Agouti with little white

[ek.blair]

Is it possible to have an Agouti rabbit that has very minimal white on it's belly? There is a little bit of white hair on the lower belly between the back legs, but non around the eye or on the inner ear... I was under the assumption that this would be a Gold Tipped Steel if it didn't have the white. How else can you tell the difference between Agouti and Self based? Does anyone have good pictures of the color bands on the hair of the two?

 

[Zass]

Pics?

A self will not have any color bands. Just black fur with a very dark bluish undercoat.

You can't really separate self from steel just by looking. Because selfs carry steel invisibly when they have it, and agouti steels can look exactly like selfs.

You can pick out agouti and visibly steel rabbits, and at least know what they are.

 

[ek.blair]

prior to eyes opening

out of the nestbox

Belly

 

[PSFAngoras]

I have a friend that gets those, I think it has to do with the ej gene, since she gets harli's from that pair too, but I don't remember how exactly that works.

HELP DOOD!

 

[Zass]

I'm leaning towards a steel with more than average agouti color, or else an agouti with weak markings.
Not really seeing a harlequinized chestnut. What colors were the parents?

You've probably already seen these pics, but just in case you hadn't, they are a good example of what a steel with a lot agouti showing through looks like compared to a steel with very little ticking.
[album]2379[/album]

[album]2378[/album]

 

[ek.blair]

here are a few more... Parents are a Blue NZ and White NZ, but no pedigrees on either and not sure of their parents colors.

Belly again, older so the hair is getting longer

This kinda makes it look like it could be agouti harlequin?
<br /><br /> __________ Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:57 am __________ <br /><br /> also these are not my buns, I am posting for someone on another site.

 

[Dood]

Steel (AKA gold tip steel) can have lighter areas on the belly, especially the lighter ones.

However, I too see harlequin - the lack of symetry of colours between the left and right side is an indication of the harlequin gene.

So I vote for a harlequin chestnut

PS any other kits in the litter with odd markings?

 

[ek.blair]

PS any other kits in the litter with odd markings?

nope he is the only one. the others were blue and REW.

 

[Zass]

It's certainly not impossible for NZs to throw harlequin colored kits. I've heard of a few breeders mixing them over the years.

To be honest, even with the extra pics I'm not 100% sure what that is.
I can see that it's not a chestnut.

 

[akane]

Looks like a bunch of meat mutt chestnuts I would get. The shades evened out with time.

 

[Dood]

The problem is some harlequins are VERY minimally marked and can look like fawns with just a faint ribbon of black and their harlequinized chestnuts can also look mostly like chestnuts but not quite right :x

My harlies always have stong markings and it is easiest to identify them as young kits with not much fur (see pic - GTSteel on left, Harli Chestnut on right) they also don't always get the white eye liner or in the ears so they can look like very light steels.

REW and selfs (with full extension) hide the harli gene so no help from the litter mates or parents

 

[Zass]

Harlequinized agouti steel is also possible....just to muddle things a bit further. :lol:

It's not often that everyone on here has a totally different answer. :razz:

If they were my rabbits, I'd test breed the parents until I had the genotype figured out.

 

[ek.blair]

I was just really curious as to what it was... It was a discussion on one of the facebook pages and I kept going back and forth as to it looking like steel and then I would think it looked more Chestnut. The gal is going to keep him and let him grow up so we will see what he turns into as he ages...