QRF June Newsletter by Queensland Rodent Fanciers

Queensland R o d e n t Fa n c i e r s NEWSLETTER Issue 2

June 2017

Colouring In & Maze

Featured Pet Meet Lady Dergenbern

MAY SHOW RESULTS

HOW TO TEACH “STAND”

Rodent Education

Reading Standards Mouse Conformation What to look for

Do-It-Yourself CUBE HAMMOCK

Contents Show Results 2 Show Displays 3 Rodent Facts 4 DIY 5 Featured Pet 5 Colouring In 6 Maze 7 Trick Training 7 Reading Rat Standards

Breeding Mice for Show

Our Sponsors 10-11

Queensland Rodent Fanciers Next Show

Our next show theme is AROUND THE WORLD Sunday, July 16th, 2017 When: 10am to 4pm (9am to 5pm for exhibitors) Where: The Finnish Hall, 62 Newnham Rd, Mt Gravatt

We are a small club based in Brisbane working on showing

About Us the world just how great rats and mice are. We are a fun,

sociable group who love talking to fellow rodent owners and increasing awareness of our wonderful small pets. People of all ages are welcome to join us at our shows. Bring your rats and mice along to enter in the Pet Categories, Varieties Categories, Games and Tricks!

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Show Results May 2017

Rat Varieties

Best Rat in Show - DRA Rhodonite Owned by Renee Barnes

Reserve Rat in Show - DOV Mimi Imfurst Owned by Caitlin Gardner Best Standard Rat - DRA Rhodonite - Renee Barnes Best Rex Rat - DRA Leggo - Tenille Webster Best Patchwork Rat - TMC Patches - Tara Crabtree Best Conformation Rat - DRA Alistair - Tenille Webster Best Breeders Group - Dovah’s Rattery

Rat Pets

Best Pet Rat in Show - RADD Jelly Jams Owned by Sandy O’Hare

Reserve Pet Rat in Show - Houdini Owned by Monica Spalding Best Young Pet Rat - TMC Daisy - Tara Crabtree Best Young Adult Pet Rat - RADD Jelly Jams - Sandy O’Hare Best Adult Pet Rat - MSR Obsidian - Tenille Webster Best Senior Pet Rat - DRA Seti - Sandra Preston-Hatcher

Mice Varieties

Best Mouse in Show - BAM! Tea Loaf Owned by Caitlin Gardner

Reserve Mouse in Show - BAM! Aurora Borealis Owned by Hayley Philp Best Standard Mouse - BAM! Tea Loaf - Caitlin Gardner Best Longcoat Mouse - LTM Tyme - Little Twitches Mousery Best Conformation Mouse - JAS Choc Chip - Tenille Webster Best Breeders Group - BAM! Mousery

Mice Pets

Best Pet Mouse in Show - BAM! Buffalo Owned by Tenille Webster

Reserve Pet Mouse in Show - JAS Stitch Owned by Tenille Webster Best Young Pet Mouse - BAM! Buffalo - Tenille Webster Best Young Adult Pet Mouse - BAM! Ouch - Caitlin Gardner Best Senior Pet Mouse - JAS Stitch - Tenille Webster

Under The Sea May 2017

Display Contest Winner Michelle Calver

Rodent Facts

Humans have experimented on rats for a long time now, sometimes to learn more about ourselves, and sometimes to learn more about them. Some of these tests included trying to figure out if rats had altruism or felt empathy for their fellow rats. In a study conducted in 2011 rats were tested by placing a fellow rat in an uncomfortable confined tube while another rat was free to roam around the tube. The free rat was able to free the captive rat if it wanted to. It was found that more often than not the rats would free the captive rats, whether they previously knew the rat or not.

