LPH_NY
Well-known member
If I have a silver-tipped steel buck and cross him with a gold-tipped steel doe, what will I get?
Crossing Steels...
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Mostly Gold tipped steel and super steels which could look like blacks 
Possibly some chestnuts if they also carry full extension
Possibly some true blacks if they carry self
Possibly silver tipped steel if the Gold Tip carries a recessive C-locus (dark shaded/chinchilla, light shaded, himilayan or REW)
If they have had litters with others can you tell us the colours produced?
Possibly some chestnuts if they also carry full extension
Possibly some true blacks if they carry self
Possibly silver tipped steel if the Gold Tip carries a recessive C-locus (dark shaded/chinchilla, light shaded, himilayan or REW)
If they have had litters with others can you tell us the colours produced?
LPH_NY
Well-known member
I haven't bred steels yet. I got a really handsome (in my opinion) steel buck from my tort doe and chinchilla buck {edit-he's from a Himi doe}. I no longer have the parent rabbits. He was sold and she has passed. So I have this guy:
and I really love the coloring. I would like to produce more. I also have noticed that the steels from both litters grew faster and meatier than all the other colors. Is that normal? (Other colors included himi, REW, chestnut, and chinchilla.) I like the chinchilla coloring, too... but they have all been the smallest and slowest growing of the bunch. Is that also typical?
I can pair him with a chestnut that I already have, but they are half-siblings. So I thought I would look for an unrelated steel doe to pair with him. Gold-tipped steel seems more common (easier to find) and I do also like the look of gold-tipped steels. If I can't find one that looks like him, I would go with a gold-tipped still IF it would produce more steels for me than if I paired him with a chestnut. I could also pair him with a steel sister from a different litter (still same parents) but I am afraid that I might not like the result. These rabbits would be for meat and pelts...
What would you recommend if my goal is to produce lots of visual steels?
and I really love the coloring. I would like to produce more. I also have noticed that the steels from both litters grew faster and meatier than all the other colors. Is that normal? (Other colors included himi, REW, chestnut, and chinchilla.) I like the chinchilla coloring, too... but they have all been the smallest and slowest growing of the bunch. Is that also typical?
I can pair him with a chestnut that I already have, but they are half-siblings. So I thought I would look for an unrelated steel doe to pair with him. Gold-tipped steel seems more common (easier to find) and I do also like the look of gold-tipped steels. If I can't find one that looks like him, I would go with a gold-tipped still IF it would produce more steels for me than if I paired him with a chestnut. I could also pair him with a steel sister from a different litter (still same parents) but I am afraid that I might not like the result. These rabbits would be for meat and pelts...
What would you recommend if my goal is to produce lots of visual steels?
Um... can you say HANDSOME!!! What a good looking boy I am loving that color! I have a litter that has a few gold tipped steels, wasn't sure how I was going to like the steels but after seeing him, WOW! I wish I could get a silver tipped steel now
I am loving that color! I have a litter that has a few gold tipped steels, wasn't sure how I was going to like the steels but after seeing him, WOW! I wish I could get a silver tipped steel now
LPH_NY
Well-known member
ek.blair,
He looked really awkward when he was younger. He looked like ... oscar the grouch.
But his personality is awesome, just like his flemish dad. His sister from the same litter actually had coloring that was closer to the standards for the steel Flemish, but I sold her to be someone else's breeding doe.
He looked really awkward when he was younger. He looked like ... oscar the grouch.
But his personality is awesome, just like his flemish dad. His sister from the same litter actually had coloring that was closer to the standards for the steel Flemish, but I sold her to be someone else's breeding doe.
I think he was still cute when he was younger, and personality IS what really does it no matter how "pretty" they are!
LPH_NY
Well-known member
Personality is definitely very important. I have learned that the hard way. His mom was sweet until she matured, then she was killer rabbit from Monty Python. I am hoping he stays sweet. And glad I didn't keep a doe from her.
My steels are the biggest and fastest growing kits and I am convinced the steel gene is linked to growth rate and size which also explains why it is so common in Himilayans and REW and even in self based rabbits like SilverFox.
