Finding A Buck for my Harlequin and (Musty)Red Mini Rex Does!

[MiniRexGirl]

Hi All,
I own two Mini Rex does that I just LOVE! And now I would like breed them and have the fortune to have them currently boarding at the rabbitry where they were born. (My family moved and when it became clear the the rabbits could not come the family that bred them offered to take them in so we didn't have to sell them! Now we get to see them once a week!) Anyway with them staying there I figured it was a good opportunity to breed them for the first time seeing as how I don't know much and could benefit from the experience of the breeders there. I asked the lady and she said that was fine with her and she would help me get them ready for a Spring breeding.
Well now the question is what color buck(s) should I pick? I can't pick from any of theirs as they stopped breeding Minis a while back (the gal breeds Angoras and it was her daughter the bred Minis) and only have one buck that is too closely related to my girls. So I am now hunting for a buck for my girls and I have to decide what color buck I want to breed my girls to. I probably won't have much choice but would like to pick the buck that would make the nicest colored rabbits. Now I am NOT looking to get show quality kits, as nether of my girls are, but instead am hoping for some nice looking pet-quality kits. My two girls are a Harlequin and a Red. If any of you could suggest colors that would best match them I would greatly appreciate it!
Pictures will come. (I can't post any now because I am new!)

 

[Bunnylady]

A Harlie and a Red could be hiding several recessives; almost anything could result in some babies with colors that aren't in the breed standard. You've said you aren't looking to breed show buns, so whether it's a showable color shouldn't matter. Offhand, I'd say a broken anything. Most of the folks who come to me looking for a pet prefer the brokens to the solids (gotta admit, I really love the look of a Broken Black MR!). If you find a Broken Red or a Tri (Broken Harlequin) you could get tricolor babies.

 

[MiniRexGirl]

Thanks, the only buck I know of at this point that might be available to breed with is black. Would that produce nice looking kits? I also really like the brokens and when I can start breeding show quality I will focus on the brokens.

FYI-Their mom was a Red and there dad was a Harlequin.

 

[Bunnylady]

Well, Red is an Agouti color, and Harlie is supposed to be (though I have seen some Self-based Harlequins, that look like a Tort with an overlay of Harlequin markings). Black is a Self-based color, and Self is recessive to Agouti. The most likely outcome from such a cross is Chestnut/Castor (pretty much wild-type coloration). Really serious MR breeders often keep their colors separate, because crossing certain colors to others tends to produce poor quality versions of even showable colors. If these rabbits had come from those sorts of breeding programs, I'd say, 100% Castor/Chestnut offspring from this cross. But, since most more casual fanciers tend to cross colors a bit more liberally, you can't be sure what sorts of recessives might be hiding behind these colors. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see Black, Red, Opal, Blue, Tort or Blue Tort in a litter from these does crossed with a black. The only problem is the Harlequin gene. Harlie is supposed to be recessive to the full color gene, but somehow, it can bleed through. I have had animals that looked like Chestnut or Castor, but had darker Harlequin markings showing through, especially on the belly.

 

[MiniRexGirl]

Thanks!
I have found a black broken that I am thinking on breeding to. What do you all think that cross would produce?

 

[MiniRexGirl]

The Color Lines of the broken black buck that I am looking at are as follows.

Black X Lilac Black X Broken Black

Black X Broken Black

Broken Black

So going that far back he has Broken Black, Black, and Lilac in his bloodlines.

And here are the Color Lines of my girls (they are sisters) as far back as I know, though I could probably find out more.

Red X Harlequin

Red & Harlequin

So with that information what color kits should I expect?

 

[MiniRexGirl]

YAY! I can now post pictures!
Here are the promised pictures of my girls.


VR's Maebh (Irish Spelling of Maeve)

VR's Metta