Because they are medium sized. (Although that magpie buck is still a pretty big boy! 8 lbs 10 oz.)
The standard pretty much sums up as:
"The markings have to be like, this, and this...Oh, and make sure it's also shaped like a rabbit!" Type was really low on the point scale..
Which kind of appeals to me. Since I've been shopping around for medium sized rabbits with a more natural body to try growing out on a hay-grain diet. I also thought the somewhat random nature of markings seemed fun. Like rolling dice.
Well...I contacted a harlequin breeder and explained that I was looking for: Pedigreed meat/brood stock harlequins with the intent of working towards magpie. A chance of being able to produce something the kids can show down the line would be nice... I was given TONS of helpful advice!!
Clean color is genetic, so I thought I'd try selecting for clean colored animals over ones with showable markings that weren't as well defined? Does that make sense?
I'm already comfortable with processing 99% of what I produce. (Unless they are v-lops, for some reason, I'm NOT OK with that.)
So anyway, I purchased this pair that had unshowable markings, but had relatives that were show rabbits.
I was told that I should breed the jap doe to the magpie buck (when she comes of age.)
What I'll get is washed out japs that may have undesirable white marks. There is magpie in her background, but not an immediate ancestor, so I can't really hope it see it first gen. Her kits can be bred back to magpie for the 50% chance at potentially showable (with luck) magpies. It was suggested that I keep lines pretty close, and that breeding jap to magpie will not harm the magpie color at all. (but magpie harms jap color)
Interestingly, both have chocolate and blue or lilac on pedigree, but not a parent of those shades...so who knows what I'll see?
I was pleasantly surprised by both animal's personalities Both are outgoing and friendly. The doe is only 9 weeks old, but she has no fear of my face or hands. She was pretty composed on my lap during the trip back (cool as a cucumber would be apt)...the only oddity being that she started licking my hand and tried to take a bite out of my jerky. :lol: The buck is already starting to try and woo me.
Erm...Ok so done rambling. Here's Mystery the magpie (not at his best here, as he's ready to molt and may have been housed next to another buck for a little while...), and Sinphonia the little jap doe hanging out in my old quarantine pens.
They would have to be least expensive pedigreed stock I have ever purchased. Here's to hoping my inverse-price-to-production theory holds up.
The standard pretty much sums up as:
"The markings have to be like, this, and this...Oh, and make sure it's also shaped like a rabbit!" Type was really low on the point scale..
Which kind of appeals to me. Since I've been shopping around for medium sized rabbits with a more natural body to try growing out on a hay-grain diet. I also thought the somewhat random nature of markings seemed fun. Like rolling dice.
Well...I contacted a harlequin breeder and explained that I was looking for: Pedigreed meat/brood stock harlequins with the intent of working towards magpie. A chance of being able to produce something the kids can show down the line would be nice... I was given TONS of helpful advice!!
Clean color is genetic, so I thought I'd try selecting for clean colored animals over ones with showable markings that weren't as well defined? Does that make sense?
I'm already comfortable with processing 99% of what I produce. (Unless they are v-lops, for some reason, I'm NOT OK with that.)
So anyway, I purchased this pair that had unshowable markings, but had relatives that were show rabbits.
I was told that I should breed the jap doe to the magpie buck (when she comes of age.)
What I'll get is washed out japs that may have undesirable white marks. There is magpie in her background, but not an immediate ancestor, so I can't really hope it see it first gen. Her kits can be bred back to magpie for the 50% chance at potentially showable (with luck) magpies. It was suggested that I keep lines pretty close, and that breeding jap to magpie will not harm the magpie color at all. (but magpie harms jap color)
Interestingly, both have chocolate and blue or lilac on pedigree, but not a parent of those shades...so who knows what I'll see?
I was pleasantly surprised by both animal's personalities
Both are outgoing and friendly. The doe is only 9 weeks old, but she has no fear of my face or hands. She was pretty composed on my lap during the trip back (cool as a cucumber would be apt)...the only oddity being that she started licking my hand and tried to take a bite out of my jerky. :lol: The buck is already starting to try and woo me. Erm...Ok so done rambling. Here's Mystery the magpie (not at his best here, as he's ready to molt and may have been housed next to another buck for a little while...), and Sinphonia the little jap doe hanging out in my old quarantine pens.
They would have to be least expensive pedigreed stock I have ever purchased. Here's to hoping my inverse-price-to-production theory holds up.