Even when given the choice to have chocolate instead they would still free the captive and then share the chocolate! Did you know that mice are able to produce a similar sound to jet engines? Until recently it wasn’t known how, but it has been observed that mice sing in a tone that humans are deaf to, ultrasound. These super high pitched squeaks are used by mice as mating calls and statements of territory so understanding them is important to understanding mice. Using super high speed cameras researchers took images of the Larynxes (voice box) of mice while they produced this ultrasound. After studying these images it was clear that the mice did not use their vocal cords as they did not vibrate. They discovered the cause was a small jet of air originating in the windpipe, flowing against the inner wall of the Larynx. The air waves bounce back from the wall, traveling upstream into the air jet and creating a feedback loop that creates the whistling sound. “Interestingly, this mechanism is known only to produce sound in supersonic-flow applications, such as vertical takeoff and landing with jet engines, or high-speed subsonic flows, such as jets for rapid cooling of electrical components and turbines,” study researcher Anurag Agarwal of the University of Cambridge said. “Mice seem to be doing something very complicated and clever to make ultrasound.” 4

DIY HAMMOCKS

These hammocks are a bit trickier for when you’re ready to move on from simpler hammocks.

Step 1 - Make a square template (my one is cardboard and has 7 inch sides). Use this to cut out six squares of 100% cotton print and six squares of polar fleece. Step 2 - Place a square of cotton right side up to a square of fleece. Position ribbons with pins an inch up from each corner along two opposite sides. Sew these in place with the edge of the foot lined up with the edge of the fabric.

Where do you go to replace a rat’s tail? A re-tail store!

Step 3 - Place another cotton square right sides together on top of the first, then a fleece square right side up. Sew along one of the edges with ribbons, flatten it out, then repeat to attach squares to the other side. You will then join another set of squares to the edges of these. Step 4 - Take your remaining two cotton squares and draw a circle in the centre of them. Right sides together with a square of fleece sew along the circle. Cut out the centre of the circle leaving a 1cm seam allowance, turn it out, then topstitch. Step 5 - Attach the remaining two sqaures, turn it out and your cube is finished.

Featured Pet

Lady Dergenbern submitted by Caitlin Gardner Lady is now 2 years old and from my first litter of rats making her very special to me. She’s the loveliest lady you’ll meet, always the first to greet me when I open the cage door and she just loves spending time out on the lounge and free ranging. She’s a very confident lady, she walks around like she owns the place and will bravely explore everything. Lady has been a fantastic mother and now has a heap of grandchildren. She currently lives with two of her daughters, Kara and Harley. She’s getting a bit older now and isn’t as energetic as she once was but she’s still always up for adventures and yummy treats when it’s out of cage time.

How to Te a ch St and

Keep training sessions short! Try not to go for more than 5 minutes at a time or your pet could get bored

This is a simple trick to teach as it’s normally quite easy to get your rat or mouse to stand up. Step 1 - In a training area with few distractions show your rodent a treat just above their head. You can start with it quite close to their nose and then raise it higher so that they stand up to reach it. If clicker training mark the moment they are fully standing up, then give them their treat. Step 2 - Introduce a command word such as ‘stand’. Say it while you use the treat to make them stand up and continue to give them the treat once they have done it successfully. Step 3 - Speed up! Raise the treat Pick a rat quicker and higher. If they’re or mouse who is really starting to get it try just highly food using the command word with motivated! the treat hidden in your hand. They’ll be easier to train

Rodent Education Reading Standards

It can be difficult to understand what some of the show standards mean, so this article has been designed to explain them. It is important to remember that the varieties classes aims to recognize the purpose and history of this type of showing. They were an opportunity for breeders to feature their best stock. The standard is meant to be a description of the perfect specimen of any particular type and is what breeders aim for, and the show is a way for them to receive feedback on their journey towards this goal as well as to enjoy themselves in friendly competition. The easiest way to gain an understanding of the standards is to talk face to face with judges or exhibitors who are experience with them. Since that isn’t always available, pictures and illustrations are helpful as well.

Type

“Rats should be of a good size with good muscle tone, being neither too fat nor too skinny. “

This is basically just asking for fit rats, a good example of a rat in this section will be large without being fat.

