Three Different Colors...Any Ideas? Picture Intenstive

[feraltydreaming]

*smiles* Good evening, everyone. I promise not to torture you all with my usual brand of genetics question.

My housemate has some two-week old Satin Angora kits (10 to be exact from a red doe and a REW buck. These two have other colors in their pedigrees. Attached are the three kits that she (and I) have a question about in terms of color.

Bunny 1: We have absolutely no idea. We are thinking Chestnut agouti but the marking under the chin and the fawn-looking tail color has both of us stumped. Any guesses?
Bunny 2: We know this one is a tort...what kind is the question?
Bunny 3: We are both thinking fawn on this one but could it be red?

Thank you all for the consideration.

Respectfully,
RW

 

[ladysown]

okay.... let me reword my response.. pics were in a different order.

1. a chestnut.
2. probably a black tort, hard to tell from the pic.
3. not sure.. my guess if it's light than the chestnut could have a lot of rufous factor in it. though the kit seemed more of an amber colour....

 

[curlysue]

Bunny three looks red or orange.

 

[feraltydreaming]

With Bunny 1 being a chestnut agouti, is the under the chin marking and somewhat around the underside and side of the neck marking normal?

Respectfully,
RW

 

[JessicaR]

could the chestnut be an otter? not sure if it is possible just curious.

 

[feraltydreaming]

I have been wondering the exact same thing, Jessica. The sire (REW) and dam (red) that these kits came out of are Satin Angora.

Respectfully,
RW

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

Picture #1 is a chestnut.. (last pic in post) it appears to have white on the foot? If not, its just a bit more cream than normal, same with the front paw. No way it can be an otter as chestnut is dominant and this kit shows agouti rings and lacks the otter 'triangle" on the back of its head. The next one is a black tort. The last picture #3 (first in post) is a red. They are very very shiny which is great!! It does make it harder to get the proper pictures to show their proper colours though lol Congrats on getting "one of everything" that the doe could throw for you!! Please continue to show us pics of the kits as they grow, would love to see more of them!!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Can I have one? Purty pleez?

 

[feraltydreaming]

*smiles* Thank you all for weighing in on the colors of these three. Concerning the Chestnut, the abnormal amount of cream is what was throwing u due to the odd places that it showed up aside from the belly and inside of the legs. With respect to the tort, what makes it a black tort over a chocolate tort? Myself and Ms. Sandy thinks that the tort is a chocolate tort, hence my asking.

Respectfully,
RW<br /><br />__________ Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:59 pm __________<br /><br />*laughs* And, MamaSheepdog, that would be a long way to get one of these kits to you *grins*. Though, if you are serious, something might be able to be figured out. It is rather interesting because the trio of SA's that Ms. Sandy has (one buck and two does) have the other colors in their backgrounds (aside from the REW and red that are obvious), but they are 5 and 6 generations back only. She was rather surprised to see this much color variation in one litter (granted, the doe did have 10 kits but still..).

Respectfully,
RW

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I'd love to have Satins- but the logistics of getting one (er- 3 or 4!) from FL are a bit daunting. They are lovely, though. The ones I saw at the show (one exhibitor) had pretty good type, but little sheen, which the breeder freely admitted. He said that "Satins are almost extinct in CA", so there is not much stock to choose from here.

 

[feraltydreaming]

*laughs* I predict a vacation to Florida in your near future, MamaSheepdog *grins*.

Respectfully,
RW

 

[MamaSheepdog]

<Grin> Only if I drive... I prefer not to be frisked before I travel... at least by strangers!

I used to breed Satin and Woolly mice, oh so-o long ago... I fell in love with the sheen back then. It was a toss up between Rex and Satins for me when I decided to get into meat rabbits, and Rex won. I guess that was a good thing, given the scarcity of Satins around here. It was hard enough getting Standard Rex!

I will have to live vicariously through you and the other lucky Satin owners for now... so keep posting pics!

 

[feraltydreaming]

*laughs* Well, Ms.Sandy did make the offer that, as long as gas was paid for, she could haul a bunch to CA and everyone who wanted them in that area could go on a shopping spree *grins*.

In all seriousness though, I know your woes with respect to finding rabbits that are the breed that you want. Living in North Florida and in Georgia for a little while as well, I have come to find out that Standard Rex rabbits are almost impossible to find in Florida or Georgia and, when I have found them, most just breed Castors or Brokens.

I will definitely be posting more pictures as they get older!...I am still curious as to what the chestnut is going to turn out like with the unusual amount of cream that the kit has and where it is placed.

MamaSheepdog, what got you into Rex if I may ask?

Respectfully,
RW

 

[JessicaR]

Picture #1 is a chestnut.. (last pic in post) it appears to have white on the foot? If not, its just a bit more cream than normal, same with the front paw. No way it can be an otter as chestnut is dominant and this kit shows agouti rings and lacks the otter 'triangle" on the back of its head. The next one is a black tort. The last picture #3 (first in post) is a red. They are very very shiny which is great!! It does make it harder to get the proper pictures to show their proper colours though lol Congrats on getting "one of everything" that the doe could throw for you!! Please continue to show us pics of the kits as they grow, would love to see more of them!!

