as I have won best in section with a mouse with a very slightly blunt tail tip

 

[ian]

I had a fantastic choc tan rump white buck and the mother nipped the end of the tail off, however I do have lots of well marked babies from him all with perfect tails.

The most recent is the fact the my hereford doe failed to produce any herefords in her first litter, i think that is really bad luck! Or the black doe which gave birth to 11 bucks.

 

[Cait]

11 bucks! :roll: Sounds like my brindle litters, they're always buck heavy too.

 

[Cait]

Sarah where's the photo of your broken?

 

[SarahC]

I'll get it done on sunday.Shamefully I had the camera 18 months ago and have never read the instructions so Mark has to take the picture,then more feebleness,I can't upload the pictures.Nathan has to do it.I just hold the animal and instruct.Its a 3 person job to get one picture

 

[ian]

Another situation that makes me want to bang my head on a wall....I decided to take one of my does to my nursery so she can give birth and the children can watch the babies develop. I chose one of my older rumpwhite does which otherwise would have been surplus. Anyway her litter has some fantastic rumpwhites in including a surprise pink eyed, I cant remove the selfs because the children will know and I keep having to make the children be quiet so as not to scare the mice.

 

[dangermouse]

well this week it was the first time i tried the two does birthing together and the first to deliver must have eaten the others babies...... so i wont be doing it again in a great hurry.

 

[ian]

yeah i always have does together to birth usually twos or threes and it does increase the risk of losing babies, i find its usually the last doe to give birth eats the first litters.

 

[dangermouse]

funny that .. this time the first to deliver still has babies all doing well....... the only good thing that has come from it is the babies now have two mothers looking after one litter i supose.... must admit i was a bit dissapointed by it...

 

[dangermouse]

it was my blue litter that got eaten....

 

[dangermouse]

and i just descovered what looks like a tumor on my fav satin fawn buck..

 

[ian]

oh no how sa, poor thing ;(