Rex colors

[trinityoaks]

I just got a castor SR buck. I want to get two does to breed him with. What colors of does should I look for in order to get the widest color variety? (PLEASE keep it simple--I'm a complete genetics newbie!) Here is the buck's color background:

Sire: Castor
Dam: Black

GSire: Castor
GDam: Castor
GSire: Blue
GDam: Black Otter

GGSire: Broken Castor
GGDam: Castor
GGSire: Broken Castor
GGDam: Castor
GGSire: Broken Blue
GGDam: Blue
GGSire: Black Otter
GGDam: Black

 

[ottersatin]

You might want to try an REW.
Red eyed White. There is no telling what colors are hiding under that coat.
It might be an experience to view the first litter from her and your Buck.
Just a thought.
Ottersatin.

 

[bunny_freak]

I have a castor rex.. which i bred to a chestnut dwarf/angora mix doe..

first time I got a chestnut and an orange one
second time i got 3 chestnuts, 2 oranges, 2 blues and a cream one

all background I know is mom had black siblings... and dad had a castor mom and castor and blue siblings...

seeing you know the background a bit more.. it´d depend on what you want to achieve.. I´d go with a blue or some otter... or a very dark castor to get richer color.. I like darker colors.. but i might be biased

 

[akane]

REW could be interesting and could show you some underlying genetics but unless you like surprises I would not get a REW doe to use for more than a litter or 2. You may have no idea what an REW is carrying and might just end up spending another generation or 2 breeding some stuff back out if you are trying for show quality colors or especially specific colors. More good quality castors would probably be best. Some use blacks or blues. Blue may get you opal which is not suggested to be bred back to castor unless you are fixing an existing color problem. I don't know much about the otters.

This site is a bit limited but a good basic list to look at http://mr-colors.tripod.com/ .

 

[PulpFaction]

REW could be interesting and could show you some underlying genetics but unless you like surprises I would not get a REW doe to use for more than a litter or 2. You may have no idea what an REW is carrying and might just end up spending another generation or 2 breeding some stuff back out if you are trying for show quality colors or especially specific colors. More good quality castors would probably be best. Some use blacks or blues. Blue may get you opal which is not suggested to be bred back to castor unless you are fixing an existing color problem. I don't know much about the otters.

This site is a bit limited but a good basic list to look at http://mr-colors.tripod.com/ .

I was going to recommend the same link.

I think it all depends on the quality of the Castor, and what your goals are for the offspring. Are you looking to show? Then depending on what the strengths and weaknesses of the individual's color are, you might breed to red, black, or blue. REW is a wild card. Black is pretty safe, but looking at how much black is already ont he buck's pedigree, I'm assuming he's probably a pretty dark shade and that might not be your best bet. Breeding to another Castor would be the best bet for SQ offspring. Breeding to a Broken Castor, or Broken Black might give you more variety while still throwing potentially SQ color. Looking at how much black is behind this castor, a Red or Broken Red would probably be a perfectly fine one-time cross as well.

 

[ladysown]

i'd be tempted to get a blue, or even a chocolate. are you looking to show or are you just looking at getting colour in the nest box?

 

[trinityoaks]

My main goal is to get a wide range of color. If I get some showable colors that I can sell to support my "habit", so much the better. I myself am really not interested in showing, and so far my kids haven't shown any interest, either (they just like to raise and sell rabbits). I would love to come up with some tricolors, harlies, brokens, etc.

 

[akane]

I would probably go with a broken lilac, broken blue, or a rabbit with one of those as a parent and an otter. He definitely carries self since one parent is black so you should at least be able to get castor and black by breeding any of the self colors (black, blue, chocolate, lilac) plus a chance for otters, or guranteed otters if you breed to an otter instead of a self color, and a chance for opal or blue if you use a diluted color like lilac or blue or a rabbit from either of those colors. Lilac would also give you a chance for chocolates and lilacs a generation later by breeding the offspring together, back to the lilac/chocolate parent, or to another rabbit from a chocolate or lilac.

You could use an REW but if it doesn't have a variety of colors in it's background you may just get all castors anyway and it's highly unlikely you would get any REW the first generation. You'd actually be limiting your odds unless the REW has colored parents of the colors I listed before. If you use a known recessive color instead of a mystery you have the best chance of getting a variety.

 

[avinpiter]

The colors of rax rabbits are given below:

1. Black
2. Blue
3. Chocolate
4. Lilac
5. Black Otter