Rabbit genetic testing interest?

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I was thinking I would need to find specific primers that would allow recessive genes of interest to be identified. Like maybe wideband, steel, albino, harlequin or Vienna.

Primers are cheap, a PCR machine is within reach ($1500 used), a gel tank and reagents are cheap, I have the skills to do it safely...I can design primers pretty well if I can find a published full sequence for the gene variant of interest. That is the research I have not had time to do. I need to look at the genes someone would be interested in paying for, and I would need to find out which genes can be PCR tested, and I strongly suspect there is a whole list out there but I have not had time to dig for it.

I could not afford the equipment to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms though. It would only work for genes that have a significant difference between the dominant and recessive allele.
I've been hearing "science nerds" talking about how they are starting to do DNA testing on snake sheds to identify color patterns on ball pythons (they have like 300 color morphs and you can stack pretty much as many as you want on 1 snake so it gets hard to ID by eye) and what they are doing is getting snakes with known genes and fairly few genes and testing them, finding out where they are the same or different and identifying the different gene locations that way since they don't have anything to start from.

They were able to use albino that they were able to pull from other species so they would know what to look for and roughly where, but the other nonsense that they have isn't found anywhere else so they are having to work blind.
 
@eco2pia This is quite exciting. It sounds like you've got the background and skill set for this arena. I know you can't publicize everything in an open forum, but I'm extremely interested in how you would go about determining a market viability assessment for this venture. Anyway, I'm rooting for you!
 
Yes! I have micron testing done on my rabbit's fiber for an objective scientific analysis, it would be fabulous to be able to test for color/parentage as well. Sometimes you end up with a litter that just doesn't make sense genetically (like black agouti (chestnut) out of lynx and chocolate agouti, both of which are recessive chocolate, not dominant black. How great it would be to be able to test for the color alleles, and be sure the stock isn't carrying an unwanted recessive.

Sure wish there was a way to test for some of the less common things, like steel E(S) and harlequin e(j), Vienna vv, Silvering si, chinchilla c(chd) and sable c(chl) as well as cc albino REW, as all of these working in the background as recessives can result in faulted or disqualified colors. There are so many variables than mask as self black, like supersteel, seal, or self chin. Wouldn't it be great to be able to sort out that conundrum?

Will there ever be a way to tell why wild gray agoutis (which are now lumped in with chestnut agouti even though they have mostly steel blue fiber with chestnut tips, no real fawn middle band) are missing the fawn band? Is there a genetic that pushes the undercolor up, or the fawn off? What else could this genetic (whatever it is) affect?

Why do some rabbits have mostly white hair, with only a tip of color (snowballs)? What genetic does that? Is it a relic from red/fawn breeding, that often have white bases to their hairshaft? As I raise angoras, I would love a way to figure out what causes this and test for it (1/2-1" of color on a 5" hairshaft, in a breed that should have dark undercolor, not white).
Where do you send your wool for micron testing? I have been googling for 2 hours for a lab that will test angora rabbit.. lol
 
Where do you send your wool for micron testing? I have been googling for 2 hours for a lab that will test angora rabbit.. lol
I've seen someone say they used this place. I think for sheep wool but maybe rabbit. Either way they were sending in non alpaca floof for testing https://www.alpacaconsultingusa.com/index.php?route=common/home

I haven't personally used them though so I don't know for SURE that they will do other species but it would be worth an ask.
 
I've seen someone say they used this place. I think for sheep wool but maybe rabbit. Either way they were sending in non alpaca floof for testing https://www.alpacaconsultingusa.com/index.php?route=common/home

I haven't personally used them though so I don't know for SURE that they will do other species but it would be worth an ask.
Thank you so much
They're set up for alpaca, but do a great job on angora as well, https://www.alpacaconsultingusa.com/ The simple test is only a few dollars per sample, so very affordable, and it gives very useful information.
Thank you
 
Awesome. Do I clip samples while in full coat? How much fiber per sample?
one of the tests says to clip a piece mid rib cage (remember, alpaca, so that would probably be the best part of the blanket on them, so wherever your better fluff is coming from on the rabbit) the size of a man's thumb... so quarter to half an inch across chunk? And yes, I would sample in full coat so you get the best result.
 
one of the tests says to clip a piece mid rib cage (remember, alpaca, so that would probably be the best part of the blanket on them, so wherever your better fluff is coming from on the rabbit) the size of a man's thumb... so quarter to half an inch across chunk? And yes, I would sample in full coat so you get the best result.
Ok. Thank you so very much. I appreciate the help more than you know.
 
I took a sample of full coat about the width of your thumb, put it in a snack size ziploc bag with a tag with the rabbit's name and any other ID info I would want to identify the sample. Then put the samples into a box/shipping bag along with an information sheet https://www.alpacaconsultingusa.com/documents/alpconsusa_worksheet_2.pdf The prices are cheaper if you send a check, see https://www.alpacaconsultingusa.com/fiber-tests/alpaca-fibre-tests-simple
Ok. I have to wait since I harvested my jrs and trimmed up my adults since it's hot. Lol
Thank you again for your help. 😁
 

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