Introducing blue into my lionheads

[cowgirl9768]

I breed lionheads and right now all im working with is blue eyed white stock and the solids that would compliment my BEW when bred into my herd. BEWs are a long process and I would like some verity. I have never seen any verity of blue in lionheads in persion. I love blues, solid blues, blue otters, blue agoutis there all really pretty (from what I have seen in other breeds). I have a friend who owns 100+ rabbits in every color and multiple breeds (I'd most likely cross with her neatherland dwarfs). I would use her blue stock to breed into my lions then eventual breed the blue lionhead crosses back to full blood lionheads. But I don't understand the blue gene at all. Everything else seems to dominate it. I could get ahold of almost any type of solid lionhead except blue or lilac. How would you go about breeding blue into a herd that has never carried the gene?

 

[ZRabbits]

I think Blue is unique. I always thought that a unique color is a benefit to your rabbitry. Something no one else has. I've never seen a Blue Lion head, only in pics, but I did see a Blue Flemish. And what a gorgeous rabbit that was. Lovely color.

I wish I could help you with the genetics, but I'm just so new at all the colors and what is needed to get to the color you want. I'm hoping someone like Sky, Devon's Mom or maybe even MamaSheepDog who has lovely blue and opal Rexes can help you get your base. And then I know you can go from there.

I think it will be a lovely project to bring in Blue Lion Heads. Wishing you all the success. Hope you post your progress.

Karen

 

[skysthelimit]

Blue is the dilute of black a recessive to normal color. You need a bun that carries dilute and black. Breed the dilute to the black, and any resulting black kits back to the dilute carrier. Can you find a lionhead that carries dilute? That will speed up the process.
Black lionhead x blue netherland = black lionhead cross kits carrying dilute. If you breed them to a lionhead, then you have 3/4 lionhead that carry dilute. I would breed those to each other and see what I get, which ever looks most like a lionhead.

The people here seem to have lionheads in so many colors, siamese, smoked pearl, etc. I will see if they have any blues.

 

[ZRabbits]

Stick with black that could possibly have the dilute gene. Blue is dilute of black. Here's a website that was given to me by my LH breeder. Could help you understand the blue gene.

http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/genetics.htm

Karen

 

[BlueLove16]

heres this too...i looove this chart. i think its general, not a must follow

http://www.amysrabbitranch.com/Color%26 ... gChart.pdf


you may be better off finding a blue lionhead within the "ideal" standard to skip all the breeding it would take to get back to the LH look while still being blue

 

[cowgirl9768]

heres this too...i looove this chart. i think its general, not a must follow

http://www.amysrabbitranch.com/Color%26 ... gChart.pdf


you may be better off finding a blue lionhead within the "ideal" standard to skip all the breeding it would take to get back to the LH look while still being blue

I've been looking for even a blue lion even if it doesn't meet the standards but here in CO there are none. I have talked to every lion breeder out here. I would travil to get one but I'm a full time college student and have a full time jod so that's not an option. Shipping is a possibility but last time I got rabbits shipped they where dead on arival. That breeder closed down her rabbity shortly after due to a lawsuit witch makes me wonder if she was a bad breeder. So it just makes me nurviuse not to be able to put my hands on a rabbit and view the rabbitry before a buy. Espashalt when I will be paying close to 200 for any good lionhead that is shipped. Now I do know a breeder who has some of the most beautiful black lionheads. If I bought two of her blacks and bred them to two blue neatherlands then bred there offspring together I could get a blue? Is my understanding correct?

Then from there I would continue to only breed back to lionheads till I got a fourth generation witch would be considered full bred. I have done that multiple times with my BEW herd. I cross neatherlands in cause BEW lionheads tend to be very racey in type.

 

[ZRabbits]

I think the best crossing for Lion Heads is the Netherland Dwarf. It's sometimes needed to help a line. I think a black LH buck and your blue ND's will definitely produce something nice that you can then breed back to the black buck. And with the others that don't quite come up with more wool, definitely would be considered good pet stock. With the DM Lion head, lots of grooming, but with that first cross LH/ND, not so much and easier to handled.

Karen

 

[skysthelimit]

if the black lh don't carry blue, you will not get blue the first generation. If you cross those kits back to the black you will not get blue, just more black carrying blue. To get blue immediately you would breed the kits together or back to the blue. Blue is a double reccessive gene.

 

[cowgirl9768]

if the black lh don't carry blue, you will not get blue the first generation. If you cross those kits back to the black you will not get blue, just more black carrying blue. To get blue imakmmediately you would breed the kits together or back to the blue. Blue is a double reccessive gene.

Makes since! Thanks XD! I can't wait to get started! Most likely won't start till spring but still

 

[ZRabbits]

if the black lh don't carry blue, you will not get blue the first generation. If you cross those kits back to the black you will not get blue, just more black carrying blue. To get blue imakmmediately you would breed the kits together or back to the blue. Blue is a double reccessive gene.

Makes since! Thanks XD! I can't wait to get started! Most likely won't start till spring but still

Hope you post about your venture in the Spring! Will really look forward to read how your Blue LH's come out.

So the black LH would have to have a Bb and when Blue ND bb comes together you could possibly get kits that are bb? And to get a fast blue you would breed back a bb buck kit to the ND Mom for blues? How about a bb doe to the Black Bb buck?

Hope you don't mind my question Cowgirl. Learn to get the possibly of right color is confusing, but it's been interesting learning.

Karen

 

[Bad Habit]

If you ever come up this way, let me know... My buck is a Blue VM. I also have an opal vm doe in my breeding stock. Right now I have available for sale a solid F3 SM Blue doe, and a full pedigreed DM VM Blue doe. I LOVE the dilutes as well, and dilutes and BEW is my breeding goals, lol.

To speed things up, if you can, you could breed a doe to a blue ND buck, and one of your bucks to a blue ND doe. Then you are able to mix the offspring without the stigma of a brother/sister breeding.

 

[skysthelimit]

I wish you were closer. There are blue lionheads in Ohio that could speed up your project.

 

[ZRabbits]

I wish you were closer. There are blue lionheads in Ohio that could speed up your project.

I wish I was closer to Ohio. Lots of really good Lion Head breeders there. Saw the blues too. Definitely would speed up your project.

Karen