How Would This Color Be Classified?

[brentr]

Meet Brownie, my newest addition to my backyard meat herd. She's a replacement doe I've kept out of an earlier litter. Her dam is NZW; her sire is NZR. I kept her 'cause I really liked her coloring. I describe her as cinnamon frosted black. Not that it matters, but what would her color be officially? When I blow on her fur I can see rings of reds, browns, blacks, and some grey. The red ring is the outermost.

She's only a backyard meat rabbit, but I'm really pleased with her temperament and size. She is 5 months old and due to kindle her first litter in two weeks. She's bred to a Cali buck.

She is a half sister (same mother, but not littermates) to my doe, Pepper, who had the litter of 15 (http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=18141) . I'm really excited about her prospects.

 

[Bunnylady]

Looks like a gold-tipped Steel. Good lookin' gal - hope she does well for you!

 

[Caprice_Acres]

I agree, gold tipped steel.

 

[Chris]

The 'color' could be called a lot of things but its a Agouti now you could call it a Chestnut Agouti, (off/dark) Sable or even Black Gold tipped Steel they all can look the same depending on breeding.

Chris

 

[Nikki]

Beautiful doe!

 

[Bunnylady]

The 'color' could be called a lot of things but its a Agouti now you could call it a Chestnut Agouti, (off/dark) Sable or even Black Gold tipped Steel they all can look the same depending on breeding.

Chris

I'm sorry, but I must respectfully disagree. Chestnut, Sable, and Steel might look similar at a distance, but when you get this close, there are clear differences (Angoras notwithstanding - they are an entity unto themselves!). A Chestnut Agouti has a white belly, white underside to the tail, lacing around the ears, etc. Steel puts color in those areas; this animal has a black belly, etc, so it can't be a Chestnut. Sable is a self-based color, so it doesn't show banding on the individual hairs. Sables don't look "ticked," as this rabbit does. If you were to blow into this rabbit's coat, you would see a couple of "rings," a sure sign of an Agouti. As Sable is not an Agouti color, this rabbit can't be a Sable, either.