To breed or not to breed?

[moghedien]

Okay. I have a schimmel gerbil that I bought a little while ago - I posted about her at some point - and I just want to know everyone's opinion on this one.

I have a yellow fox gerbil, genetics Aa C- ee G- pp, and I'm wondering if it would be a good or bad idea to breed him with my schimmel. I don't really know her genetics, since there are no breeders in my area and she's a petstore gerbil. All I know is that she does have Pp because she was pregnant when I bought her (though she lost all the pups), and half her pups had ruby eyes.

So if she has AA, they'd have yellow fox and DEH pups. If she has Aa or aa, they'd also have red fox and nutmeg pups. Obviously. all the pups would be carriers of one e[f] gene.

So I guess the question is, how worthwhile are these colors and propagating the relatively rare e[f] gene, if none of the pups will be actual schimmels? And a question to the breeders out there would be whether these colors tend to be popular or not?

[paws]

go for it! Just for the sake of the little cuties running about in the tank! ;D I bet they will be very popular colours!

[queenofthenile]

I know that all those colours are very rare where I live. Really, the decision is up to you. Are those colours very common where you live? The schimmel gene will also cause all of the colours you get to be lightened. This also gives you the option later to breed the offspring and get schimmels.

[callimico]

I agree. THe pup's will be popular with breeders looking to add ef to their lines, if not DEH is a popular color in some places. The only colors here are black, agouti, PEW and dove.
BTW, what does everyone think the most popular gerbil colors are, or their favorite colors?
I'd guess pied's, burmese and siamese for popular colors, but I like the looks of gray agouti's, DEH's, and mottled slate's best ;D

[moghedien]

My favorite colors are definitely colorpoints in general, especially siamese and burmese. I love almost all ee gerbils! Especially DEH and yellow fox. And of course, spotted/pied/mottled gerbs!

[queenofthenile]

My favourites are DEH, grey agouti and polar fox.