Breeding to Increase Fur Density

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Dimplz

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I would like to know your thoughts on breeding for increased fur density.

Are there any breeds that can be crossed with a Rollback coat to increase the diameter of the guard hairs?

Is there a gene that can be used to increase the number of hair follicles produced in a Rollback coat without affecting the nature of the rollback type?

I would like to increase the density of fur in my lines without negatively affecting the rollback.

Do you have any experiences with successfully breeding for a fuller, thicker coat without giving up current fur expressions?

Do you have any tips and tricks for getting thicker fur, or recognizing the kits who will habe thicker fur when they are in the nestbox or still youngsters?

Any and ALL responses are appreciated.
 
Do you have any experiences with successfully breeding for a fuller, thicker coat without giving up current fur expressions?
Since I have angoras, I don't deal with roll back coats. But, I do know there are genetics for multiple hairs per follicle. The German angora rabbit started out making just twelve ounces of fiber per year, but by selecting for multiple hairs per follicle, giving a denser coat, they eventually bred up to five POUNDS of fiber a year. That is one dense coat. In my own herd, I see a great variation in density, but by breeding the rabbits with the most dense coats, and selecting the kits with denser coats, you can make progress. One of my lines has doubled density this way.

Fiber diameter is also inheritable. I have had my angoras' fiber tested by Alpaca Consulting Services USA. It is reasonably priced, and you can see which rabbits in your herd have the desired hair diameter, so you can choose breedings that will optimize this trait for you.

As to recognizing density at a young age, with angoras the lay of the coat is good clue. The coat that parts in the middle and falls to either side of the backbone lacks density. A dense coat would have so many hairs per follicle that it couldn't do that. I'm not sure how that translates to a roll back coat, sorry.

There is an article on the genetics of rabbit coat development at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/age.13024 I haven't digested all of that information yet, but it certainly shows how many different things are involved in coat development, yikes!
 
I would like to know your thoughts on breeding for increased fur density.

Are there any breeds that can be crossed with a Rollback coat to increase the diameter of the guard hairs?

Is there a gene that can be used to increase the number of hair follicles produced in a Rollback coat without affecting the nature of the rollback type?

I would like to increase the density of fur in my lines without negatively affecting the rollback.

Do you have any experiences with successfully breeding for a fuller, thicker coat without giving up current fur expressions?

Do you have any tips and tricks for getting thicker fur, or recognizing the kits who will habe thicker fur when they are in the nestbox or still youngsters?

Any and ALL responses are appreciated.
A rollback coat is influenced heavily by the density of the undercoat. The guard hairs provide protection and stability to the underfur, but the undercoat makes for both density and that rollback action. In fur with a less dense undercoat, you end up with a flyback coat. Satin fur is not technically classed as either flyback or rollback, but if you're getting a snappy return, you know the coat is lacking density especially in the underfur. In Holland Lops (a rollback breed), we find the best coats are also the ones with heavy underfur.

As @judymac suggests, the best approach is to breed rabbits with the most dense coats, and then select the kits with denser coats as your next generation. No matter what you cross into your line, that basic method is what you need to get you where you want to go.

Honestly, since you don't seem to be breeding to a particular breed standard, just going out and finding rabbits with great density would probably be the way to go. But for thinking about possible crosses, common breeds calling for rollback fur include American and Standard Chinchilla; French, Mini and Holland Lop; and Flemish Giant. Less commonly found rollback breeds are Blanc de Hotot; Beveren; American Sable; and Lilac.

If you are breeding meat rabbits, the most appropriate crosses would be the Sable, AmChin or Blanc de Hotot, as they have commercial type and medium bone as well as rollback fur. Lilacs and Standard Chins are slightly smaller (5.5-7.5lbs and 5 -7lbs respectively) but still have good meat rabbit type. Mini Lops, slightly smaller yet, call for heavy bone, but you can find them with lighter bone (those will generally be culls for that reason). French Lops are huge with massive bone (not at all desirable in a meat rabbit); Beverens have a mandolin or semi-arch body type; and Flemish have both massive bone and a mandolin shape. Mandolin type does not mean they aren't good meat rabbits - Beverens certainly can be - but be aware that crossing to them will tend to result in long shoulders on some of your meat rabbits.

One possibly surprising cross that breeders have often used to increase density in their rabbits is Rex, which has a coat type characterized by an unusually high density of hairs per follicle (though not all rex have good density - you have to be choosy). The issue is that since rex is a recessive coat type, you'll find yourself getting rexed kits at various points down the line. Strangely, while adding rex can be a good way to increase density in the normal coat, I've found that rexes resulting from such a cross tend to lose that incredible density.

Same with angora - I know people who have used an angora with great density to increase density in their rabbits of another breed. When my daughter was playing around with making Satin Angoras out of Satins x French Angoras, we did see increased density in many of the normal-furred offspring. But like the rex, the angora gene will lurk and pop out fuzzy babies from time to time.

The point is that whatever breed or crossbreed you use, just make sure it has outstanding density itself. One way to assess this is to blow into the coat, or roll it back with your hand. As the old adage goes, "If you see skin, it's too thin."

