Updated w/additional Pics - How to get harlequins?

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

So, the Big Doe is still in quarantine and will remain so until further notice. However, I'm curious, if she makes it out of quarantine, what is my best chance at getting more harlies? The breeder I got her from stated she was a Chin/Cali mix but didn't specify anything other than that. Right now, I've got a BEW Satin, but for her first breeding with us I want to use a 'throw away' buck just in case some health issue pops up (I don't want Buck getting sick). This means that I can hunt and peck a little for a good match for her. I really enjoy the harlie color pattern!

I'll work on getting a better pic of her, but my camera is being a bit obstinate lately.


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[Cspr]

Just saying, that's a magpie, not a harlequin.

The harlequin gene is where extension and non-extension lie (E and ee). It is dominant over ee. With luck, if you have or get a red buck (good meat rabbit for that is of course New Zealand Red), you could breed her to him and get all harlequins unless she carries e, and then you would get 50% red carriers and 50% eds.

A magpie is a harlequin with the cchd gene rather than C, if I'm correct. The problem with a New Zealand Red buck is the fact he could easily carry c, which is the REW gene. This means you could get magpies (cchdc eje) or Himalayan magpies (chc eje) if your doe is actually a Cali cross.

The easiest way to insure you get all harlies is to get a Harlequin rabbit, because they breed true for the most part. XD Then again, if you like harlies, I bet you'd probably like magpies and Himalayan magpies.

Hopes this helps.

 

[Dood]

I agree that she is a Magpie since she comes from a Chin and Cali breeding so it is the only option.

Genetically she is

A_ B_ cchlch D_ ej_

A_ B_ cchd ch D_ ej_

The gene that gives her the brindling is on the E-locus so you should breed her to a rabbit that is non extension (ee) such as Fawn/Orange/Reds, Torts, Sable Point, Frost/Ermine, or another Harli or Magpie or at least a rabbit that had one of these colours as a parent.

Even if you breed her to an agouti based rabbit - chestnut, chinchilla, opal, lynx, you will still see a brindling effect as the harlequin gene (ej) is not completely recessive to full extension (E)

Do not breed her to a self (black, chocolate, blue, lynx) or a steel (gold tipped, silver tipped) as you will not be able to see the brindling effect even if the rabbit has the harlequin gene.

 

[Bad Habit]

Dood, wouldn't she be more likely to be A_ B_ cchdch D_ ej_ ?

 

[Dood]

Oops, thanks for catching that. Yes it would be the dark shaded 'cchd' and not the light 'cchl'

 

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

I agree that she is a Magpie since she comes from a Chin and Cali breeding so it is the only option.

Genetically she is

A_ B_ cchlch D_ ej_

A_ B_ cchd ch D_ ej_

The gene that gives her the brindling is on the E-locus so you should breed her to a rabbit that is non extension (ee) such as Fawn/Orange/Reds, Torts, Sable Point, Frost/Ermine, or another Harli or Magpie or at least a rabbit that had one of these colours as a parent.

Even if you breed her to an agouti based rabbit - chestnut, chinchilla, opal, lynx, you will still see a brindling effect as the harlequin gene (ej) is not completely recessive to full extension (E)

Do not breed her to a self (black, chocolate, blue, lynx) or a steel (gold tipped, silver tipped) as you will not be able to see the brindling effect even if the rabbit has the harlequin gene.

Okay, so, this is just a random buck I found and wanted to double check on his coloring since I'm still very new to all the genetics/color stuff. Would he be a Sable Point? The breeder says he's a CA/NZ cross.

 

[Cspr]

That buck is a Himalayan or Californian (same thing, when it comes to color). Looks like he has agouti of some sort though?

 

[Dood]

Okay, so, this is just a random buck I found and wanted to double check on his coloring since I'm still very new to all the genetics/color stuff. Would he be a Sable Point? The breeder says he's a CA/NZ cross.

Nope, he has red eyes and points so he is himilayan which is the only showable colour in the Californian breed.

A sable point would have brown or grey eyes and their bodies are not white but a cream colour.

If you bred your doe to him you would get chinchilla and more himilayans, if he secretly carries the non extension gene then you may get magpies.

 

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

Gotcha. Feel like my head is going to explode. Bunny genes are way complicated. Feel like I'm back in my genetics course I took in high school... and the problem with that is that my brain isn't as young as it used to be!

 

[Dood]

If you just want to play around and are not concerned about getting big meaty rabbits you could likely get a Netherland, holland or small size mutt that is tort or sable point to breed her to.

My AmChin does produced some surprisingly big kits when bred to my 4 pound Mini lop.

 

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

If you just want to play around and are not concerned about getting big meaty rabbits you could likely get a Netherland, holland or small size mutt that is tort or sable point to breed her to.

My AmChin does produced some surprisingly big kits when bred to my 4 pound Mini lop.

That's def an option. Anything too small for us is going to the dog anyways (the joy of dogs with food allergies). Finding the smaller guys out here is a lot easier than finding anything else. The bulk of the rabbits available out here are all NZW and Calis. There's a woman about a 20 min drive from me who might have some red/broken red bucks, but they're young. Ideally, this is a throw away buck in the off chance she's a carrier for the Big P, so I'm hoping for something that's usable and then suitable for eating (us or the dog). I guess, if she turns out not to be sick, then I could continue that line and very slowly increase size by holding back the biggest kits. Hmmmm.... *thinking cap goes on*

 

[paintrider89]

So, the Big Doe is still in quarantine and will remain so until further notice. However, I'm curious, if she makes it out of quarantine, what is my best chance at getting more harlies? The breeder I got her from stated she was a Chin/Cali mix but didn't specify anything other than that. Right now, I've got a BEW Satin, but for her first breeding with us I want to use a 'throw away' buck just in case some health issue pops up (I don't want Buck getting sick). This means that I can hunt and peck a little for a good match for her. I really enjoy the harlie color pattern!

I'll work on getting a better pic of her, but my camera is being a bit obstinate lately.
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Very pretty girl. Would love to find one like her here. We can do some rabbit AI. I'be got a dutch harlequin :-D

 

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

@paintedrider89 -- lol!!!

So then, another question, and pardon me for asking this but I just woke up and haven't had any coffee yet. So, in theory, if for some reason I can't find an ideal buck to pair her with, if I hold back a buck from a litter she has and breed back to 'mom', the kits from that pairing should show Magpie... right?

 

[Dood]

Yes. All of her babies will carry chin or himi (cchd OR ch) and harli or non extension (ej OR e) Breeding a non magpie son back to the mom will give 75-25 % magpies depending on which genes he gets.