Chinchillas

[BusterHill]

So I'm new to rabbit breeding and breeds, just want to throw that out first :bunnyhop:

I have been keeping rabbits for about 2 years we had been trying to breed but tuns out that male was a dud, he is a white chinchilla (my husband bought the first group before I came around, and even I didnt know until a few months ago a white chin was "bad") but he also got 2 FG

Anyway, so we had those in large individual cages at that time and I have since taken what was left (be bought a few here and there, some died) and I've acquired a few others, and I've been keeping them colony style, I'll never go back to individual cages for breeding, I'm very happy so far

Anyway, so in my breeding colony i have 3 does, a Chinchilla, californian, and a dutch (she just fits in this group better, shes a hard breeder i guess and the male is lazy so she wont get bred by him anytime soon i suspect) with a NZW buck...

6 weeks ago my Chin had her first litter! (this group has been together for several months, so it was a pleasant surprise) it was a litter of 7, but about a week in one got drug out and didnt make it back and got cold (we were experiencing prolonged -10 weather) but the other 6 are great! now for my questions

Is it correct to assume that because there were no REW kits that my doe is pure?

3 kits were normal grey agouti, 2 were dark agouti, but one of those has a white face marking? explain?, and the last one is very light grey agouti.. is it normal to have such a variation in shades?

I have a litter of 3 from the californian thats about 2 weeks old now, so i plan to do a buck swap (I'm just playing for right now ) and ive been offered a dark chin buck , now that i can assume my doe is pure, when i breed him to my other chin, and if i dont get REW's I can then assume that he is pure? and if I do get a pure litter, how much is a normal asking price?

we are breeding with intentions to eat, and I'll sell the ones I get attached to that I dont want to breed I'm not looking to make a profit, just to get another protein source in our freezer (so far its just chicken, by fall we will have lamb, before that im hoping rabbit, and maybe we will get a calf)

I bought my chin doe for $20, they were asking $25 , I am selling a kit tomorrow, im asking $25, but id take $20 this is for a pet only, im advertising as a mixed breed...

The ones id want to sell for breeders would be what I would want for a meat bunny, so far every place we've been to, to get rabbits has just asked the breeds you wanted and how many, no one had anything "special" pulled out marked specifically as a breeder... I mean they cant all be good enough to breed.... can they?



sorry theres a lot of questions here!

 

[Dood]

one of those has a white face marking? explain?,

It could just be a mis-mark or it could be the Vienna or Dutch gene causing it

is it normal to have such a variation in shades?

Yes. There are modifier genes that purebred rabbits carry to produce a show quality coat that other colours might not have.

Just because a rabbit is the chinchilla colour or only produces chin coloured offspring does not mean it is an Standard or American or Giant Chinchillla - the breed. I wouln't sell your rabbits as purebred and i would not ask for any more for them as usually the increased price for purebreds is because they are show quality or come with a pedigree.

I mean they cant all be good enough to breed.... can they?

they can be for meat production, just not for the show table and of course some will be better as meat rabbits but that is nearly impossible to tell until they start having litters - for example : I have two half sisters, one is a stellar production rabbit, the other is a dud :shrug: there are so many environmental factors that can effect a rabbits fertilty that bloodlines don't always mean a whole lot

 

[Zass]

As dood said, There are three breeds of chinchilla rabbit. It's hard to claim a rabbit is pure if you don't know what variety they are supposed to be. It doesn't mean she isn't though. Both you chins might be pure...and be two totally different breeds!


No rew kits simply indicates that she isn't carrying the gene that causes REW. It's a good sign.
Most of the color variation likely did come from you NZW buck, based on the description, it sounds like some might even be steels.

$20- $25 is not too much to ask for a good meat rabbit IMO though, so feel free to charge that much for your chinchilla colored meat rabbits.

I agree that they can't all be good enough to breed. Genetic defects, pinched hips, and such are all things that should be removed from the gene pool.

"Keep the best, eat the rest"

 

[BusterHill]

ok thank you the doe that i got came from a breeder of only chins, and the buck im getting also does only chins. she is smaller than my flemish, so i wouldnt call her a giant ... I have not yet seen the male

is there a way to post pics right from my computer?

I know i dont want to get into expensive rabbits yet as im still learning lol, we have speant a lot total on bunnies though, we've been sticking with the 20-30 dollar range for stock... when i pet them out, i only ask 10-15 per bunny just to move them quicker...

I was wondering if i was asking too much, guess not though, so thats good

 

[DogCatMom]

ok thank you the doe that i got came from a breeder of only chins, and the buck im getting also does only chins. she is smaller than my flemish, so i wouldnt call her a giant ... I have not yet seen the male

A Giant Chinchilla rabbit weighs from 12 to 16 lb. A Flemish Giant rabbit can weigh 18 lb, 20 lb, and there are record-setting Flemish Giants who weigh(ed) almost 50 lb!!! :shock: I would expect a Giant Chinchilla rabbit to be smaller than a Flemish Giant without anything being "wrong" with either bunny.

My American Chinchilla rabbit weighs just under 12 lb (11.56 last time he was weighed). His breed runs from 9 to 12 lb; however, since I acquired him from a shelter, he has no papers *and* was neutered before I adopted him. He helps me with the weeds, though, and overgrown veggie/herb plants, and provides wonderful fertilizer for the garden.

Lots of info on "regular" weights of bunny breeds here.