Ashe's Animals

17/06/2024

Two new rack designs featuring completely smooth food grade bus bins. I plan to sell the design plans for $5 once they've been built and I know the measurements work in practice.

8 Liter 3x9: 24 Bin Rack
Bin: 14.3" x 10.6" x 4"
Rack: 37" x 14.5 x 6' 0.6"

13 Liter 2x8: 16 Bin Rack
Bin: 17" x 12.6" x 4.6"
Rack: 29.5" x 17.5" x 6' 1.5"

01/06/2024

Happy pride month everybody! I've uploaded some pride mice to my Red Bubble! You can get them as stickers or button pins 🥰🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
https://www.redbubble.com/people/MouseGenetics/shop
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤💛💜🩵🤍🩷
Please let me know if you want to buy a pride mouse sticker, but don't see your flag! I've made 30 so far, but can add more if needed

26/11/2023

⚠️ Disclaimer⚠️
I have small hands. This buck is only 55g and 4.5 inches long when stretched out, nose to vent.

Exciting progress! The BE Silver Fox & Blue Fox line finally has a blue fox buck and 2 does! His arch is too far forward making him unbalanced. Not many does will be paired with him, but he will be helpful in producing more blue fox bucks in the future; hopefully ones better than him!

Since BE silver is a heterozygous variety and does not breed true, it's very helpful to have these blue foxes so I don't produce albinos in the future. I aim to show foxes, and PEWs would only get in the way.

BE Silver Fox x BE Silver Fox
25% Albino
50% BE Silver Fox
25% Blue Fox

BE Silver Fox x Blue Fox
50% BE Silver Fox
50% Blue Fox

BE Silver Fox: aᵗ/a* c/c-ch d/d
Blue Fox: aᵗ/a* c-ch/c-ch d/d

09/10/2023

Cage Cleaning Guilt from Mental Block

Do you ever find yourself getting behind on cage cleaning or general care due to various life circumstances? And then that guilt builds up making it even harder to face? That’s how I feel sometimes.

Many of us have either mental or physical health issues if not both that make it easier for this to happen, but regardless of what made you get off track, getting back on isn’t always so easy as just doing it. Finding enough mental fuel to overcome that guilt can be hard to come by, especially for those of us that are AD*HD and/or auti*stic where doing things we don’t enjoy can feel impossible at times.

One thing that almost always helps me is having an upcoming event where I know others may be able to see my mousery. This takes advantage of my overwhelming need to be observed as “good enough” due to the massive fear of being seen as a bad breeder. Feeling like an imposter isn't that uncommon. Even though this feeling is an overreaction or is irrational, it does work quite well as motivation fuel.

Events like this can be hard to come by. There aren’t that many mouse breeders, but if you can find enough people, a weekly group call can be both a fun way to socialize and easy fuel for consistently staying on top of routine tasks.

Do you have any tips or hacks that help you? Feel free to leave a comment below. :)

Edit: The asterisks are due to bots detecting the post and spamming me 😅

13/04/2023

Not the best photos, but some December babies are likely off to a new home soon. These are extras from the BE silver fox & blue fox line.

11/03/2023

Black Eyed Silver Fox Buck
DOB: 12/11/22

He's not terribly small, but he's not that large either. I just have small hands.

27/02/2023

~ Fancy Mouse Genetics ~

This is a fairly accurate map of the known loci of genes relevant to the US mouse fancy. A map like this might make it easier to see why the C and P loci are linked, as it is due to their close positions on chromosome 7.

A locus is a specific place on a chromosome.
A gene is a segment of DNA that codes for a specific function.

