Mouse litter

Question
I have a litter of mouse pups whom I am going to be taking home in another few days and out of 9 they all appear to be female. I wanted to know how common it was to have an entire litter of pups all the same gender. Also this litter of mice have several different coat types. I know with cats it is possible for a queen to be impregnated by more than 1 tom is it the same for mice? This litter has everything from curly coated pups to the satiny coated ones and several color patterns from dark brindle to lavender. Momma mouse is a calico colored fancy but nothing special with her coat.

Answer
Dear Cat,

Are you absolutely certain that they are all females? Bucks and does look pretty much alike when they are young. Please check out the page that I give the addy to in my profile, "Sexing Mice."

Is is common to have a litter with one gender? No; but not strange. It is just an outlier on the bell curve of possibilities.

Can a litter come from two daddies? No. There was one scientific example where scientist took part of something from a male; put it in the female; and did all sorts of other complex and surgical things. It does not happen on its own. After a female mates, there is a plug which forms in her vagina which prevents another male from impregnating her.

On the other hand a mouse can have many different coat combinations mixed up in it. I once mated two mice from a family that was only brown and grey (it was a mistake; I was a kid and wasn't careful enough) and was shocked to end up with five different colors! Mice have lots of genes for coat types that do not manifest themselves. My breeder will show me a yellow mouse and tell me it is a blue- because it has a majority of genes for the blue coloring (actually a shade of grey).

I am jealous that you have so many types! Lol

Enjoy the babies!

Squeaks n giggles,

Natasha