Years ago before I temporarily got out of rabbits, I had developed a passion for wanting to work on unshowable colors. The force behind the excitement then and now is the lack of time to attend shows. I figured, if I'm not showing, what would be so bad to accept a challenge to dedicating time to working on a variety, rather than time to showing.
I'm a single woman homesteader, not usually presenting any time to leave home too often. Sarah at DTL Rabbitry sold me a blue/fawn Harlequin doe when I added rabbits back into my life. I had a broken siamese sable buck who carries non-extension, and bred them together, our first litter was a blue, a broken black, and a broken blue tort tri-color, all does. We kept the two brokens to make our foundation.
Pictured, said doe from Sarah, "DTL's Meg"... such a sweet doe, long as a school bus, incredible wool.
These two kits were actually very nice prototypes. I did not expect a tri-color on the first go around, although a self based tri-color. That's fine, I'll take it. Their structure was certainly more complete and well rounded. They were a bit smaller and overall compact compared to their dam. I really appreciated their wool quality as youngsters as well.
Sweet As Tri, blue tort tri-color doe, and Marjoram, broken black doe
While waiting for these cuties to grow, I had repeated the same breeding and ended up with a promising blue tort harlequin buck. I was happy with the does the previous litter, but this buck was thrilling. He was full, wide, and massive. A beauty to look at, and a very social and curious fellow.
Trout, 4 weeks old
The most fun part of raising rabbits for type is watching your genetics develop. My favorite part of new genetics vs. my old genetics is the timeliness of the ugly stage. It's minimized and almost goes unnoticed. I appreciate good wool quality start to finish. Even more, is the dense flesh and solidity of their structure. Rabbits unfit for the breeding program become nourishing food for my dogs, so it is very beneficial to this program. As a side note, I see the future of this herd tending to be on the larger side, since they are multi-purpose animals within my homesteading paradigm.
Sweetie, 8 weeks old
Marge, 8 weeks old
Trout, 7 weeks old
We've done a few experiments here, with the idea of the future in mind. I have a small rabbity, with about 20 holes. We have a few floaters that still shaded and shaded carriers. Chinchillas who carry shaded. The great thing about shaded within a chinchilla program is the likeliness of purifying brown eyed chinchilla rabbits. Mixing and matching groups and and varieties usually goes with some judgement. But over time, if you have a plan and you know how genetics work, if you know how to assess and clean up their genetic codes, you don't plan on selling stock with less than ideal color variability, there is nothing wrong with you deciding to do what is best within your herd's means. Just beware if you're thinking of breeding "Shagoutis" and other silly colors. You might be criticized.
Our experiments also include line breeding. I'm not a line breeding expert, I do not follow the maps, but I do know it's a given in any strong breeding program. Line breeding offers predictability of strong points and weak points within your program. It also can help you figure out a rabbits color code. I have done breedings just to try and express hiding genes so I know how to access them within the future of the breeding program. This includes who might carry shaded or chin vs REW (I consider REW my clean up crew), and tri-color vs non-extension. Knowing your herds genetics will also help you make future decisions within possible sales outlets. One example is that Marge is genetically Ee and not Eej. Her kits bred from non-tri color lineage are able to be sold to prospecting buyers rather safely.
First generations continue to mature into adults and be bred with continued type in mind. Unfortunately, most of my tri-colors have all begun as self based harlequins. This is something I am accepting with preference to the ej gene, but, as I go down the road self is plagueing the breeding program. But, I'm okay with that for now. Small steps and reintroducing agouti and tightening the program will come within time available.
Trout, 7 months. Well developed for his youth.
Trout, 1 year. Massive, thick. Presents maturity vs. age.
Trout, desirable wool quality in every way, texture, density, length.
Marge, ~1.5years, not an incredible photo, I find her much more attractive. Structurally lovely doe. Places well and top of class when shown, exhibits weight close to the edge.
Sweetie, ~1.5 years. She is still a little longer but does express a great potential of compactness. She is pleasing to the eye. Great mom and kind personality.
Sweetie, same day as above, wool quality.
I'm going to continue on with photos of some of their kits and what type of cross.
Chia, 6 weeks, broken blue doe. Out of a broken chin buck who was used temporarily for servicing for certain traits, particularly head structure. Her dam is Sweetie. Admirable structure, has faults within means, I'll anticipate what she produces.
Chia, 4 weeks
Chia, ~4 months old, notice how well she looks in an ugly stage. Something to note in her record keeping.
I bred Trout to Marge, who share the same parents. This was a test and also limitation on sire availability at the time since I cull regularly. I was greatly pleased to see that this line breeding offered some handsome kits shown at 4 weeks old. Right now I have both of these bucks. Blue buck, Bodega. Black Tort Harlequin, Hops.
This is Hops at 6 weeks old.
Bodega, 10 weeks. Not terribly ugly.
Hops, 6.5 months.
Bodega, ~6 months.
Finally, an agouti based, Blue/Fawn Harlequin buck, named Donkey Boy, 3 weeks.
Donkey Boy, some really great traits but a few not so much, to note, some minimal matting, wacky ears, shy. But incredible body, dense wool, including lots of guard hair. Still hasn't shed his soft frizze fluff within his adult coat at this point. He is my only agouti based buck at the moment.
This is all slow, but good progress. I don't list really any of the chins, although related, not originating from Meg. I've also introduced Chocolate, and good, but slow progress. I'll try to update and share more photos as I go.
I intend to share this as just encouragement to anyone who seeks new variety. Ideally color development is within the hands of those with experience and strength of termination. Right now, within my busy life, this is an ideal way to promote my passion for Jersey Woolies and the future of all new varieties intended to be presented over time. Also, if I was not working on this color, I would certainly love to work with Blue Cream, aka Smoke Pearl Point. The dilute version of Sable Point. I always get excited and dread each possibility of one in the nest box because my rabbity could easily expand out of control if I got a cute prospect. Steady visioning, routine and restraint will keep me in check. I hope.
And last but not least, the newest cuties. Finally, a couple of agouti based Harlequins. I'd have preferred a Black/Orange rather than dilute, but I need agouti based ej genetics. There is also a cute black tort harlequin.
It's hard work, but priorities first. Type is always the "mecca", and color, it will queue in eventually. Know you color genetics and set your goals, work within your means.
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