What Rabbits Do You Have? Show Off Your Rabbits Here!

[sideWing]

Can anyone tell me what color you think these lionhead kits are? I'm guessing sable point on the lighter 2 and siamese sable for the darker 2, but would love some experienced feedback. Parents were Sable point and siamese sable.





TIA!

 

[Bunnylady]

@sideWing I think you are right!

@katiedarling Your rabbit has the broken pattern. Broken pattern rabbits typically have color on the ears, color around the eyes, color on the nose, and some color on the body. There are a bunch of little "helper" genes that modify exactly how the broken pattern gets expressed; without them, you can get a rabbit that is almost completely colored, with just a little bit of white on the feet, chest, and maybe a little white mark on the face (sometimes called "booted"). With the right helpers, you can get something with the precisely detailed pattern of the English Spot. But the broken pattern gene has a cumulative effect - a rabbit that gets two copies of it (one from the mother and one from the father) is almost completely white, with color on the ears, maybe a little nose spot, and maybe a couple of spots of color on the body. That isn't enough color for any breed standard, so those brokens aren't showable.

Every show-quality English Spot, Checkered Giant, or Rhinelander out there has only one copy of the broken pattern gene, and one copy of the gene for solid color. Breed two of them together, and some of the babies will get the solid color gene from both parents. That's right - you can get pedigreed English Spots and Checkered Giants that are solid black. (The breeders call these solid colored babies "sports.")

Obviously, a solid black Checkered Giant isn't showable; the breed standard calls for a specific set of markings. But nobody would mistake a solid black Checkered Giant for a New Zealand Black or a black Flemish Giant, either; the body type is totally different. Spots alone don't make an English Spot or a Checkered Giant; lots of breeds can have spots. You have to take in the whole package. And when I look at your sweet girl, I look at the shape of her head, the size and shape of her ears, etc - and I see nothing that suggests a giant breed. The spots she could have gotten from a Satin, or a Rex, or a New Zealand, or any of a number of other breeds that can come in the broken pattern.

 

[sideWing]

@sideWing I think you are right!

@katiedarling Your rabbit has the broken pattern. Broken pattern rabbits typically have color on the ears, color around the eyes, color on the nose, and some color on the body. There are a bunch of little "helper" genes that modify exactly how the broken pattern gets expressed; without them, you can get a rabbit that is almost completely colored, with just a little bit of white on the feet, chest, and maybe a little white mark on the face (sometimes called "booted"). With the right helpers, you can get something with the precisely detailed pattern of the English Spot. But the broken pattern gene has a cumulative effect - a rabbit that gets two copies of it (one from the mother and one from the father) is almost completely white, with color on the ears, maybe a little nose spot, and maybe a couple of spots of color on the body. That isn't enough color for any breed standard, so those brokens aren't showable.

Every show-quality English Spot, Checkered Giant, or Rhinelander out there has only one copy of the broken pattern gene, and one copy of the gene for solid color. Breed two of them together, and some of the babies will get the solid color gene from both parents. That's right - you can get pedigreed English Spots and Checkered Giants that are solid black. (The breeders call these solid colored babies "sports.")

Obviously, a solid black Checkered Giant isn't showable; the breed standard calls for a specific set of markings. But nobody would mistake a solid black Checkered Giant for a New Zealand Black or a black Flemish Giant, either; the body type is totally different. Spots alone don't make an English Spot or a Checkered Giant; lots of breeds can have spots. You have to take in the whole package. And when I look at your sweet girl, I look at the shape of her head, the size and shape of her ears, etc - and I see nothing that suggests a giant breed. The spots she could have gotten from a Satin, or a Rex, or a New Zealand, or any of a number of other breeds that can come in the broken pattern.

Thanks Bunnylady I appreciate the feedback. You don't see any blue?

 

[Bunnylady]

Their noses look too dark for Smoke Pearl/Blue Points; they will most likely get darker still as your kits get their mature coats. Also, on my screen, the color looks to be shades of brown (full color, like Siamese Sable), rather than shades of gray (dilute, like Smoke Pearl).

 

[sideWing]

Their noses look too dark for Smoke Pearl/Blue Points; they will most likely get darker still as your kits get their mature coats. Also, on my screen, the color looks to be shades of brown (full color, like Siamese Sable), rather than shades of gray (dilute, like Smoke Pearl).

That is very educational and helpful. Thank you again, this forum is lucky to have you around.

 

[marion sage]

I just aquired 2 rather unique looking rabbits today they are for sure from the same litter, he is a brown with long (lion main hair around head with a grey under coat) and she is all white like the zealands , pink eyes and everything but she too has a ruff and long hairs sticking out on her back haunches and through out her coat. they are cute but I have never seen any thing like these guys before I'm thinking that they are deffinatly a mix. Sorry no picts as of yet ; still trying to get them used to me and my other furries.

 

[marion sage]

I raise rabbits for meet , (no offence to all you chicken lovers out there , you can keep your birds) But I have never kept any of my rabbits together , they have always been in their own cages , and my connecting cages have small viewing screens in them , so that they know there are other rabbits close by but cannot do any thing to harm or dominate each other , and I never put any does together either , my grandfather tought me this he said that if you have a doe with young and another doe is close by she will kill her young or the other doe's young . so every rabbit I own have their own cages . and yes even though I use mine for markets they are all spoiled up until the day they go to market.

 

[Bunnylady]

I just aquired 2 rather unique looking rabbits today they are for sure from the same litter, he is a brown with long (lion main hair around head with a grey under coat) and she is all white like the zealands , pink eyes and everything but she too has a ruff and long hairs sticking out on her back haunches and through out her coat.  they are cute but I have never seen any thing like these guys before I'm thinking that they are deffinatly a mix.   Sorry  no picts as of yet ; still trying to get them used to me and my other furries.

What you are describing is a breed called the Lionhead. Lionheads usually have side trimming as well as the mane; Lionheads with only one copy of the mane gene typically molt out the side trimming and most of the mane as they mature. Only the ones with two copies of the mane gene get to keep their fluffy manes as adults, and they usually keep at least some of the side trimming as well.

 

[LeEgg]

After we built our new chicken coop, one of the old ones was empty, and I decided to get couple bunnies for my kids.

I have miniature lop (girl), holland lop (girl) and lionheadxholland lop (boy), and they are all living peacefully together in their hutch, and free at the backyard at the daytime.




I might be a hippie and all that jazz, but I personally think bunnies are happiest when they have their own little family around them, rabbit duo or trio. And, it's fun to see how they play with each others an have different kind of moods, like all the living creatures.

(And before you're worried about bunny population explosion, all my bunnies will be neutered after one and only litter. The Lionhead lop boy is still baby, and these girls a bit older than him, so we're still waiting that to happen)

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I raise rabbits for meet , (no offence to all you chicken lovers out there , you can keep your birds) But I have never kept any of my rabbits together , they have always been in their own cages , and my connecting cages have small viewing screens in them , so that they know there are other rabbits close by but cannot do any thing to harm or dominate each other , and I never put any does together either , my grandfather tought me this he said that if you have a doe with young and another doe is close by she will kill her young or the other doe's young . so every rabbit I own have their own cages . and yes even though I use mine for markets they are all spoiled up until the day they go to market.

Welcome to BYC! It's great that your food animals receive the same amount of respect as pets. I've always thought about raising chickens or rabbits for meat, but I don't know if I could bring myself to do it.