For example, the A locus is where the ASIP gene is found.
• C locus: Tyr gene
• P locus: Oca2 gene

Some other relevant loci include:
• Lgh locus - Long Hair: chromosome 8, position unknown
• Ro locus - Roan/Merle: chromosome unknown
• Rst locus - Rosette: chromosome unknown
• Rw locus - Rumpwhite: chromosome 5, position unknown
• Spl locus - Splashed: chromosome unknown
• U locus - Umbrous: chromosome unknown

Original Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synteny
Edited by Ashe R Harrel

If you want to learn more about genetics come join my
Facebook group: Fancy Mouse Genetics Guide
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/bNEHyrquwv
or take a look at my google sheets: https://tinyurl.com/mousechart

31/12/2022

I'm not in many GP groups but I wanted to share my new babies with y'all 🥺 They both have pedigrees and I'll likely be breeding them next year when they're old enough. I don't know much about show standards for them yet, but I really hope I'll be able to learn more and attend some shows with Laci Tuey who gave them to me as a gift 💖 (consensually of course 😂)

Their oinks give me JOY. (as do their empty heads)

26/12/2022

Kitsune's Litter 💖 DOB: 12/15/22

19/12/2022

P22 and P24 (Pairing). They'll be weaning Jan. 8th. I have 3 others on the ground with 2 more dropping soon. :) Very excited about the future of this line.

P22 was culled down rather small as most of the pups did not fit the goal genotype, so I used that as an opportunity to foster over pups from P24. Each nursing doe has 6, which is typically the maximum I try to keep.

It was easy to mix these two litters together without losing track of pups, due to the fact that one litter was entirely rex, and the other entirely standard coat.

I'll most likely be selecting a new stud from this group in several months. I prefer to house buck litters together for as long as possible before selecting a hold back. This line doesn't have significant buck aggression and can do fairly well when housed at low densities.

07/12/2022

My friend and I created a Discord server for mouse fanciers! Pet owners, breeders, or anyone interested in mice are welcome to join!

Join Link:

This is a discord server for anyone who enjoys mice! Whether you own, breed, or simply enjoy mice, you're welcome here! | 92 members

30/11/2022

Belly photos of a black/sepia fox rex doe. She's currently paired with a BE silver buck.
a^t/a* c-ch/c-ch D/d Re/re

22/11/2022

This black eyed silver buck will be 2 years old in January 2023! ✨ He's currently paired with 4 does. His sire lived to about 2.75 years old. He looks even better than his sire did at this age, so I hope he'll live well past 3 years!

Also here's the join link for a fun and casual Mouse Fancier Discord server that my friend Sam and I made!
Join Link: https://discord.gg/bNEHyrquwv

22/11/2022

More mice paired for the Black Eyed Silver Fox (BESF) and Blue Fox (BF) line! They were paired on November 18th. Hopefully I'll have litters born from December 9th through 23rd.

I had 16 does total that I would like to breed, but 8 does per buck is a few too many. I may do a second round of litters for this line if necessary, but I paired all of the tans and foxes first as I need their genetics for the belly color. I think I will have what I need from these litters, but if the temperaments are poor I will likely breed the second round of does.

This line is a work in progress and any extras will be mice that are not the genotype goal for the line. For example: self that did not get the tan/fox belly, black mice missing the blue, and any satin, pied, or PED mice.

Being a WIP line, their temperaments are not the ideal calm and collected show standard. They are a tad skittish, but shouldn't jump out of hands. The last time I remember a mouse from this lineage nipping me was 5 years ago. Kitsune was described as "very curious and inquisitive" at the show.

Also trying out a new naming system for the litters.

Example: P23L12x5 BESF - Kitsune
Pairing number that count up every time mice are paired. This does not mean the pairing was necessarily successful.
[P23]
Parental Litter numbers that say the buck's litter/pairing number and then the does. The blue tan buck was from P12 and Kitsune the BESF doe was from P5.
[L12x5]
And then I add on the doe's variety and, if applicable, her name. Usually my mice do not have names, but Kitsune was entered into the FMBA Appalachian show.

