OK, so I have this purebred Silver fox buck. He's fully pedigreed and both of his parents are from very expensive AG Fox lines.
I'm mentioning them because I see them as a respected breeder, and I've been really impressed with my rabbits so far.
He's been looked over by 2 different show judges and no one has noticed anything odd about his coat. http://bunnyshriss.tumblr.com/image/48257941822
http://bunnyshriss.tumblr.com/image/47421327641 His only issue being that little clump of white hairs on his cheek there. HIs kits to my unrelated pedigreed doe are looking like nice show prospects.
Here's my problem. I bred him to my opal colored mix breed doe. She's a nice clean opal.
http://bunnyshriss.tumblr.com/image/63342182401
A visual agouti cannot carry steel. If it was present she would look like a blue steel instead of an opal.
I got steel kits from this cross.
There were no other bucks who could have done the job. I don't own any steel rabbits or carriers (or so I thought)
I know si silvering can show up on a steel rabbit, the steel gene doesn't hide SI silvering
So, logic is telling me that my black purebred, expensive, silver fox rabbit here is a masked steel. Of course, when you breed steel to self and then always breed to self, the steel will never show up. And since there are no agouti foxes...most breeders would never know that their black rabbits were actually steels...right?
Is this correct? and if it's the case, how many silver fox might be carrying this? Is there a good way to eliminate this from the bloodlines without outcrossing?
I'm mentioning them because I see them as a respected breeder, and I've been really impressed with my rabbits so far.
He's been looked over by 2 different show judges and no one has noticed anything odd about his coat. http://bunnyshriss.tumblr.com/image/48257941822
http://bunnyshriss.tumblr.com/image/47421327641 His only issue being that little clump of white hairs on his cheek there. HIs kits to my unrelated pedigreed doe are looking like nice show prospects.
Here's my problem. I bred him to my opal colored mix breed doe. She's a nice clean opal.
http://bunnyshriss.tumblr.com/image/63342182401
A visual agouti cannot carry steel. If it was present she would look like a blue steel instead of an opal.
I got steel kits from this cross.
There were no other bucks who could have done the job. I don't own any steel rabbits or carriers (or so I thought)
I know si silvering can show up on a steel rabbit, the steel gene doesn't hide SI silvering
So, logic is telling me that my black purebred, expensive, silver fox rabbit here is a masked steel. Of course, when you breed steel to self and then always breed to self, the steel will never show up. And since there are no agouti foxes...most breeders would never know that their black rabbits were actually steels...right?
Is this correct? and if it's the case, how many silver fox might be carrying this? Is there a good way to eliminate this from the bloodlines without outcrossing?