Runt getting naked
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eco2pia
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Hmmm. 2 guesses...
It could be barbering--you said it's a runt, and barbering is basically over grooming by mom or siblings. It is sometimes classed as "aggression" because it tends to be visited on the smaller/weaker kits. Generally it is something that they can just grow out of. It usually occurs on the back, shoulders, and top of the head--the easily accessible areas--and the skin looks healthy, but hairless.
It could also be something related to the odd coat texture. the coat looks almost curly--what is up with that? is it genetic, or a sign of an underlying condition? In the case of genetic oddballs (it is a runt--possibly something is a little off to cause that) sometimes the "weird" hair just sheds and comes back normal. again, underlying skin should stay healthy and supple.
What would be bad would be if the underlying skin looks scaly scabby or thickened. then you have to worry about contagious parasites or dermatitis.
It could be barbering--you said it's a runt, and barbering is basically over grooming by mom or siblings. It is sometimes classed as "aggression" because it tends to be visited on the smaller/weaker kits. Generally it is something that they can just grow out of. It usually occurs on the back, shoulders, and top of the head--the easily accessible areas--and the skin looks healthy, but hairless.
It could also be something related to the odd coat texture. the coat looks almost curly--what is up with that? is it genetic, or a sign of an underlying condition? In the case of genetic oddballs (it is a runt--possibly something is a little off to cause that) sometimes the "weird" hair just sheds and comes back normal. again, underlying skin should stay healthy and supple.
What would be bad would be if the underlying skin looks scaly scabby or thickened. then you have to worry about contagious parasites or dermatitis.
I see the other kits grooming each other. There is one other with this weird fur. But it isn't going naked yet. Skin looks good. Kinda like that hairless cat.
MsTemeraire
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Looks like it could be a Rex, some can have waved coats when young, and also some lines of Rex do lose their coats when young, before growing it back again. If the bald areas are on both sides in the same places then I'd say that's what it is,
Thank You. It is on both sides. And both buck and doe have rex in them. They are meat mutts.
The curly coat (sometimes called Astrex) is fascinating. Sometimes, the kits will molt out, looking quite naked. See DumansArkArt - Astrex Rabbits near the bottom of the page for a photo and description. The skin does look perfectly fine in the photo, my guess would be this is related to the coat structure, and not to any disease.
Great information. It looks like 3 of the litter are curly coats. A black one and 2 white ones.
Is this a negative trait for meat rabbits? Should I avoid breeding that doe to that buck next time?
I don't see it as a negative trait, simply a different coat gene (actually probably a gene complex), and one that some breeders look for, as it is 'cute'. It does seem to originally be related to the Rex breed. Naked kits in the winter may be an issue if you live where it gets cold, but not all curly lines have this issue, and not all rabbits are kept outside. Apparently the naked issue is caused by an early molt, as early as six weeks of age.
Some curlies may have thin hair cover on the foot pads, something to watch out for, as it can lead to sore hocks, but again, only some curly lines have this issue, ones with thin hair cover.
In studying the various rabbit genes, Robinson noted that the wavy hair gene (which he coded as wa, a recessive trait) must have a lot of related polygenes to modify how much curl, where on the body it appears, how it molts, etc. I can see how back in the day of rabbit fur being popular to wear and valuable, that a curly lamb-shearling type coat would be quite special. Even as a pet, the look is cute as can be, I can see why breeders over the years have tried to standardize the coat into its own breed.
Some curlies may have thin hair cover on the foot pads, something to watch out for, as it can lead to sore hocks, but again, only some curly lines have this issue, ones with thin hair cover.
In studying the various rabbit genes, Robinson noted that the wavy hair gene (which he coded as wa, a recessive trait) must have a lot of related polygenes to modify how much curl, where on the body it appears, how it molts, etc. I can see how back in the day of rabbit fur being popular to wear and valuable, that a curly lamb-shearling type coat would be quite special. Even as a pet, the look is cute as can be, I can see why breeders over the years have tried to standardize the coat into its own breed.
Thank you.
