Colour genetics questions

[Miss mouse]

Are you breeding for meat? If so I would go with either a New Zealand White, or a Californian. Using a giant breed buck o mid size or even NZW does could result in some birthing problems. You seem to have a lot of different crosses, but are looking for white fur for craft use.

Like Bunnylady said, color genetics is very complicated. Once you master all the color variations, then there are the dilute genes, and the genes that completely eliminate certain colors, and don't even start me on the broken genes . . . my question is - are you actually wanting to breed for certain colors? or are the skins just going to be a fun extra?

Another thing to know about using rabbit skins is that the best hides to use if you are prepared to tan them, come from 10 month old rabbits rather than 8-10 week old fryers. Fryer skins are sometimes pretty fragile to tan and the fur is also sometimes slipping since they are still exchanging their baby coat for the adult coat.

Whatever way you want to go, please don't buy a Flemish /giant buck for your does. Better just stay with a standard size buck and if you want to include the Flemish giant genetics for whatever reason, use FG does. Flemish are a giant size rabbit but that does not mean they make the best or most economical rabbit meat producers. They have very large bones and take longer to produce the same ratio of meat on them as a Californian. Since you have to feed them longer, and they will take more feed to raise, they are less economical to raise than one f the straight meat breeds.

On the other hand breeding different colors is a lot of fun!

Here's all the factors:
My boyfriend has bred meat rabbits most of his life. He prefers to raise them to 6+ months to get them as big as he can. He feeds them through the summer on mostly "free" food (Garden, Clover, dandelions) so it's not extra cost to him.
He had a Flemish Giant buck when he lived with his ex that he adored but couldn't keep up after she left. He loves the Flemish giant breed and wants to have the biggest rabbits he can. although we are aware they aren't the most efficient that's why we keep buying rabbits that are sold as Flemish Giants. It's just when they mature that we figure out they are clearly mixed.
My side of this whole thing is using the furs for crafts. I've tanned hides ranging from 4 months to years and my preferred ones land in the 6-8 months category. I'm the one who's interested in colors for my crafting. Does that make more sense?

 

[Miss mouse]

Got a shot of the tans together today. I think the doe is sandy and the buck is fawn?

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

Hi all,
I’m trying to figure out what genetics I have in my breeding stock
My goal is to have 3-4 distinct fur lines as I’m breeding for meat but will be using the furs in crafts, consistency would be amazing.
all of the info I have about my rabbits breeds are best guesses based on their appearance and if I ever saw the parents.

We got a white and a tan male from a litter that were all white or tan with brown eyes. Best guess is New Zealand x Flemish giant.

We have a black male and female from a mostly black litter. 4 were solid black, one Dutch markings black, one brown, two red. The oops litter the female had were all black. We think this is a Flemish x Dutch mix.

Our tan female came from a brown Flemish mom and a white speckled giant (guessing checker giant) dad. Her litter was just two tan that survived and a white DOA.

Then we have 2 typical Californian females.

We crossed our tan female with our tan male and got 4 tan babies. ✔

So to get white babies should I breed the white male to a Californian or our tan female?

And then to get a black line without breeding litter mates who should I breed together?

Never breed brothers to sisters. Other combinations are fine: father-to-daughter, mother-to-son, cousins, etc. Until you gain some knowledge as to how genetics works with inbreeding, I would recommend your not breeding closely related pairs

 

[Miss mouse]

He does have one copy of the REW gene (c), so you could get those light pointed Himi babies from him and a Cali doe, but you could get a lot of other colors too.

Okay, so the Californian x Frosty babies have arrived and ALL EIGHT are GREY. They are all the same shade of grey! I was expecting a mixed bag for sure but I was not expecting 8 of the same random color

So I'm really hoping you're going to say "don't worry yet, they could still be some himi babies when they get their fur" but I have a feeling I'm not that lucky

So now what do I do to get my white buck?
I have a black buck who produced all black babies with a cali
Fawn buck
Sandy buck
and the Frosty.....

 

[Miss mouse]

Okay, so the Californian x Frosty babies have arrived and ALL EIGHT are GREY. They are all the same shade of grey! I was expecting a mixed bag for sure but I was not expecting 8 of the same random color

So I'm really hoping you're going to say "don't worry yet, they could still be some himi babies when they get their fur" but I have a feeling I'm not that lucky

So now what do I do to get my white buck?
I have a black buck who produced all black babies with a cali
Fawn buck
Sandy buck
and the Frosty.....

 

[Bunnylady]

That may not be random . . . that may be a Frosty, too. You may have to wait and see what they look like when their fur grows in.

It's also possible that it's, oh, maybe a Blue Steel. Apparently a lot of purebred Cali's have Steel genes.

And I actually have seen Cali/Himi babies that were born pink, but turned dark briefly because they got chilled right after birth. The dark, pigmented part of the hair shaft grew out, of course, but a few almost looked like Chinchillas for a few weeks (until their junior coats came in).

 

[Miss mouse]

That may not be random . . . that may be a Frosty, too. You may have to wait and see what they look like when their fur grows in.

It's also possible that it's, oh, maybe a Blue Steel. Apparently a lot of purebred Cali's have Steel genes.

And I actually have seen Cali/Himi babies that were born pink, but turned dark briefly because they got chilled right after birth. The dark, pigmented part of the hair shaft grew out, of course, but a few almost looked like Chinchillas for a few weeks (until their junior coats came in).

Well this makes me very hopeful!