Steel is dominant so breeding this boy to any agouti should produce 50% steels. If you do find a steel doe then just don't sell any black kits as self blacks but as agouti super steels but since they are mutts the colours don't really matter and an agouti super steel won't mess up anyone's purebred bloodline.
If you only ever want steels then a super steel crossed to a chestnut or chinchilla will only produce steels
Steel is dominant so breeding this boy to any agouti should produce 50% steels. If you do find a steel doe then just don't sell any black kits as self blacks but as agouti super steels but since they are mutts the colours don't really matter and an agouti super steel won't mess up anyone's purebred bloodline.
If you only ever want steels then a super steel crossed to a chestnut or chinchilla will only produce steels
LPH_NY
Well-known member
What you gave me is tremendously helpful!
But one question: If I breed him to a chestnut, will the steels be silver like him? Or gold? Everything I have read seems not to distinguish between the two, or refers only to the gold-tipped. If I only want silver-tip, would I have to stick with using a chinchilla or another silver tip steel?
But one question: If I breed him to a chestnut, will the steels be silver like him? Or gold? Everything I have read seems not to distinguish between the two, or refers only to the gold-tipped. If I only want silver-tip, would I have to stick with using a chinchilla or another silver tip steel?
ooh! Dood you are SO full of awesome knowledge!! What you are saying about the steels makes me want to keep one of the larger ones from the litter I have to cross with my SF I am getting... or better yet, breed one of these current does to the SF buck and save a doe from that that is a steele for some good meat buns!
A gold tipped steel is the same as a chestnut steel and a silver tipped steel is the same as a chinchilla steel with just a fancy way of saying it.
You can get opal steels and lynx steels too
Since the full colour gene in chestnuts is dominant to chincilla, breeding him to a chestnut will produce chestnuts and chestnut/gold tipped steels,
Unless the doe you find has a recessive C-locus like chinchilla, shaded, himilayan or REW. If you get a doe that had a parent that was one of these recessive colours then you should get some chinchilla / silver tip steels out of her and your boy.
You can get opal steels and lynx steels too
Since the full colour gene in chestnuts is dominant to chincilla, breeding him to a chestnut will produce chestnuts and chestnut/gold tipped steels,
Unless the doe you find has a recessive C-locus like chinchilla, shaded, himilayan or REW. If you get a doe that had a parent that was one of these recessive colours then you should get some chinchilla / silver tip steels out of her and your boy.
I want to mention, you can't get a steel out of a tort and a chinchilla.
You might want to look really close at that chinchilla, it would have to be the steel. A tort can't carry it, and a full extension rabbit can't either, it only takes one copy of steel to show up on the coat.
You might want to look really close at that chinchilla, it would have to be the steel. A tort can't carry it, and a full extension rabbit can't either, it only takes one copy of steel to show up on the coat.
LPH_NY
Well-known member
Zass,
I know. I must have been very distracted when I first typed that out. I went back and edited it to correct myself - that he came from a Himi doe, not a tort. <br /><br /> __________ Fri May 16, 2014 2:01 pm __________ <br /><br /> OK... so just to clarify for myself:
Using my steel buck
With a chestnut doe, I can get some gold-tipped steels
With a chinchilla doe, I can get some silver-tipped steels
Correct?
I have chestnuts and chins available to grow out.
You guys are the best.
I know. I must have been very distracted when I first typed that out. I went back and edited it to correct myself - that he came from a Himi doe, not a tort. <br /><br /> __________ Fri May 16, 2014 2:01 pm __________ <br /><br /> OK... so just to clarify for myself:
Using my steel buck
With a chestnut doe, I can get some gold-tipped steels
With a chinchilla doe, I can get some silver-tipped steels
Correct?
I have chestnuts and chins available to grow out.
You guys are the best.
Correct, and you won't get any gold tips since neither parent has a full colour gene.
I think a chinchilla doe is best.
They would throw
1/2 silver tipped steels, and 1/2 chinchillas, and who knows what else depending on recessive that might be carried
They would throw
1/2 silver tipped steels, and 1/2 chinchillas, and who knows what else depending on recessive that might be carried