15/11/2022

I had planned on breeding this boy to a beige doe I had. Unfortunately he rather suddenly passed away due to, what we believe, was a stroke. I was on a video call with other mouse breeders when it happened. He passed away within 5-10 minutes after he started acting strangely. RIP little dude.

A beige buck I'm holding back from an ivory x ivory litter. :)

Reverse siamese is based on beige, and as you can see here, this little guy has lighter pigment on the nose. Much easier to see in person, but still slightly visible in photos.

Biege: c-e/c-e
Ivory: c/c-e

Edit: Peep the comments for info and pics about size! This buck is only about 4 inches long at just under 7 weeks old.

20/10/2022

Planning a lot of pairings!! I hope to make these 35~ pairings over the next 3-4 months. 😊 I took a small break when the Appalachian show was coming up, but I'll be diving back in very soon! New litters from my P/B mice and possibly xbrindles (XB1) will be some of the first. After that it will be more from the BESF/BF and XB2.

P/B: PEW / Beige - 7 Pairings
BESF/BF: BE Silver Fox / Blue Fox - 16 Pairings
XB1: xBrindle 1- 5 Pairings
XB2: xBrindle 2 - 7 Pairings

P/B: The goal for this line is to create large mice with proper type: large low set ears, large eyes, well rounded muzzles, lean bodies, short dense and even coats, with excellent tail sets and tail length.
Genotypes: c/c and c-e/c-e

BESF/BF: The goal for this line to create mice with clear white fox bellies with clean demarcation lines. Top color will primarily be (BE) silver, with blues being produced as well.
Genotypes: a^t/a* c/c-ch d/d or a^t/a* c-ch/c-ch d/d

XB1: The goal for this "half" line is to create high contrasting black based brindle does with creamy ivory stripes.
Genotype: a/a Mo-br/Mo

XB2: This line is for creating bucks with good type to breed future xbrindle does to. The focus will be black self, but may include blues as well due to a high amount of blue founding stock.
Genotype: a/a Mo/Mo

Screenshots are taken from Discord. It allows you to upload custom emojis, which I use to organize my mousery info.

If you are interesting in using Discord to socialize with fellow mouse breeders or owners, my friend Sam and I have created a server just for that!
https://discord.gg/bNEHyrquwv

20/10/2022

Banded Cricket babies! Little pinheads ❤️
Gryllodes sigillatus

12/10/2022

Happy National Coming Out Day! Today, October 11, we celebrate wherever you are on the spectrum of outness! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

12/10/2022

Mouse God at it again. It's always the one you were most excited for right? There's always something wrong.😫

MG: You have a favorite pup from a litter? What's wrong with it?

11/10/2022

The Mouse God can be a jerk sometimes 😒

22/09/2022

I'm back with my results from the FMBA 2022 Appalachian show! It was on 9/17 in Rocky Top, TN at Norris Dam State Park. It was a small show, but I had a lot of fun showing with 2 fellow breeders! 😊 I sold a 24 bin rack and a smaller 6 bin rack too!

I had 10 entries total, 6 of which placed! All were adults.

Top Honors:
BIS - Shima (Black Brindle Doe)
BOS - Ao (Blue Buck)

Self:
• *1st - Ao (Blue Buck)*
• 2nd - Geal (PE White Doe)
• 3rd - Shiro (PE White Doe)

Pattern:
• *1st - Shima (Black Brindle Doe)*
• 2nd - Stri (Black Brindle Doe)

AOV:
• 1st - Kitsune (BE Silver Fox Doe)

Other Entries:
Self, Deònach (Beige Doe)
Self, Ìbhri (Ivory Doe)
Self, Gorm (Blue Buck)
Self, Airgid (BE Silver Doe)

If you're an FMBA member, the full results from the show will be in the Mouse Minute that's sent out monthly! If you're not a member, you can join for $10 a year.
Fancy Mouse Breeders' Association - FMBA
http://fmbamice.com/
FB Group: Fancy Mouse Breeders' Association

17/08/2022

No audio, just doodles, but this is basically what happens when crossover occurs. between linked genes. I'm cutting out a lot because it's not necessary to understand the concept of linkage, but if you want to know more about how meiosis works, there are plenty of videos on it. :)

When mice make eggs and s***m, their chromosomes jumble up together during meiosis. They often "crossover" some data. Though, the closer 2 genes are together, the less likely they'll break in between them for that swap.

