how early to tell if steel?

[promiseacres]

Bred my black doe to my REW. Her breeder suspected she may carry steel as she had scattered white hairs (she no longer has any)and her brother had even more. She had 6 kits on Sunday. They are just getting their hair in, but have noticed that they all have a yellowish triangle behind their neck. Which I have read can indicate steel? They definitely do not have the lacing a typical agouti has but definitely some lightening on their noses, belly and the neck.
The bucks genotype I know so far is a- b- cc dd e- (frosted pearl x lilac)
doe is aa B- C- Dd ?? (Black x opal) I know it's early but love figuring out their genetics.

 

[promiseacres]

one is definitely blue.

 

[Bunnylady]

Congrats on the litter!

With most steels, you'll start seeing ticking as the babies' fur grows out past the length of the dark tip - at about a week of age. Certainly by the time their eyes open, the hairs should be long enough to show ticking if it's there. However, I had some really dark steels from a Harlequin/NZW cross that looked exactly like self blacks as babies; some of them remained solid black, and others developed white ticking when their junior coats came in. Those never did have the lighter "triangle," though.

 

[promiseacres]

Steel vs chestnut. Have figured it out finally