Self color, with banded hairs?

[Johanne]

Hi all, greetings from Finland. I need some serious ( ) help with this puzzle.

I have rabbits, that are of self color (or at least they should be), but they have a lot individual, banded hairs all over. And the bands are not typical agouti type, but what you would see in cat colors, for example. They are ticked with light/dark not just three or some layers, but many times (see pictures).

Let's see one of the rabbits. Her color is unknown. I've been thinking she's aaB_[C unknown, chin, sable?]ddee

(Sorry pics are too big to attach, I hope you don't mind a bit copy&paste to see these)

Full rabbit
http://www.birchen.fi/dz/images/karvat/27.jpg

Close-up of the back
http://www.birchen.fi/dz/images/karvat/27_selka.jpg

Back again
http://www.birchen.fi/dz/images/karvat/27_lahi.jpg

Some of the hairs
http://www.birchen.fi/dz/images/karvat/27_irto.jpg

Her face
http://www.birchen.fi/dz/images/karvat/27_naama.jpg


Are these something a steel gene would be doing? Couldn't find any examples of ticked hairs of steel that is self colored - and I've read that they could maybe have some ticking even though they are not agouti? Or what's going on here?

 

[alforddm]

I'm sorry this post seems to have been missed. I think she is either a sable sallander (aa ee cchl-) or other shaded color. However, I don't have these colors in my heard and so I'm not 100% sure. I'm sure other's can help.

 

[twr]

I think the overall colour looks like blue sable aka smoke pearl (e.g. aa B_ cchlc dd E_) but my record at identifying shaded colours is poor.

The multiple bands on individual hairs in the 4th image do look odd. Steel should change the width and position of the agouti band but should not create extra bands. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps temperature swings could cause this as shaded colours are temperature sensitive, getting darker if temperatures are low when the hair is growing. If this is the case the banding will change or vanish at the next moult.

 

[Dood]

I agree that this is a smoke Pearl/blue sable (= aa B_ cchl_ dd E_) or less likely a blue sable point (= aa B_ cchl_ dd ee) so she is self but the sable/light shaded gene is effecting her coat

http://www.rabbitcolors.info/int/en/ent ... _M-/1.html

 

[Johanne]

She really should be ee since her parents are magpies, question is, caused by which allele (chin or sable). So the color does not match exactly sable point, and none of the family has ruby cast to their eyes. She lives with two blue torts, and the pattern on them is identical. In less light, you do not see the difference. In better light torts have yellow, she does not, she's all gray.

Anyway my question is more about those banded hairs. They do not molt away and she is not the only one with them. They come from her father who has them, and since I have a lot of offspring from him, I have many rabbits with these banded hairs. A self color should not be able to have them, so I'm looking for answers - has anybody seen such hairs on a rabbits?

I wondered about the steel, because there is a new possibility that her father might be steel. He's got offspring from only two agouti females and in both litters there is a steel looking kit. I have mated more agoutis with him now but we have to wait a month to see the results.

 

[Dood]

My agouti steel and magpie (A_ Ese) are born looking solid black and occasionally get some ticking latter on but are still very dark and if both her parents are visual magpies I do not see how they could be hiding steel

Usually blue sable points are lighter but it does depend on the parents umbrous/darkening factors and I've occasionally had them be quite dark and resemble blue sables