coat type genetics

[akane]

I created something weird. :? Both by dates and by color produced the 2 litters from my checkered giant x new zealand does should be by my mini rex x creme d'argent buck. I know the latter is nothing else but one of the does is steel which I guess doesn't exist in either of those 2 breeds. There's something unknown there and I'm not sure if it snuck in on the NZW side or the broken black buck that really did look checkered giant but was unpedigreed. They haven't thrown anything odd for the breeder except the occasional steel which I bought one of and I chose one of the stockier broken blacks.

I was ready for odd colors and I did get a few. Still not sure what that broken rabbit with bright red/orange hairs ticked with dark and black ear lacing is. What I didn't expect was an entirely different coat type. One side should not have rex and the other side should not have anything except normal and rex. I thought they were rex at first. They look that way in pictures and all of the coat is the same length but when you pick them up the hair is not short. On one of the brokens it's so long it forms clumps and starts to curl. They are big fuzzballs that look like someone sheared a long haired animal off at all one length and then took some hair gel to them so they are spiky. I couldn't get good pics with my phone so I will have to take my camera later tonight and try.

This one just looks rex but feels odd when you handle it

The same coat is on this rabbit but despite the pic washing out from all the white it's easier to see the length and places where it sticks out

There are about 4 of these out of 20 from the 2 half sibling does (different NZW dams). The rest look normal.

 

[DumansArk]

Ooooo I am very interested to see clear closeups if you can get them!

Chunky curly fur sounds like they will be NEAT! The curl makes me think 'Astrex coat' which has shown up in NZ and mini rex.

Whatever it is, CONGRATS!!!

I love a good mystery

 

[MamaSheepdog]

There was an appy mule born a couple of years ago at the ranch where I AI that had a weird coat like that- can't remember which color was longer, but there was a difference in fur length between the white and brown. I'd never seen that in an equine before. Or since!

Hope to see better pics of your babies!

 

[akane]

Pictures turned out better than I hoped.

This is the one with the longest, fuzziest coat

The other broken who doesn't have as fuzzy/wrinkly fur but it's longer than the chestnuts

The 2 chestnuts

This one I was just interested in identifying it's color and it's coat feels normal but in pics I noticed it still has a wave to it

 

[DumansArk]

Yep, looks like what they call an "Astrex" coat - it basically is a blanket term for curly, wavy, or rippled fur. AND CUTE AS BUTTONS!!!! Congrats Akane! =D

Pemburu, are you on this list?? - is on HT, and had purebred pedigreed NZ kits turn out like this. A breeder here that I got my satins from had a pedigreed litter turn up with it too.

It is my favorite coat type - they may or my not keep it until adulthood. Sometimes they moult it out and it comes back even curlier. Any plans to keep some of these cuties?

 

[akane]

I'm not sure what to do with these fuzzballs. I actually need to be culling down. My rabbit projects have surpassed the space allotted for them. To keep anything I have to replace something.

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

http://web.mac.com/helgav/Golden_Spike_Rabbitry/Homepage/Homepage.html

An Astrex coat is overly dense as opposed to being open or less dense as I see in the pictures, an important distinction! Rex coats stand up straight with the guard hairs the same length, the guards are not non existent as in the astrex-type. HOWEVER there are rex coats born that don't have a lot of guards or density plus are overly long that may appear as wavy because of these factors. As the astrex fur is a very rare genetic mutation and there are not the numbers needed to be breeding, establishing the mutation as stable, the incidence of an actual mutation is extremely low. It also seems that the chatter on the web has not really gone past 2006 and a lot of the links are dead. Helga is a very nice person who may be able to answer any questions about these kits or curly coats in general. Also rabbitgeek might have some thoughts as well.

 

[Bramble Hedge]

cute as love these little guys

 

[DumansArk]

cute as love these little guys

Indeed!

And Akane; I know what you mean - that darn space issue!
Sigh. Well, at any rate; you sure got a cute, cute litter

 

[akane]

An Astrex coat is overly dense as opposed to being open or less dense as I see in the pictures, an important distinction!

The really fuzzy clumpy looking ones have coats far denser than any mini rex. I've had mini rex kits who's fur was so dense it stuck out at crazy angles until they grew enough to fit all of the coat. These are thicker than that. You can't get to their skin. It's like holding a little fully coated sheep. The more wavy than curly ones could just be the rex side. Some of the rex crosses have odd things happen but it's always a mild difference. Most people who handle our half rex offspring don't notice the differences in fur from the other rabbits.

 

[DumansArk]

The really fuzzy clumpy looking ones have coats far denser than any mini rex. I've had mini rex kits who's fur was so dense it stuck out at crazy angles until they grew enough to fit all of the coat. These are thicker than that. You can't get to their skin. It's like holding a little fully coated sheep.

Sounds like my Astrex coated babies - how neat! I think they are not as rare as some people think. I believe it is more of a situation where people don't know what they have, so they don't 'run to Guiness Records" as I think I heard it put by Pamela (an Astrex coat breeder who has some of Helga's aforementioned stock)

Then you get people like a breeder I know who culled his curly line out - he raises show stock, and can't have the curl. Simple as that. He didn't want others to know he'd even had it show up, so he didn't sell them; right to FC they went.

Nothing wrong with it; just saying that I think it happens more often than credit is given for.