Jaulen
Member
Good afternoon! I raise NZs. Started with a trio of blues, but with line breeding was getting too many stray white hairs and white toenails so I brought in a black NZ buck and a doe, and then a NZ blue buck from a different breeder. My original trio of blues and their offspring had great coats (at least I liked them) with guard hairs almost the same length as undercoat, so they very VERY soft, almost velvety with great fly back, and very shiny coats. The blacks have a more standard normal fur, also VERY shiny....often mistaken for satins (got from a well known ARBA black NZ breeder and have peds 6 gens back all NZ). The blue buck very typical slightly coarser and duller fur compared to my original blues and the blacks.
Well, we've kept a few of the babies from those parings that have the new blue buck or the black NZs on one of both of the pedigree.
Finally did breeding this past February.
Well lo and behold what did I get in the nest box?
Doe 1 (black, blue carrier) had blacks and blues and one CHOCOLATE NZ baby. All had the very nice shiny normal fur coats.
Doe 2 (black, blue carrier) had all blacks and blues, BUT one of each color has REX style fur.....short. no guard hairs (the blue is pretty plush, the black is thinner furred). These two also have heavier looking heads than the others. :shock:
Doe 1 and Doe 2 are sisters from the same litter.
Doe 1 was bred to another sub generation rabbit, a blue buck.
Doe 2 I bred to my foundation blue buck.
So, now going to have to swap breedings around, since I now now Doe 1 and that blue buck are both chocolate gene carriers, and that Doe 2 and foundation blue buck carry the rex gene.
AND now I have to test breed at least Doe 1 back to that blue buck I brought in.....I think he may be the culprit for the chocolate gene since both Doe 1 and the Blue Buck have him in their pedigrees (the blue buck twice)
Never in a million years expected to see a chocolate colored NZ or babies with Rex type fur.
Well, we've kept a few of the babies from those parings that have the new blue buck or the black NZs on one of both of the pedigree.
Finally did breeding this past February.
Well lo and behold what did I get in the nest box?
Doe 1 (black, blue carrier) had blacks and blues and one CHOCOLATE NZ baby. All had the very nice shiny normal fur coats.
Doe 2 (black, blue carrier) had all blacks and blues, BUT one of each color has REX style fur.....short. no guard hairs (the blue is pretty plush, the black is thinner furred). These two also have heavier looking heads than the others. :shock:
Doe 1 and Doe 2 are sisters from the same litter.
Doe 1 was bred to another sub generation rabbit, a blue buck.
Doe 2 I bred to my foundation blue buck.
So, now going to have to swap breedings around, since I now now Doe 1 and that blue buck are both chocolate gene carriers, and that Doe 2 and foundation blue buck carry the rex gene.
AND now I have to test breed at least Doe 1 back to that blue buck I brought in.....I think he may be the culprit for the chocolate gene since both Doe 1 and the Blue Buck have him in their pedigrees (the blue buck twice)
Never in a million years expected to see a chocolate colored NZ or babies with Rex type fur.
