What breed is this tricolor? And suggest a name?

[dragonladyleanne]

This doe is 8 months old, currently weighs only 5 pounds, but she appears to have a larger frame than my other 5 pound doe, so I am thinking she might gain a little weight with better feed than she may have been getting. Her fur is thick, but not as fluffy as an angora, I think. Any guesses as to what breed(s)? And what color do you call this?

 

[luvabunny]

No idea on breed but the color is called harlequin. If bred to the right buck, she will likely produce tri's.

 

[3mina]

Going strictly by the sideburns on her face, she's an angora mix

 

[ladysown]

I second that angora mix thought... or perhaps a lousy lionhead.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

We are thinking angora mix as well. And toying with Ginger or Rowan as names.

 

[dangerbunny]

Bramble

 

[ladysown]

or bronwyn?

 

[Wyldrose]

Tumble weed

 

[PSFAngoras]

The face is VERY angora!!! I just traded a 4 year old French doe who's face looked exactly like that.

 

[dragonladyleanne]

The face is VERY angora!!! I just traded a 4 year old French doe who's face looked exactly like that.

Are there special combs or tips for grooming Angoras? I haven't tried to get her mats out yet, due to her skittishness (I got her from a poultry dealer who had taken her in trade, not handled much); I'd rather not hurt her doing so, but I also don't fancy clipping her since she might not grow out in time for winter outside (she is indoors right now, and I was thinking of breeding her when quarantine is up).

Thanks for the comments, all! We settled on Ginger, as she seemed to respond a bit to that name. She is not very friendly yet, but she does hop over to sniff my hand at feeding time. Then she does a very funny "half-snub", by turning her butt to me, but stealing over her shoulder glances at me to see when I have finished filling her dish and closed the cage door. Once in a great while, she allows a forehead rub. Oh, and I have to speak in my "have you lost your mommy?" voice around her; the other day my husband went into the quarantine room ahead of me, and boomed "Hello Bunnies" (we have a litter of weanlings in there as well), and she tore around her cage so fast she almost caused it to fall off its support! So, you have to treat her "gingerly" as well, thus the name fits both her color AND her personality.

 

[PSFAngoras]

There are a lot of good grooming tip, ideas, and how to's in the wool rabbit and fiber arts section. For mats, I just cut straight into the mat, as close to the skin as I can without actually cutting the skin. Then I start brushing it out. It usually takes several cuts to get the whole mat out, but its the best thing I've found so far.

As far as combs, I start with a slicker to break up any pills on the ends of the fiber and get out any of the debris, usually that goes into a bag to use for nest material when breeding time comes. Then I use a rake style brush. This helps get out the loose fiber between molts. My lines are high producers, so I get quite a bit of fiber between molts as well. I work from the 'dust ruffle' and go up towards their back. Once that is over, I go around again with the slicker to get any stray hairs so they don't invest them and get wool block. Both he 2nd and third rounds go into my tub for spinning. Some people will argue you can't take care of an angora properly without a blower, but you can, its just more work. Also, when hey shed out every three months, I pluck the fiber by hand.
You can catch a lot more in the wool rabbits section. Check it out!
Hope this helps

 

[MaggieJ]

The snub: Something like "You're late with the food."
The over the shoulder glances: "But since you're filling it up now, you're forgivable."

 

[dragonladyleanne]

The snub appears to be more along the lines of "how dare you cause me to be excited to see you"! She reminds me of a few cats I have had in my life, as I have found if I sit down in the room and play with the babies (not hers, btw, and in a different cage), she quits sulking and comes sniffing and ogling at her door. She sometimes allows petting, but it's very much got to be her idea, not mine.

I haven't decided yet if I am going to breed her, and if so, to which male. I have an NZW buck (a bit large for her, though, at least for a first breeding), a Champagne buck (more her size) and a broken black buck of unknown breed. I really like her reddish color, would that more likely repeat if the sire is white, or must I find a red buck?

 

[PSFAngoras]

You might have a *SLIGHT* chance of repeating that color, but it would be harder to get. You would likely get a few more tricolors out of her if you use your broken buck. A red buck would likely result in more harlequin kits like her, and potentially a few fawns and reds.

The champagne and the broken buck would probably result in chestnuts and broken chestnuts, unless they carry the extension gene or the kits get the harlequin gene from mom, then you might be seeing some more of the fawn/harlequin patterns. The fawn/red a fairly hard color to breed out unless all the genes are just right. (It's caused by recessives and modifiers. Unless your bucks carry the recessives you won't get them, and modifiers are a whole nother animal!)

A white rabbit is basically a colored rabbit with a sheet thrown over it, so unless you know what colors he's hiding, it's anyones guess what will happen.