Update: finally pictures of rescued mouse and babies

[begoodtoanimals]

The day I got her away from the pet store (pregnant) who sold her pinkies every three weeks, not feeling so good, sore eye.
http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh396/furandfeathers2/April2009021.jpg

Still pregnant, feeling and looking better after several days with good food and rest
http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh396/furandfeathers2/April2009007.jpg

Babies, all black and black and white, some tricolored!!!!  10 days old with their happy mother mouse who can finally raise her litter:
http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh396/furandfeathers2/April2009041.jpg

The litter while mommy was eating as much as she could to feed all seven:
http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh396/furandfeathers2/April2009049.jpg

[my_ratters]

aw they are so cute

[Stace87]

Will you be keeping any of the babies?

[my_ratters]

i love mice

[begoodtoanimals]

Because of her lousy life in the pet store I have promised her that she and all her babies stay with me, even the little boys. Unless I can guarantee the best home for the males and adopted out in pairs. I think I have at least three.
If you keep baby mouse brothers together from birth and after weaning out of the female zone, they live happily together. I have done that several times.
The mother is surprisingly tame and crawls into my sleeve if I am handling her cuties.

[2boysloose]

awww, oh my goodness...I have never seen such cute little mousies!

[wizzyjo]

aww, they are beautiful. its crazy how none of them even have a slight tinge of her orange colour

[Jesse]

Awww, so adorable! Makes me want more ratties 

[lovebug]

the  tri colours are actualy tans and she is absolutly precious im glad you rescued her

[NatalRats]

Cute!  I have mice too.  The reason why you got all blacks is because the male and female's gene's didn't match.  She looks like a pink eye ressesive yellow, the male must have been a dark eyed banded or spotted with a tan belly. 
Have you been holding the babies?  You should start holding them daily, take Mom out and put her into a safe play place where she can not see and hold each baby.  This way they will be very tame

Most male mice even litter mates can not live together, Seeing that they are from a petshop and where not bred too be friendly(some breeders have been working on making males more social with each other, some have had success others not).  I would seperate the males.  I had 2 brothers who looked like they where living together fine and one day I came home to a bloody mess.  Ben just decieded he didn't like Joe anymore. 

[begoodtoanimals]

I just did that from day four. They are tame and step on my hand in their cage.
I have raised four brothers together until they died from old age (pet store mice). I never separated them, not even for a moment.
The genes puzzle makes sense from what I saw in the store. Thanks.