Update on my Sable Magpie x Steel Agouti Sable kits

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beepboop

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They're a few days shy of 6 weeks old so I'm curious if my guesses on color are still good. All three have ruby eyes. Do you guys see any steel? Because I'm not sure.
F1- Sable agouti
F2- Blue Sable
M1- Sable
Of course my son's favorite is the biggest (F1) and my favorite has turned out to be the runt (F2) lol.
 

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They're a few days shy of 6 weeks old so I'm curious if my guesses on color are still good. All three have ruby eyes. Do you guys see any steel? Because I'm not sure.
F1- Sable agouti
F2- Blue Sable
M1- Sable
Of course my son's favorite is the biggest (F1) and my favorite has turned out to be the runt (F2) lol.
Looks like you've got steeling on F1 and M1.

I would call F1 a steel because of the very reduced agouti makings, and the agouti ring pattern being pushed up to the ends of the hairshafts. Based on what I see on my screen, I'm having a hard time deciding on color. Maybe a blue steel? Although the color is a bit off for blue, and a ruby cast to the eyes is often a sable indicator, she doesn't seem to have the obvious shading on her points that you usually see in a sable or smoke pearl.

M1 looks like it could be either a sable or a sable steel. Obvious shading, and what appears to be ticking/ring pattern all at the ends of the hairs. He doesn't have agouti markings that I can see, but sometimes steels don't. However... what looks like ticking could be the "frosty" phase that sables go through. Mine do that earlier than 6 weeks but I understand there is a lot of variation in the development of steeling (and silvering, too).

I agree that F2 looks like a blue sable aka smoke pearl; the variation in hue you see on the hairshafts looks like just undercolor/surface color, not banding or ticking.

Could you post photos of the bellies of F1 and M1?
 
Looks like you've got steeling on F1 and M1.

I would call F1 a steel because of the very reduced agouti makings, and the agouti ring pattern being pushed up to the ends of the hairshafts. Based on what I see on my screen, I'm having a hard time deciding on color. Maybe a blue steel? Although the color is a bit off for blue, and a ruby cast to the eyes is often a sable indicator, she doesn't seem to have the obvious shading on her points that you usually see in a sable or smoke pearl.

M1 looks like it could be either a sable or a sable steel. Obvious shading, and what appears to be ticking/ring pattern all at the ends of the hairs. He doesn't have agouti markings that I can see, but sometimes steels don't. However... what looks like ticking could be the "frosty" phase that sables go through. Mine do that earlier than 6 weeks but I understand there is a lot of variation in the development of steeling (and silvering, too).

I agree that F2 looks like a blue sable aka smoke pearl; the variation in hue you see on the hairshafts looks like just undercolor/surface color, not banding or ticking.

Could you post photos of the bellies of F1 and M1?

Here are the belly pics @Alaska Satin

But if both parents are sable variations, the kits all have to be sable (apart from Himalayan or red eyed white) don't they? Alsp I swear M1 is the same kit, he just looks so different depending in the lighting!
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Here are the belly pics @Alaska Satin

But if both parents are sable variations, the kits all have to be sable (apart from Himalayan or red eyed white) don't they? Alsp I swear M1 is the same kit, he just looks so different depending in the lighting!
Yes, if both parents are c(chl) you'd expect the kits to have dominant c(chl) alleles as well, other than your noted possible exceptions of c(h) and c. I didn't realize/remember that both parents were sable-derived colors.

From these photos I'd agree with your calls of sable for M1, and sable agouti for F1 - the shading shows up quite clearly in this photo.

I'm still waffling a little on whether or not F1 is steeled, given how much white is interspersed throughout the coat, especially apparently on the ears. But her belly looks pretty pearly to be a steel, and the white hairs could be due to that frosty phase sables go through... so a firm maybe. :)
 
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