Isn't Rex fur recessive?

[SuburbanHomesteader]

I thought the gene for Rex fur was recessive so that you had to have two of those genes - one from each parent - in order to have Rex fur.

I've got this litter that looks like regular fur from two parents that have gorgeous Rex fur. At first, I thought it was a winter coat or something but the older they get and the more I look at it, the less convinced I am that they have Rex fur.

Sire has a complete pedigree that shows Rex back as far as it goes. The dam didn't come with a pedigree but she's a beautiful broken chocolate. All her litters have had really nice Rex fur - same with the sire.

Is this possible? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[akane]

You have any bucks housed next to your doe? They can breed through the wire. Children and unknowledgable helpers/pet sitters are also often a source of magical litters. Otherwise I wonder if the doe isn't curly... It's an unpredictable fur type that some don't believe even exists. It tends to happen with rex crosses and there's wide variation. Some look close to rex, some just look like they have crimped fur, and some come out normal. Some keep the coat they were born with and some grow up to look like a normal coated rabbit. It's a mysterious gene combo. I was going to play with it when 4 popped up in one of my litters of mini rex plus NZ, checkered giant, champagne d'argent, creme d'argent, dutch, cinnamon, and amchin blood. Basically I threw in everything including the kitchen sink to make my meat mutts. Nice rabbits too and the surprises never stopped.

 

[RR MiniSatins]

I am curious about rex fur also. I was sold a satin when I first got into the breed and didn't know any better, that turned out to have rex fur. I assume the mother for sure had satin fur but now I'm wondering if it is possible that both satin parents were carrying the rex fur gene? Her pedigree was satin back at least 3 generations, but there are color problems with that pedigree also.

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

You have any bucks housed next to your doe?

Our bucks are in a different part of the barn - well away from the does. And the litter in question arrived on schedule per planned breeding. Just the first time this doe was with this buck.

Because both this buck and the other buck she's had a litter with are pedigreed (from a breeder I know and trust), and because they've both sired other litters with other does (all offspring turning out Rex), and because I have no pedigree on the doe (it was promised but never delivered), I'm guessing whatever oddity that's going on must be on the doe's side.

Still, I was thinking that you had to have two recessive Rex genes in order to get Rex fur - and that breeding two Rex fur rabbits would result in Rex fur offspring.

 

[skysthelimit]

Rex fur is a sport gene, and there are several modifiers that make good Rex fur. I can cull my litters on fur alone, because even with a ped of all Rex, not all will have good Rex fur. Some is not dense enough, some wavy, some too long, too soft or too coarse, some have protruding guard hairs. And then there are kits that look like they have normal hair, and molt out into normal Rex fur during jr molt. This is why I don't recommend mixing normal furred to get Rex in the next generation, good Rex fur is hard to get with two Rex as it is. I have a big problem with protruding guard hairs in my stuff. Buns look like porcupines. I kept one because his type was awesome, and now I may regret it.

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

Thanks, STL. Both dam and sire have gorgeous fur. I always breed Rex to Rex. This is just the first time I've put this buck and doe together. Both have produced kits with really nice fur. These kits, not so much. Probably won't pair them up again.

How long should I wait to see if it molts into something more suitable?

 

[skysthelimit]

Thanks, STL. Both dam and sire have gorgeous fur. I always breed Rex to Rex. This is just the first time I've put this buck and doe together. Both have produced kits with really nice fur. These kits, not so much. Probably won't pair them up again.

How long should I wait to see if it molts into something more suitable?

Someone was trying to make a large Rex out of a mini and a NZ. I considered it once to get the himi gene in the Rex population, nix that idea.

Usually I can tell by the first jr prime when the normal fur molts into Rex fur. The buck I have now, Castor, was in that litter of normal looking kits. I kept him, but his coat looked like it was stuck in molt around 6-8 mos. At a year old, it molted into a good Rex coat, but as he ages, I am seeing more protruding guard hairs. I have not had this problem with his offspring, but he is one of two non chin bucks left, so I am basically breeding him to is daughters, so it's time for him to go.