These are all pedigreed Zealand. Would all of these be considered a "regular" chinchilla coloured , diluted, or Salt &Pepper
(or frosty for the 2nd)? Many thanks!
(or frosty for the 2nd)? Many thanks!
colour question
- Thread starter Mckatie
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The first photo looks like a chinchilla but maybe with wideband <ww> influence, which makes the color look lighter overall and in my experience also increases the extent of the trim. <A_B_c(chd)_D_E_ww> A fur shot to take a look at the ring pattern in the coat would be interesting; also check the undercolor on the belly (a normal chin will have dark undercolor, while a wideband chin will generally have pearl all the way to the skin). She does not look like a dilute because the ticking is black, not blue-gray.
The second rabbit looks like an ermine, which is a non-extension chinchilla <A_B_c(chd)_ee>, and maybe wideband as well, which would further lighten the ticking, and make what look like big eye circles on that rabbit. Ermines are also called frosty in some breeds that recognize the variety, e.g. Holland Lop, in which it is classified as a wideband color (maybe because the wideband alleles further reduce the black ticking, and lighten the undercolor and belly color).
Both <w> and <e> could be reasonably expected if there is red <A_B_C_D_eeww> somewhere in the background, but as far as I know both alleles are recessive (though I sometimes wonder about wideband possibly being partially dominant), so both parents would have to carry them.
The dark color in the third and fourth photos seems a little "off" on my screen. That always makes me think sable, especially since your rabbits have a lot of that going on.
But maybe these are new stock? I can't really see enough of the rabbit in photo #3, but the rabbit pictured in #4 looks like it might have that extra-wide trim of a wideband influence... check the belly undercolor - if it's white it's most likely <ww>. IMHO there's probably too much ticking for a non-extension color like frosty, but maybe a wideband sable chin? <A_B_c(chl)_D_E_ww>It is interesting that you would get so many non-recognized varieties in purebred NZs, but the colors you are seeing are not completely surprising if someone is breeding reds x whites (except for sable, which I still find a little weird in a purebred NZ).
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Thank you! Actually none of these are mine . However, they are all related to mine. The first 2... mother and sister to CC (CC. My sable buck was the first and only rabbit born that colour at her rabbitry. When I bred CC to Oreo ,she gave me the sables and broken sable point,Cracked Pepper). #3 and #4 picture of the same buck. He belongs to another Montanan (hours away) who also bought her stock from the same place as I did. This is the first time she has had such a heavily marked "frosty/ermine" . Evidently she also has a doe as well. I thought it looked more chin. I am going to ask her about the belly. I didn't have any frosties until I bought 2 does from her and bred them to CC.The first photo looks like a chinchilla but maybe with wideband <ww> influence, which makes the color look lighter overall and in my experience also increases the extent of the trim. <A_B_c(chd)_D_E_ww> A fur shot to take a look at the ring pattern in the coat would be interesting; also check the undercolor on the belly (a normal chin will have dark undercolor, while a wideband chin will generally have pearl all the way to the skin). She does not look like a dilute because the ticking is black, not blue-gray.
The second rabbit looks like an ermine, which is a non-extension chinchilla <A_B_c(chd)_ee>, and maybe wideband as well, which would further lighten the ticking, and make what look like big eye circles on that rabbit. Ermines are also called frosty in some breeds that recognize the variety, e.g. Holland Lop, in which it is classified as a wideband color (maybe because the wideband alleles further reduce the black ticking, and lighten the undercolor and belly color).
Both <w> and <e> could be reasonably expected if there is red <A_B_C_D_eeww> somewhere in the background, but as far as I know both alleles are recessive (though I sometimes wonder about wideband possibly being partially dominant), so both parents would have to carry them.
The dark color in the third and fourth photos seems a little "off" on my screen. That always makes me think sable, especially since your rabbits have a lot of that going on.
It is interesting that you would get so many non-recognized varieties in purebred NZs, but the colors you are seeing are not completely surprising if someone is breeding reds x 3 whites (except for sable, which I still find a little weird in a purebred NZ).
Im just going down another rabbit hole..
Thanks again!
