Satin colors

[Emily]

My red buck and REW doe had a litter this week, and I'm scratching my head over the colors. I am VERY new to rabbit genetics, so please be gentle.

My doe has four brokens and five pink babies I'm assuming are REW. Now, I'm wondering what reds look like in the nest box. I thought they were pink like the REWs, am I wrong? I'll have to check again, but I'm almost positive that all of the pinks are furring out with white.

My buck has the REW gene, so it isn't surprising that there are some in there. But the majority of the litter? As I understand, Red beats out black in the genetic totem pole, and black trumps the double recessive white. So where are my red popples?


We lost a broken doe last week, and her litter. She had two brokens, one pinkie, and five black babies. If Red babies are born dark, then maybe she had reds and blacks? Are some of my current brokens going to be broken red?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Hopefully Mary Ann will see this post- she has red NZ's and they come out almost brick red, not pink like the REWs. I was astonished at the difference, myself!

As for the color genetics... you are way ahead of me in that game! They make my head spin around... :twilightzone:

 

[skysthelimit]

My red buck and REW doe had a litter this week, and I'm scratching my head over the colors. I am VERY new to rabbit genetics, so please be gentle.

My doe has four brokens and five pink babies I'm assuming are REW. Now, I'm wondering what reds look like in the nest box. I thought they were pink like the REWs, am I wrong? I'll have to check again, but I'm almost positive that all of the pinks are furring out with white.

My buck has the REW gene, so it isn't surprising that there are some in there. But the majority of the litter? As I understand, Red beats out black in the genetic totem pole, and black trumps the double recessive white. So where are my red popples?


We lost a broken doe last week, and her litter. She had two brokens, one pinkie, and five black babies. If Red babies are born dark, then maybe she had reds and blacks? Are some of my current brokens going to be broken red?

black and REW are on difference loci (locuses), so black is not dominant over REW, it's more like REw has an incomplete dominance, so if you get two c genes, there is no competition, you're a REW.

Unfortunately, genetics is not so tidy. My castor and broken black produced 5 black kits and one broken black, not a single castor in the litter, though castor is the dominant gene. Over time it's supposed to go toward the middle, but it doesn't happen every litter.

Wish I could tell you about red, but none of my rabbits carry that gene as far as I know.

Also that REW has to carry the non extension gene to get reds. If it doesn't you would not have any.

 

[Emily]

Just checked the nest box, the pinks are definitely not red. Their fur is white. The brokens look like broken black. I'm going to have to dig up the pedigrees and snoop. I REALLY wanted some reds. Boo.

 

[SatinsRule]

Emily, the problem with raising Reds is that there is really no other variety in the Satin breed which crosses well with it. Some will tell you that Coppers will do alright, but try and tell that to a judge when he/she is throwing your rabbits off the table because its coat is smutty.

There is one variety which will work somewhat well (broken reds), but first try and find some of them, then get ready to battle with the advent of white toenails.

It's sad, really. Reds show off their sheen as well as anything else in the satin breed and are an incredible animal, but they're trapped in terms of development. Virtually anything you do to try and improve them is bound to backfire on you.

Your brokens are the result of breeding it with a white. Take a close look at that white's pedigree. If there are any brokens or solids in its background, there lies the culprit of why you got what you got in terms of color. Whites are not uncommon to be thrown by brokens, particularly when there are too many brokens and whites involved in lineage, and many breeders who breed for brokens will cull out the whites which show up in litters for no other reason than the fact that they're white.

Word to the wise: If you ever get the wild hair to breed your reds with a Cal Satin, you'll likely get a litter box full of blacks. Most varieties you may wish to cross Reds with will usually produce blacks to some degree. Sad, but it's so often the truth.

 

[Emily]

Looks like I need to find a red doe.

 

[skysthelimit]

Emily, the problem with raising Reds is that there is really no other variety in the Satin breed which crosses well with it. Some will tell you that Coppers will do alright, but try and tell that to a judge when he/she is throwing your rabbits off the table because its coat is smutty.

Same with rex. you get soot, dark ear lacing or a blue undercoat trying to cross to castor, even though the colors are related. I had a nice red, but I culled him because he was half the size of a new buck I purchased. I had no idea how hard it is to get that color at the time. At least I have his very handsome pelt.

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

You also need non extension (ee) to get reds and if your doe doesn't carry it then there will be no reds in the first generation. You also have a 75% chance of rews with the pairing you just did. The doe only contributes small "c" and the buck only has one "C" plus his small "c"

 

[skysthelimit]

You also need non extension (ee) to get reds and if your doe doesn't carry it then there will be no reds in the first generation. You also have a 75% chance of rews with the pairing you just did. The doe only contributes small "c" and the buck only has one "C" plus his small "c"

Breed dau back to her sire.