My New Years Resolution- Rex Genetics and Breeding..............

[weeble]

It's fur density in rex that's the problem. It's usually pet bred rexes that have thinner fur and are more likely to have sore hocks, rex bred for show (exhibition) should have 'intensely dense' fur. If you keep breeding rex with thin fur the offspring will have this thin fur and are prone to sore hocks. I've not spoken to many rex breeders but the ones I have, that breed for show don't have a problem with sore hocks.

Ahhhh thats interesting. Also backs up what many on here think about responsible breeders vs backyard breeders

 

[JLG]

I'm getting into this now. sorry for dumb questions. so is fur density genetic?

 

[DemiS]

I'm getting into this now. sorry for dumb questions. so is fur density genetic?

Yes, breeding dense furred rabbits will give you densely furred rabbits. It's not a usual dominant and recessive gene though, I believe it's a polygene. Polygenes and modifiers change the rabbit depending on how much of the polygenes they have. The type of the belgian hare is due to a polygene, if you were to cross a belgian hare with a netherland dwarf, the type (shape) would be inbetween, you wouldn't get 'belgian hare shape carrying cobby nethie shape' imagine that, breeding two rabbits that look like hare's and they have a nethie baby :lol: Belgian Hares also have rufus modifiers, the more they have the redder they appear

 

[JLG]

so even if you have a densely furred rabbit, you can't be sure that its going to have densely furred babies unless you breed it with another densely furred rabbit?
but if the polygenes/modifiers are present in different quantities in each bun, you could still get some babies with thinner fur?
argh, this is complicated!

Just trying to imagine a belgian hare/nethie :lol:

 

[DemiS]

so even if you have a densely furred rabbit, you can't be sure that its going to have densely furred babies unless you breed it with another densely furred rabbit?
but if the polygenes/modifiers are present in different quantities in each bun, you could still get some babies with thinner fur?
argh, this is complicated!

Just trying to imagine a belgian hare/nethie :lol:

I imagine a hare/nethie would look a bit like a Polish...

Yes if you breed a dense furred rabbit with a thin furred rabbit you're likely to get litters inbetween, they'll probably vary a lot though. I've just done a quick google search and it appears polygenes are responsible for coat density in cats and dogs.

I've never really researched coat density so I apologise if I get anything wrong

 

[KoShiatar]

Very interesting! Please keep on doing this!

 

[dizzyg]

wow! this is really interesting!

thanks jane for starting the topic, and demi for all your knowledge!

:wave:

 

[Raven Rexs]

http://www.furandfeather.co.uk/index.php?page=rabbit-breeds
this is a super handy book that goes in depth about the gentics

 

[Jack's-Jane]

http://www.furandfeather.co.uk/index.php?page=rabbit-breeds
this is a super handy book that goes in depth about the gentics

Thanks, I have a copy.

 

[Ellasyn]

I did my degree in genetics, Ive looked into some genetic traits in horses, particularly melanoma susceptibility in greys (the link to the colour being due to the genes being almost right next to eachother, so the probability of recombination happening at that point is increadibly small). I never thought to look at traits in rabbits!