Breeding for Color Rather than Breed?

[Nela]

Just a question...

Do breeders ever breed and focus on a particular color rather than just a breed? For example, I'd have loved to breed magpies and harlequins in various breeds. I'm guessing some would do otters... Does that ever happen?

So basically, would a breeder specialize in a specific color rather than a specific breed while still keeping the breeds they work with up to standard? Or is that just too complicated since it would imply various breeds?

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

Speaking from a Harlequin breed standpoint, many new breeders ONLY focus on getting correct markings and thus have made the Harlequin breed kind of go down the drain. You loose a lot on body and the size isn't what it should be.

Granted people are focusing on certain colors but you really NEED to keep up with the body standard as well. Every harlequin I started out with is slowly being replaced with larger rabbits. What you commented on on my thread. The first doe is 3 months old and is bigger then a few of my 6 almost 7 month olds.

 

[Nela]

Mm agreed that they would have to keep up with body standards as well. Was really curious about it. Thanks for answering :biggrin:

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

and I have been wanting to get into fuzzy lops, was looking into BEW, and since its not a common thing, and is newer in the fuzzies, they are lacking in body and type with them as well.

 

[TCRabbitry]

That is an issue. I personally think that if you can start out some really nice stock, and work hard to improve on them, then go for it.

I raised chocolate and otter holland lops for about 7 years. I won BOB with one of my own babies from those breedings. I also won 1st BJD, 1st SJD, and BOSV Solid from those breedings as well.

That was with a Chocolate, Lilac Tort, and Broken Blue Otter.

So, it is possible, you just have to start out with the nicest stock you can get, and work to IMPROVE the type on the colors, not just the colors.

 

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

LOL YES.
I think I get what your saying....

I'm a freak for shadeds. Everything I raise has to be some variant of them, or else I get mad. even the odd ball colors I have, either carry or will go into the shaded program anyway. XD

And trust me, getting shaded angoras is a pain. they're always white or agouti. lol

 

[Inle_Rabbitry]

Our rabbitry is one that breeds primarily for color.

However, I can not stress enough the importance of breeding to physically improve a breed.

We've been breeding mini rex since 1997, and it's only untill recently, untill we have created a strain that we feel exceeds the breed's standards, have we begun to focus on coat color. We feel that the physical health and perfection of the breed should always come first in a breeding program, and untill a breeder has grasped a firm understanding and extensive experience in that, then focusing on coat color should be out of the question.

Breeding for color can be very exciting, especially when you are focusing on a particular new color that you want to have added to the breed's standard. And trust me, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing a color that you've been working years on, get accepted. But again, working on color should be the last thing you want to be focusing on in your rabbitry unless you are totally satisfied with the health and physical perfection of your herd. I think of working on color as a final test to perfecting your breed. And one that is certainly most rewarding in the end.

As breeders, we should all remember that the entire point of being a breeder is to improve the breed. Not to repopulate the rabbit population with unshowable and unhealthy strains that just end up in animal shelters and petstores.

 

[Nela]

:biggrin2:Thanks for the input. I got really curious about that. Shaded, I can imagine it must be quite hard to find the angoras you are looking for. At least now I understand your rabbitry name hehe. But ummm... Excuse the ignorance but what is a shaded? Is it like sables? :?

I like the idea of perfecting the line in terms of body first and THEN working on color. I guess that would work a lot better. (No worries, I'm not looking into breeding but I had never paid much attention and got curious when I saw Andersons post about harlequins)

I had seen some breeders work with one breed in only one color like the BEW German Lop breeder I got Maybelle from for example however I hadn't seen a breeder really specialize in one color in different breeds. It must be harder to do though... Plus, I imagine even if you get kits of the color you do want, it doesn't mean all the kits will be that color right?

I could never ever set foot in rabbitries specialized in harlequins, otters, or chocolates... No way.

 

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

Shadeds are sable, sable points, smokes... You could add in shaded martens and shaded agoutis for some breeds, also. Anything sable point is LOVE. And sable's okay too. ;3

 

[Nela]

Lol :biggrin2:Thank you for the explanation :biggrin2:

 

[GorbyJobRabbits]

Shaded Night Rabbitry wrote:

Shadeds are sable, sable points, smokes... You could add in shaded martens and shaded agoutis for some breeds, also. Anything sable point is LOVE. And sable's okay too. ;3

You will be in love with my fuzzy lops I'm picking up. =p I couldn't pick a color, I really wanted to do the BEW, but have learned what a mess that will be for someone new, and have went with Sable Points and Siamise Sables.



and Nela I may have misunderstood your origional post at first, but I think my answer still covers it. Some peeps do try only for color, the harlies is one issue, and the harlequins body and size has went down the hole. So like others have said, got to focus on the entire animal.

 

[Demismith]

A popular saying here is build your house before you paint it (Get the type and size right first then work on colour/markings)