Added 2 new Harlequins to my brood :)

[MelissaPenguin]

I've taken a chance and bought a pair of proven breeding Harlequins. If you seen my last post, I bought a kit from their last litter, and found out their previous owner was looking to sell all but one or two of her rabbits. I immediately called her and asked if she still had the parents, amazingly enough she did! I jumped in my car and made the 45min (one way) drive to get the parents. I am extremely excited to see what this pair can give me. I just love the Harlequin colors and daddy is a very nice rabbit! Momma's not extremely friendly but we can work with her on that I will get photos asap, as they are settling into their new home at the moment. I actual had to build it because I didn't plan on getting two adult rabbits buttttt It's actually a very sturdy house and I'm surprised I hadn't thought of it before since I used a bunch of stuff I already had

Next dilemma. Names!!!! His name is currently Gizmo, and hers is Checkers. I actually kind of like Gizmo, but Checkers isn't quite girly enough for me. She's prissy but she's very beautiful and deserves a name that fits her Their baby needs a name too, but I'm still not 100% on the sex so we will wait a little longer to name him/her.

Nowww. For those of you who are into the color/genetics of rabbits. His coat is a little diluted I guess you could call it. And their last litter I believe they had a very strong colored Tort - but I'm not sure if that was actually her rabbit of if it was an orphaned bun from a different litter as I know the previous owners had quitea few buns. Is it possible for two purebred Harlequins to come up with a Tort? What about other color kits? Or if they come up with other stuff are they not purebred? I think daddy is a mix but momma's colors are very strongly and she has well markings. You will see what I mean when I get up photos.

 

[hillrise]

Are they Japanese (orange/fawn+color) or Magpie (white+color)? The color options for both (at least in registrable purebreds) are black, chocolate, blue and lilac. Black and chocolate Japanese will have orange opposite the black markings, while blue and lilac (the dilutes) will have fawn opposite.

Harlequins are notoriously difficult to get good markings on. Ideally, they will be checker-boarded with a divider from nose to tail. So if their left side is black face, orange ear, black shoulder, white side, black rump, the right side would be orange face, black ear, orange shoulder, black side, orange side. I don't remember what the recommended number of divisions are off the top of my head, but I do know that they often produce "striped" babies, even from perfectly marked parents.

As for the tort kit, it's unlikely it was theirs. If the tort kit was theirs, it would require that both of them carry the full extension gene (e), as tort is ee in the E-series. Ideally, though, they would both be double ej for the E-series (and I would bet that the doe is double ej given the strength of her markings, but I might be wrong...it's been a while since I bred harlequin-colored rabbits).

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We want pictures! Not pushy at all!

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

purebred harlies only give harlies. also generally u will have body banding. u rarely get checkard board. ur last pic looked like rex fur. i duno. post pics

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

Since I've been reading other posts on here... please don't take this as being mean or rude, because I'm not. But you just rehomed MissPriss, I think was her name because she was not a purebred and you are wanting to get into breeding, that is what you had in your thread... whyyyy would you get some harlies that you already think are not full blooded?

I'm just super anal about Harlequins. So am curious.

 

[MelissaPenguin]

Sorry I haven't gotten pictures up yet, they will be up tonight sometime as I just got a new computer (Old one finally gave out on me).

As for the reasoning is because I LOVE Harlequins they are definitely my favorite breed. If you read the whole post about Miss Priss, you would also know that she didn't care for her litters and they all died. You can't breed bunnies if the babies die, soooo... instead of putting her through more stressful breedings and loses, I found her a great home where she would be virtually free on a large peice of land with another rabbit. Harlequins have been a breed I have been after for quite a while now, and this lady didn't know anything about them, honestly. With such a unique breed, you'd think you'd be able to remember their name, or at least try to look it up - nope, not her. She was happy enough with known they were pretty and they produced pretty babies. As for their time with me, I think they will likely be with me for the rest of their lives since I've already become very attached - and if not their entire life, a great portion of it! I do want to get into breeding, but my rabbits are still looked at as my animals, and just like my dog, I love my buns like they are family. I look at them as more than just breeding machines because they produce pretty babies.

 

[Azerane]

A question about Harlequins, I'm not sure on the exact terminology, but if you have two well marked parents, will the markings breed true? Or are they simply pure chance on the markings?

 

[hillrise]

Unfortunately, Harlequin markings breed about as true as Brokens. Although, Harlequins are thankfully mostly homozygous (but not necessarily) rather than heterozygous for their marking genes. I believe that better marked parents have a better chance of producing well-marked offspring, but it's no guarantee, and stripey parents can produce nicely marked kits, too. They're a very difficult breed to work with, but worth it if you're willing to put the work into it.

 

[MelissaPenguin]

I am thankful that the one kit out of their last litter with the previous owners and she has great markings. I can't wait to see how their first litter with me will turn out.

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

Its all a game of chance with harlies and nothing else. I strive for dark marked rabbits, if they're not show quality.


This is queen. Strictly brood doe, and while I think she's pretty, she's rather hideous by harlequin standards, but produces great. Not a single correct thing on this doe:

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

MelissaPenguin wrote:

Sorry I haven't gotten pictures up yet, they will be up tonight sometime as I just got a new computer (Old one finally gave out on me).

As for the reasoning is because I LOVE Harlequins they are definitely my favorite breed. If you read the whole post about Miss Priss, you would also know that she didn't care for her litters and they all died. You can't breed bunnies if the babies die, soooo... instead of putting her through more stressful breedings and loses, I found her a great home where she would be virtually free on a large peice of land with another rabbit. Harlequins have been a breed I have been after for quite a while now, and this lady didn't know anything about them, honestly. With such a unique breed, you'd think you'd be able to remember their name, or at least try to look it up - nope, not her. She was happy enough with known they were pretty and they produced pretty babies. As for their time with me, I think they will likely be with me for the rest of their lives since I've already become very attached - and if not their entire life, a great portion of it! I do want to get into breeding, but my rabbits are still looked at as my animals, and just like my dog, I love my buns like they are family. I look at them as more than just breeding machines because they produce pretty babies.

I guess when I see raising rabbits, I see bettering a breed as a whole. And when you did state on another thread you were looking into that, I can't fathom just grabbing the first thing you see. I'm not trying to be rude like I'm coming off as. Just saying. I see all my rabbits as my kids. I love them to death....but in the end I'm here to better them.