Question about New Zealand Rabbit colors

[WilkinsonWabbit]

I have a small herd of meat/pet rabbits that have just started producing. Two of my does just had their first litters April 26th!
When I started looking for rabbits to breed I knew I wanted some with color so I got two red, one black, then I found someone selling a gray color and took that one home as well.
My question is can a New zealand come in this gray color and what is the coat cool actually called?



Also she had a kit that was black with brown fur scattered through the black.....



And then this color from my red doe ..... is it a blue?



I am not really worried if they are not pure new zealand. I am really just curious
Thanks!

 

[Bunnylady]

Hi!

Welcome to the forum!

The doe in your first picture is a color called Chinchilla. There are 3 breeds that only come in that color (American Chinchilla, Standard Chinchilla, and Giant Chinchilla), and several breeds that can come in that color, but purebred New Zealands are never that color. So your girl might be a purebred Am Chin, or a NZ/Chin cross, but she isn't pure NZ.

Her kit in the second picture looks to be a color called Steel. Steel is a lot like the wild-type color (called Chestnut Agouti), except that it has a lot more black in it. One of the most obvious differences is that Steels usually have dark bellies, while Chestnuts have white bellies. Those with the brownish tinge are often called Gold-tipped Steel; those with white ticking are Silver-tipped Steels. I'm betting that your buck is black - it's pretty common for black NZ's to throw Steel.

The kit in your third picture is either an Opal or a Squirrel. Opal is the dilute form of Chestnut; Squirrel is the dilute of Chinchilla (and Blue is the dilute of Black; see how that works?). The Opals and Squirrels both have darker bluish pigment at the tip of the body hairs, and blue-gray close to the skin, the difference is that Opals have a band of yellowish pigment between them, and on a Squirrel, that middle band is white. There is a triangular-shaped patch of hair behind the ears; on a Squirrel, that triangle is white, on an Opal, it's yellow/tan. I can't say for sure, but I don't think I see any yellow on that kit; so I'm leaning toward Squirrel.

You said you're not worried about whether or not they are purebred NZ; that's good, because I don't believe they are. If that is your Red doe in your avatar, her color is really, really light. In the NZ, Red is a deep, brick red color, all over (including the belly). In some breeds, an animal the color of the one in your avatar would be called an Orange. If they are healthy and you are happy with them, then all is well - I only mention it in case you might get interested in showing in the future.

 

[WilkinsonWabbit]

HI!!! back

and thank you!

I did lots of googling to find picture references to the colors your were mentioning, lol. I think I understand a little better, at least better then I did before your help

When I bought the rabbits they were all sold to me as purebred NZ. Even though I was new to the bunny world and had my doubts, I still liked their colors and thought they were a good size to still make good meat producing rabbits, as well as 'pets' for my kids.

The buck to the first kit is indeed a black buck! and it's doe is the Chinchilla.
The second kit was born to the Orange buck in my avatar picture and a doe that I have that I was calling red/brown which, now, I am pretty sure she is a chestnut....

These are the four I started out with (they are young in this picture) The black and the orange are bucks and the other two are my does.
The "brown" one is called chestnut, right?
and the Orange one... am I safe to call him Orange, or is there a different term?



When I purchased this doe the seller said she didn't know what she was and that someone told her it was and English spot.... I googled English Spot and I don't think she looks very much like one..... but she is pretty. It would be nice if she was a broken NZ or maybe a standard Rex?



My newest and youngest doe right now was sold to me as a NZ Red. I seen the litter and parents the doe was broken red and the buck was a dark red that you mentioned and all the kits were red/broken red.



Again thank you so much for your information! Even if they are mixed breeds my little herd is healthy and pretty, there is a variety of color. We aren't worried about using them for show. But, if my daughter ever does show interest in showing Ill make sure to find a reputable breed

 

[WilkinsonWabbit]

oh and baby pictures just because they are cute

Marble (the Chinchilla) and Lunar (the black buck) had 9 kits


Spice (the Chestnut) and Cremesicle (the orange buck) had 8 kits

 

[marion sage]

I raise meet rabbits but I have some rather interesting breeders and would like for you to clarify some colors for me please

[/IMG][/IMG]I know that they are nzds and nzd mix the one with the main is a nzd-lion head × as is the( blue one; I know this cause I breed this one) but what are their colors, I'm stumped????

 

[Bunnylady]

@marion sage Welcome to BYC!

Glad you joined us!

Pictures only get you so far; some things you have to get your hands on to really see, but here's what I think I'm seeing:


This could be a Chestnut with a lot of rufus, or a very smutty Red; hard to say for sure, but I'm leaning more toward the latter. In the Rex breed, the Chestnut that has a lot of rufus is called a Castor, and it's a much darker color than this.


Could be an Opal (dilute Chestnut) or could be a Squirrel (dilute Chinchilla). I can't quite tell if the lighter color is white or a really light beige. There should be a triangular area of lighter color right behind the rabbit's ears; if that's white, it's a Squirrel, if it's a light tan to yellow color, it's an Opal.

This one's easy - it's a Harlequin.

 

[marion sage]

@marion sage Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined us! Pictures only get you so far; some things you have to get your hands on to really see, but here's what I think I'm seeing: This could be a Chestnut with a lot of rufus, or a very smutty Red; hard to say for sure, but I'm leaning more toward the latter. In the Rex breed, the Chestnut that has a lot of rufus is called a Castor, and it's a much darker color than this. Could be an Opal (dilute Chestnut) or could be a Squirrel (dilute Chinchilla). I can't quite tell if the lighter color is white or a really light beige. There should be a triangular area of lighter color right behind the rabbit's ears; if that's white, it's a Squirrel, if it's a light tan to yellow color, it's an Opal. This one's easy - it's a Harlequin.

 

[marion sage]

these guys are nzds× not rex, the " opal has a red smudge behind his ears as on his nose and front paws, and a cream color on his belly it's almost white,but not quite. Is he still an opal or are these flaws, the red lion-head is his sire.

 

[Bunnylady]

Well, obviously they aren't Rex! I only mentioned the Rex because that's the only breed that I know of that has a color like that and a name for it. Though the genetics are present to produce such a color in other breeds, as far as I know, they don't have a specific name for that particular color (other than maybe, "oops!")

 

[BantamLover21]

Looks like a Chestnut (called Castor or Chesnut Agouti in some breeds). If you blow into the fur, you'll see rings of different colors if it is for sure a Chestnut.

This one's color pattern is Harlequin, specifically, Japanese Harlequin.

I raise meet rabbits but I have some rather interesting breeders and would like for you to clarify some colors for me please