Thanks for the explanation! I dint know if a chestnut could be an otter or not, even though I have never seen one.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

MamaSheepdog, what got you into Rex if I may ask?

Back when I was breeding the fancy mice, I happened upon a broken black Rex buck- standard- but I never did get into breeding rabbits at that point. But I fell in love with the fur, and later, when my first two kids were tiny I got them a broken blue mini Rex doe for Easter, again because I loved the fur. Her name was Jewel, and she had an unbelievably symmetrical pattern- and I do love symmetry!

When I started researching meat breeds I found that Rex were good for meat and fur, although slower growing and not as large overall as the commercial breeds. Their personalities and range of color, not to mention their divine fur, were very appealing to me. I love all of my animals (with the possible exception of my irritating goats), and enjoy spending time with them, petting them, feeding them, gazing at them... and now posting about them.

I think I would be bored by the breeds that are uniform in their appearance. It would make it easier to consign them to freezer camp, I'm sure... but I do love surprises and variety. I know that even if a breed all "look the same" to the untrained eye, a true fancier will see infinite variation, so perhaps I'm a bit shallow in that aspect.

I will tell you this- when I go out to my BunnyBarn, I gaze around in wide-eyed wonder and joy at the beautiful animals there, and I feel positively rich. I think it is absolutely amazing that I can raise these gorgeous animals to help feed my family and hopefully improve the breed on our journey together. I feel I owe it to them to educate myself as much as I possibly can so that I may provide for them to my best ability as my way of thanking them for the ultimate sacrifice that most will have to make for me and mine.

Sorry to "wax philosophical" on you there at the end... but I do love my Rex so much, I just couldn't help myself!

 

[skysthelimit]

I'd love to have Satins- but the logistics of getting one (er- 3 or 4!) from FL are a bit daunting. They are lovely, though. The ones I saw at the show (one exhibitor) had pretty good type, but little sheen, which the breeder freely admitted. He said that "Satins are almost extinct in CA", so there is not much stock to choose from here.

I almost got some Satins first, had a deal and was supposed to go pick up a pair, and then the breeder just never called back. So I contacted a Rex breeder I had contact the year before, and the rest is history...

 

[feraltydreaming]

Warning: Off-Topic Post

*smiles* No worries, MamaSheepdog, I feel the same way. when Ms. Sandy first told me (I was not her housemate at the time...still in school getting my Masters at that point) that she wanted Satin Angora rabbits, she also made it clear that she wanted them to be a dual-purpose rabbit. Given that I tend to prepare the majority of the meals for she, her wife, and I, I began to do research on the Satin Angora and meat rabbits as food (I had eaten wild rabbit before but never cooked any whatsoever).

As we have learned with those that we know who have SA's, it seems that the majority of breeders seem to be forgetting that the SA does actually have a commercial body for a reason...it may not be what most people think of as a meat rabbit when asked for their first choice but, grown out properly and with body type in mind, they can be used for such (that is why Ms. Sandy ended up with SA's that were on the larger but still showable weight range).

Well, she since started dealing with the SA's, we both saw that I really enjoy rabbits and tend to have a "way" with even the meanest rabbit (a friend of hers has a few whose temperament are...lacking *laughs*). Because I also tend to do the majority of the work in feeding and cleaning up after them (literal indoor rabbitry at this point), she gave me the choice of an "official" meat breed. After considering the American, the Silver Fox and declining both for a few reasons, we came across the Standard Rex.

I love the fact that they are so distinguishable even if they are white due to the nature of their fur. With my being partially blind, contrast between parts of a rabbit's body is very important. Having a rabbit that comes in a wide variety of colors helps with that as well. Of course, the velvet-like fur is a major plus for me also as, not only do I love the feel, but I wanted a unique pelt type to work with as well.

*smirks* Ms. Sandy's REW buck is not a rabbit that I ever like dealing with because, with him being white and having all of the wool, I have picked him up by the wrong end more than once *laughs*. Needlesstosay, Ms. Sandy has learned that there are certain advantages to having me work with her rabbits...they tend to learn to become very desensitized to stress very quickly. *smirks* To that end, there is one that I can vacuum around with a very loud vacuum cleaner and it will literally follow me around without running off or acting frightened. But, anyway, yes...shorter-haired rabbits are definitely a good idea for me *grins*.

I am definitely looking forward to getting my first pair of Rex and learning more about the ins and outs of the breed. Oh, back on topic again...sort of. I have noticed a few pictures of SA and Rex kits around the RT forums...the Rex kits seems to grow fur a bit more quickly than the SA kits of the same age...is that just a coincidence or is there actually truth behind the seeming trend?

Thank you for sharing your story, MamaSheepdog!

Respectfully,
RW