If the two genes are far enough away from each other on the same chromosome, there will likely be crossover between them, as chromosomes do this often for genetic diversity. Weak linkage likely will not be easily noticeable. If 2 genes are on 2 different chromosomes, they will never be linked.

If they're on the same chromosome, then we say that those two genes are linked. The C and P loci have a 15.57% chance to produce offspring that have a different genotype than their parents, meaning they have different alleles linked together than their parents.

Genetic Recombination and Gene Mapping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU44tR0hJ8A

14/08/2022

Hey y'all! I'm excited to announce that I'll be attending the FMBA 2022 Appalachian Show in Rocky Top, TN on September 17th!

I'll be open for cage/rack commissions from now until Sept. 3rd and they can be delivered at the show. There is a maximum amount I can make in this time period, so if you're interested, please let me know soon and I can give you a quote!

Pricing will vary, but I aim to keep my prices affordable. Prices will be based on cost of materials + a flat fee per cage type and size.

Fees, not including material cost:
Small Bin Fee - $5
Large Bin Fee - $15
*Bin fees can reduce if you're ordering 5-10 of the same type (bulk)*
Rack Fee - Starts at $30, but goes up depending on size and complexity. I can make very small racks with just a few bins, or large racks with up to 24 bins or more. Simple racks and small racks will cost less than large or complex racks.

Material Costs:
-Bins are primarily the cost of the bin and some mesh. Bin price can range from $3 to $30 or more.
-For racks, the cost is usually split around 40/60 or 30/70 for bins/wood & other mats. If your bins are $50 then the total price is likely going to be around $125-$165.

Below are some examples of previous cages I've designed and built based on various bins. I can design racks based on any bin with a flat top, but some do work better than others. If you're not sure what type of cage would suit your pets or mousery best, we can talk about different options.

For breeders, I highly recommend going for racks as they can be 100% chew proof and are a great long term option. Other bin cages can be mostly chew proof, but I have yet to find any bins that I could guarantee to be chew proof. Even then, most of my small bins have lasted at least a couple years personally.

Feel free to send me a message!

05/08/2022

A beige buck I'm holding back from an ivory x ivory litter. :)

Reverse siamese is based on beige, and as you can see here, this little guy has lighter pigment on the nose. Much easier to see in person, but still slightly visible in photos.

Biege: c-e/c-e
Ivory: c/c-e

Edit: Peep the comments for info and pics about size! This buck is only about 4 inches long at just under 7 weeks old.

18/07/2022

Xbrindle post!
In the last 2 months I've had some very exciting progress! My first litter was a bust, no does, but these two litters have given me 8 does total! I now feel confident in my numbers and can announce I finally have an xbrindle line!

Litter XBP3 - Lilac Buck x Red Xbrindle Doe
DOB: 7/10/22
4 Black and 1 Red, all xbrindle

Litter XBP2 - Blue Tan Satin Rex Buck x Black Xbrindle Doe
DOB: 6/10/22
3 Black Xbrindle, 1 Black Tan (not pictured)

18/06/2022

Very excited that I was finally able to produce more xbrindle! I feel more confident that ill be able to create a line now. 😊

Parents:
•blue tan satin rex (carrying chinchilla) buck
a*/a^t B/* C/c-ch d/d sa/sa Re/re

•black xbrindle doe
a/a B/* C/* D/D(?) Mo/Mo-br

There was originally 4 bucks (2 xbrindle), and 4 does.
Out of the 4 does I kept, 3 were xbrindle!