Japanese Harlequin & Chestnut Agouti question

[WhWRabbitry]

First off, I totally realize this color combination is NOT ideal.
We sold some of our more mature bucks and were short on bucks of breeding age at the time so we decided to give these two a try. It's not a combo we'll likely ever do again.
Mom of this litter is a Black Japanese Harlequin Mini Lop, Dad a Chestnut Agouti Mini Lop. (His Dad bkn black & Mom Chinchilla) Mom not pedigreed - colors unknown in family line for her.

7 healthy kits born today. I was assuming they'd be either Japanese Harlequin or Chestnuts, like the parents. 5 look to likely be chestnuts (nice pink bellies) but two do not have nearly as pink of bellies but otherwise look pretty much the same, at this point, as the others. They don't look like Japanese Harlequin. What would the guesses be as far as color options they might be?

Thanks for any thoughts. I realize I could wait it out and see but I'm impatient & curious. <br /><br /> __________ Wed Nov 18, 2015 4:53 pm __________ <br /><br /> (I'll get better pictures showing the two I'm wondering about in particular. I first just wondered what the possibilities would even be)

 

[Dood]

I don't see any harlequins ( A_ ej_) but the kits could be harlequinized chestnuts (A_ Eej) like the kit on the right

 

[FourRingCircus]

I have a harlequinized chestnut - it took a little while for me to notice the coloring (but I had no idea it was something that could exist... I thought I was seeing things at first :lol: ). He has a beautiful coat - I am now using him as the start of some fun experimenting with colors to see what kind of harlequin markings I can get from my current set of rabbits!

Since this picture was taken his coat has really smoothed out and is absolutely beautiful IMO. Out of all my rabbits his is the smoothest and shiniest with such depth of color. I love it!

 

[Zass]

It take two copies of the harlequin gene to produce a clean harli pattern, or one copy paired with non extension.

Paired with normal extension or steel you just get some smutty brindle marks mixed in a chestnut, chinchilla, or steel coat. That is what we call "harlequinized."

 

[WhWRabbitry]

Thanks to each of you for the replies! Thank you for sharing photos of harlequinized Chestnuts!

Would black even be possible? I say that because in looking at them again last night, the two that don't have pink bellies seem to be slightly darker in color and have dark in their ears, like black kits other does have produced.

I guess I'll know before too long. Thanks all!

__________ Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:02 pm __________

The ones that did look like chestnuts are now showing the "harlequinized" markings. I see it on the foot in the picture below and 3 of them have some patches of markings on their bellies.
I'm still curious to see what the two darker ones, that look more like solids, will end up like.