04/16/2015
Dear fellow mouse enthusiasts:
I feel compelled today to write this based on some recent experiences not just I've had, but others have had as well. I'm all for loving the show look in mice, but there are mice that I love that aren't show type. But recently I've seen more and more where people will contact me looking for a mouse, but when it comes down to it they really want mice from another person and are just looking to see if I have some of the breeder's mice they can get from me. To me, the first couple times I had someone ask me "do you have mice from Breeder A's mousery?" or "I've decided I want to get mice from you but they MUST be from Breeder B lines" I was kind of taken back. If I get starter stock from a breeder, and cross how I see fit, or even breed to my standards, they are no longer Breeder A or Breeder B lines, they are now my lines. If you contact a breeder asking them for only someone else's stock it's kind of a put down on what that breeder is doing. If you want someone's stock other than the breeder you are contacting, why don't you contact that breeder direct? I know, I've heard it before, I'm contacting you because I can't afford to fly in or it's too far away as reasons, but have you thought about how you just discounted the hard work of the breeder you are asking for mice from? If you like what a breeder is showing, can you not put trust in their lines? If I have an entire litter of PEW mice and you ask me for pictures of each individual mouse I'm sorry, it's just not going to happen. If you see a picture of a whole litter or an example from the litter, you either can trust in me to pick out a nice buck or doe for you, but I can't separate one single PEW out of a litter just because you feel that is the "magic" one. Have faith in me if I tell you I will pick out a nice one that I will, and if I meet you or bring a mouse to a show for you, you always have the option to say no thanks, and we can part with no bad feelings.
We all had to start somewhere, and many of us started with total pet stock. Yes we had to selectively breed, and yes we often added things to our lines from others to get what we wanted or to improve our lines. Albeit from imports or other breeders, we still had to work to get where we are right now. It wasn't handed to us. It takes an eye for not just type, but pairings, and also a bit of knowledge and experience must come into play.
Likewise, when I choose how to breed a line it becomes mine. The moment I outcross a line it becomes mine. I will tell you where they descend from for pedigree purposes, but really, that's all it should be used for. A person can take a great trio of mice to start a line but for various reasons that line can be totally ruined. If I gave someone a trio of mice and because of bad breeding/poor selection/whatever over time, they may not look as nice as the originals. Do I want people to say it's my line after they have done whatever they choose to it? Nope. It's their line. For worse or better. I hope this doesn't come off as me being rude, I'm just being honest. Most of the breeders I know work hard and love their animals, and I just feel that people should give the breeders more respect and credit for what they have done or how they have improved a line versus who's stock they started with. Please, don't take this as a rant, it's more of a PSA because I know I'm not the only one out there who this has happened to. Most of us are happy to share our work and animals, I just feel that too often it's over-looked what we do or have done with our lines.
Thanks everyone for letting me get that out there, I just wanted to be up front and frank with anyone who may be looking for mice and may reach out to me. I also hope that the next time someone looking for mice won't contact a breeder to only tell them "well I want them if they are descended from Breeder C stock". And just maybe someone will say "I'm wondering if you have any typey stock available" instead.
End of PSA :)
