NZW offspring: agoutis with steel

[EnglishSpot]

I bred my NZW buck, Clue, (who has many many generations of white behind him) to my black doe, Heaven, who the offspring of a NZR doe and a self black mini Rex. Why? Because I was curious as to what colors Clue would throw.

When I breed Heaven back to a NZR, she throws agoutis and reds. When I breed her to a black buck, she has black kits. Makes sense!

However, Clue and Heaven's offspring are agoutis.... and half of the kits have steel. Two look black but not quite convincingly. Thanks to Zass's steel thread, I know that steel carrying kits have the dark inner ears, whereas the non-steel kits have the white inner ears.

So, what would Clue secretly be since he and Heaven throw all agoutis?? Is he actually an agouti??

 

[alforddm]

Yes, he would have to be agouti and steel as well. Since Heaven didn't throw any steel when bred to a NZR she almost certainly is not a steel herself and since she is black she cannot be agouti. Therefore, both the agouti and the steel comes from Clue.

 

[EnglishSpot]

I knew The steel didn't come from Heaven since neither her mom or dad carried it. I was rather suprised with all agouti, although the steel I knew was a possibility. As long as REW throws more REWs, the undercolor isn't important in NZW. I know steel can be common in NZs so I was half-expecting it.

Hmmm, Clue is secretly brown--I feel like I've revealed a family skeleton of his!!!!

 

[Zass]

Agouti steel is a really common color under NZW coats.

I have seen a good bit of antecedental evidence suggesting that agouti steels may average higher growth rates than other colors. Steel masked by self genes (aa) may not share the trend. :? Somehow, I'm thinking that trick requires A_ and Es_ to work.

That is all speculation though. It would be awesome if this was researched.

It could be some of the reason why masked or hidden steel is so common in our meat breeds, especially the breeds that tend towards the best growth rates.
Not just rew NZ, but black NZ are quite often masked agouti steel, as well as cali, american, champagne d'argents, and silverfox for sure.
Perhaps not coincidentally, steel is also a popular color in two of our largest breeds: flemish giant and french lop.

Red new zealands, the only type that cannot hide steel, are somewhat notorious for falling behind the other colors in average growth rates.

 

[EnglishSpot]

That is very interesting how steel may be linked to higher growth rates; one would wonder what the 'A' does to contribute to the growth. Of all the kits, it's one of the non-steel carriers that is positively enormous, easily twice the size of some of it's litter mates, but that is probably random chance.

Here is a picture with the enormous baby, Moose, in the middle.

The lack of beefiness in Reds is a reason why I know of at least two breeders got out of them and went into whites. One told me, "Once I realized I wasn't going to win anything, I was done." I am all for the underdog, so I'm okay with playing with reds.