“The rat should not be of immature or small size. Although females are generally smaller than males, neither should be so small as to question their age or health.” ... “Rats entered who may be small due to youth will be marked down in the type area simply due to immaturity. Therefore the type score may increase as the rat ages and matures” These sections are just asking for healthily sized and reasonably mature rats. Rats can enter Varieties form 12 weeks but a 12 week old male will not yet have the size and muscle mass of an ideal mature animal. This isn’t to say he is bad, just that if entered when older he will have a better chance. If the animal appears smaller than 12 weeks or appears small for its age it also will not be able to compete against other animals in top form.

“The rat should be streamlined, arched over the loin, muscular and well-toned, there should be no sign of ribs or bones when rat is viewed, nor should there be an excess of fat. Females should be long and racy in type; males should be a bigger and stockier build. They should be arched over the loin, muscular and well-toned. There should be good width between the shoulders giving the rat a nice “flow” from muzzle to tail that looks well-proportioned from nose to tail.” Please refer to the illustrations above and left.

Written by Tenille Webster

Mouse conformation What To Look For The picture to the left shows two 4 week old males and there is quite a big difference. The left mouse is from a show line of albinos who have been selectively bred to fit our show criteria, health, temperament and conformation, and as you can see everything about it is bigger. The right mouse is from a pet line where only health and temperament were worked on. Type Mice should be of a good size and well-muscled, being neither too fat nor too thin; the general appearance should be sleek and racy. The mouse should not be of immature or small size, though females are permitted to be smaller than males. The body should be long and slim, arched over the loin and racy in appearance, there should be no sign of ribs or bones when mouse is viewed, nor should there be an excess of fat. Obese mice are a disqualification as are severely boney, underweight mice. The left mouse is obese and would be a disqualification. The right mouse has good muscle tone Head The head should be straight and balanced, and not be too fine or pointed at the muzzle. The skull should be wedge shaped, short, and have good width between the eyes as well as the ears. When viewed from the side the mouse should have a curved roman nose outline. The left mouse has a nice roman nose. The right mouse has a long pointy head. Ears The ears should be large and tulip shaped, free from creases, kinks or nicks and carried erect with plenty of width between them. If a mouse does not deport it may be marked down as they are unable to be properly judged. When looking at the mouse from the front, the ears should be set at 10 and 2. The left mouse has correct position, shape and crinkle free. The right mouse has high set and small ears. Type The tail must be free from kinks, should flow smoothly from the body and be thick at the root and, gradually tapering to a fine end. The tail set to the body should be a “V” shape that showcases the overall flow of the mouse from body to tail tip. Tail should be as long as the body, though longer is preferable. ‘Wheel tail’, or any tail set that is abnormal to the body shape is a disqualification as this affects how the mouse holds itself, rendering it unable to be judged. The left mouse has “V” shape tail set. The right mouse has “Stuck on” looking tail set.

Written by Bianca Lea-Patterson

Rat & Mouse Food Rat & Mouse Food is a highly nutritious diet formulated to be fed to growing and breeding rats and mice, and as a maintenance diet for pets. It is manufactured in square nut form to aid in the reduction of feed wastage. The diet is nutritionally balanced for essential nutrients such as protein, energy, vitamins and minerals to ensure strong growth, health and vitality. ANALYSIS (as fed) 20 % minimum Protein 5 % minimum Fat 9 % maximum Fibre Salt (added) 0.6 % maximum

FEEDING RECOMMENDATIONS Feed Rat & Mouse Food ad lib. Ensure that clean, fresh water is available at all times. INGREDIENTS Rat & Mouse Food is formulated from a selection of the following ingredients: Wheat, triticale, barley, oats, peas, lupins, lentils, beans, soyabean, canola and products derived from these ingredients. Meat meal, fish meal, blood meal, fat, vegetable oil, limestone, di-calcium phosphate, bentonite, salt, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, antioxidant and enzymes. Vitamins: A, D3, E, K, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), pantothenate (B5), pyridoxine (B6), B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin and choline. Minerals: Calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.

AUSTRALIAN OWNED AND MADE www.lauckemills.com.au

2017 Show Dates Sunday, Feburary 5th, 2017