American Chinchilla coloration

[Therese]

Hello! Some of my American Chinchilla kits have "coffee" stains on their backs. I was told recently that this is called "grassiness" and will go away after the first moult. Can someone give me an authoritative reference for that information? Has anyone had experience with this? I can't find anything online!
Thank you so much.
And by the way, this forum is really jam-packed with excellent information! And, with so many experienced, knowledgable and kind people!

 

[Therese]

Hello! I didn't see my post on the daily list.... I would really appreciate feedback!

 

[NY Rabbits]

I am not a Chinchilla breeder but I do have a Chinchilla buck I use for breeding my other rabbits. He is a bit over one year old and I noticed a brown coloration showing up on his hind legs over the last several weeks. It does not seem to be going away. Probably not much help.

 

[Therese]

Thank you so much for your input! The brown I am noticing shows up when the kits are very little (maybe two weeks) and seems to be only on the tops (as though someone spilled coffee on them). I have heard of "light sensitivity", but I don't know if that is the same as "grassiness".

 

[MsTemeraire]

Thank you so much for your input! The brown I am noticing shows up when the kits are very little (maybe two weeks) and seems to be only on the tops (as though someone spilled coffee on them). I have heard of "light sensitivity", but I don't know if that is the same as "grassiness".

I think you mean "brassiness" - it's also called "brownback" in some countries. Just seems to be a Chinchilla thing, and moults out.

 

[Therese]

Fantastic! If you would happen to have any references for that helpful information I would really like to get them! Thank you, Ms. Temeraire!

 

[ladysown]

I don't know if there is any reference guide, it's just one of those rabbit things that people pass along one to another. Part of it is getting to know your herd. I know that in my herd, brassiness in coats usually means the sable gene is involved but then it's still more of a brownish sheen to the overall rabbit. Whenever I've gotten black chinchillla bunnies, any brown moults out by the time they are six months old.

 

[Therese]

Thank you so much!

 

[MsTemeraire]

Fantastic! If you would happen to have any references for that helpful information I would really like to get them! Thank you, Ms. Temeraire!

It's just as Ladysown says above. I've seen it called brassiness in US based genetics groups, and brownback by UK Chin breeders. I believe the geneticist Roy Robinson also referred to it as brownback.

 

[Therese]

Thank you very much!!! I am looking all of that information up. But just the fact that several rabbit breeders are familiar with this brassiness/brownback and that it goes away after the first moult is very encouraging to me. God bless you!

 

[MsTemeraire]

Thank you very much!!! I am looking all of that information up. But just the fact that several rabbit breeders are familiar with this brassiness/brownback and that it goes away after the first moult is very encouraging to me. God bless you!

I've found a reference for you - I was mistaken, Roy Robinson called it "rusty back" but I do know chin breeders in the UK who call it brownback.

I believe there is a printing error in the extract though (the second edition has several, all in the superscript) and it should read cchd not cchl.

 

[Therese]

That is definitely authoritative!
There is certainly a lot to learn about genetics.
Thank you so much!

 

[Nello'sHops&Lops]

I've found a reference for you - I was mistaken, Roy Robinson called it "rusty back" but I do know chin breeders in the UK who call it brownback.

I believe there is a printing error in the extract though (the second edition has several, all in the superscript) and it should read cchd not cchl.

Fyi cchl is NOT a typo. They are explaining how cchl makes an inferior coat due to the partial removal of yellow, leaving a yellow tinge, as opposed to cchd removing the yellow entirely.

 

[Nello'sHops&Lops]

That is definitely authoritative!
There is certainly a lot to learn about genetics.
Thank you so much!

Fyi cchl was not a typo, see my other comment. Feel free to ask questions