I've found that Satin juniors that look just a bit wooly or fuzzy - because their undercoats are well-developed before they get their adult guard hairs in - are the individuals that tend to develop into the rabbits with the densist coats. The really sleek youngsters are flashy but tend to have less density as adults.

Another interesting thing I've found, though I can't say whether it holds true with other breeds or not, is that if I breed blacks with blacks for more than a generation or two, I start losing density. My blues almost always have great density, and even if I didn't love the blues, I'd keep them around to help my black coats stay dense. I'm also recently finding the same advantage to using REWs with my blacks (but so far, have not found it with himis).
 
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Since I have angoras, I don't deal with roll back coats. But, I do know there are genetics for multiple hairs per follicle. The German angora rabbit started out making just twelve ounces of fiber per year, but by selecting for multiple hairs per follicle, giving a denser coat, they eventually bred up to five POUNDS of fiber a year. That is one dense coat. In my own herd, I see a great variation in density, but by breeding the rabbits with the most dense coats, and selecting the kits with denser coats, you can make progress. One of my lines has doubled density this way.

Fiber diameter is also inheritable. I have had my angoras' fiber tested by Alpaca Consulting Services USA. It is reasonably priced, and you can see which rabbits in your herd have the desired hair diameter, so you can choose breedings that will optimize this trait for you.

As to recognizing density at a young age, with angoras the lay of the coat is good clue. The coat that parts in the middle and falls to either side of the backbone lacks density. A dense coat would have so many hairs per follicle that it couldn't do that. I'm not sure how that translates to a roll back coat, sorry.

There is an article on the genetics of rabbit coat development at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/age.13024 I haven't digested all of that information yet, but it certainly shows how many different things are involved in coat development, yikes!
Thank you! This is the information I need.
 
A rollback coat is influenced heavily by the density of the undercoat. The guard hairs provide protection and stability to the underfur, but the undercoat makes for both density and that rollback action. In fur with a less dense undercoat, you end up with a flyback coat. Satin fur is not technically classed as either flyback or rollback, but if you're getting a snappy return, you know the coat is lacking density especially in the underfur. In Holland Lops (a rollback breed), we find the best coats are also the ones with heavy underfur.

As @judymac suggests, the best approach is to breed rabbits with the most dense coats, and then select the kits with denser coats as your next generation. No matter what you cross into your line, that basic method is what you need to get you where you want to go.

Honestly, since you don't seem to be breeding to a particular breed standard, just going out and finding rabbits with great density would probably be the way to go. But for thinking about possible crosses, common breeds calling for rollback fur include American and Standard Chinchilla; French, Mini and Holland Lop; and Flemish Giant. Less commonly found rollback breeds are Blanc de Hotot; Beveren; American Sable; and Lilac.

If you are breeding meat rabbits, the most appropriate crosses would be the Sable, AmChin or Blanc de Hotot, as they have commercial type and medium bone as well as rollback fur. Lilacs and Standard Chins are slightly smaller (5.5-7.5lbs and 5 -7lbs respectively) but still have good meat rabbit type. Mini Lops, slightly smaller yet, call for heavy bone, but you can find them with lighter bone (those will generally be culls for that reason). French Lops are huge with massive bone (not at all desirable in a meat rabbit); Beverens have a mandolin or semi-arch body type; and Flemish have both massive bone and a mandolin shape. Mandolin type does not mean they aren't good meat rabbits - Beverens certainly can be - but be aware that crossing to them will tend to result in long shoulders on some of your meat rabbits.

One possibly surprising cross that breeders have often used to increase density in their rabbits is Rex, which has a coat type characterized by an unusually high density of hairs per follicle (though not all rex have good density - you have to be choosy). The issue is that since rex is a recessive coat type, you'll find yourself getting rexed kits at various points down the line. Strangely, while adding rex can be a good way to increase density in the normal coat, I've found that rexes resulting from such a cross tend to lose that incredible density.

Same with angora - I know people who have used an angora with great density to increase density in their rabbits of another breed. When my daughter was playing around with making Satin Angoras out of Satins x French Angoras, we did see increased density in many of the normal-furred offspring. But like the rex, the angora gene will lurk and pop out fuzzy babies from time to time.

The point is that whatever breed or crossbreed you use, just make sure it has outstanding density itself. One way to assess this is to blow into the coat, or roll it back with your hand. As the old adage goes, "If you see skin, it's too thin."

I've found that Satin juniors that look just a bit wooly or fuzzy - because their undercoats are well-developed before they get their adult guard hairs in - are the individuals that tend to develop into the rabbits with the densist coats. The really sleek youngsters are flashy but tend to have less density as adults.

Another interesting thing I've found, though I can't say whether it holds true with other breeds or not, is that if I breed blacks with blacks for more than a generation or two, I start losing density. My blues almost always have great density, and even if I didn't love the blues, I'd keep them around to help my black coats stay dense. I'm also recently finding the same advantage to using REWs with my blacks (but so far, have not found it with himis).
Thank you! You have given me valiable insight.
 
Strangely, while adding rex can be a good way to increase density in the normal coat, I've found that rexes resulting from such a cross tend to lose that incredible density.
Sounds very normal. if you cross 10 and 20 to get 15, 15 is a lot compared with 10, but much fewer compared with 20 ;-)
 

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