Harlequin Info

[Star and Stone Rabbitry]

Hey! This isTiff again!

Well, I've gotton bored with my Dutch since I've been doing them for like, 6 years... so I was thinking about doing harlequins. Well, you know, I work at a pet shop, and it just so happens that we got a litter of Harlequins that are pedigreed, and I bought two of them. One of them, I think, is a Black Japanese Harlequin, and the other one is what I think, a Blue Magpie, and they are both does. I just need to know some basic info on them, such as...

1) How do you breed them? Do you have to breed specific colors to each other, like Dutch, or can you just breed any colors together? Can you breed any Japanese varieties together, as well as the magpie varieties?

2) I need some pictures to show me exactly how the markings should be.

3) Any other random info would be appreciated, as well as websites! And please know that I already understand that they are challenging But that's what I do rabbits for, so don't worry!

Thank you!

 

[maisy126]

I don't know if you need an actually harlequin breed picture, but here is a picture of our harlequin colored baby (mini rex X cali/lop mix)

 

[Star and Stone Rabbitry]

lol He's cute! But I'm talking about the actual rabbit breed, Harlequins. Very cute pic, though

 

[maisy126]

oh, okay thanks. Good luck finding someone though.

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

Here is the website for the American Harlequin Rabbit Club: http://www.geocities.com/~harlies/

You should only breed Japanese to Japanese and Magpie to Magpie. Otherwise you get white on the Japanese. There are four colors: Black, Blue, Chocolate, and Lilac within the Jap and Mag groups. It works just like the Dutch would, however, know you CAN breed Blue with Chocolate because Lilacs are accepted.

Good Luck on your new breed. I would recommend joining the Harlequin Club as most clubs have a newsletter and a guide book.

Sharon

 

[Star and Stone Rabbitry]

Okay, that sounds familiar. I would love to do the black japanese, mostly. But, like Dutch, I specialized in Blacks and Chocolates. I bred blacks and chocolates all the time, in attempt to get darker chocolates (the colors never mixed) Also, can anyone tell me if any of these crosses would be okay? All Japanese, by the way. I think that will be my specialty, because I love working with chocolate and black.

Black X Chocolate

Black X Grey

Black X Blue

And any other combo's including chocolate and black?

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

Harlequins do not come in Gray. Only: Black Japanese, Blue Japanese, Chocolate Japanese, Lilac Japanese, Black Magpie, Blue Magpie, Chocolate Magpie, and Lilac Magpie.

 

[Star and Stone Rabbitry]

Would any of the other combinations I mentioned work? Also, does anyone know if the markings when they are born are just a matter of luck, as in Dutch, or can you improve them with better marked rabbits?

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

Yes, those would work. Dutch markings are somewhat genetic. You don't breed two rabbits with the same marking fault together. For example, if you had a doe with long stops, you shouldn't breed her to a buck who also has long stops. Works the same with Harlequins.

Basically, get the face markings correct and then work on the body.

Sharon

 

[Star and Stone Rabbitry]

Awesome... that's cool. Okay thank you to everyone! If anyone has any recommended reading for me, please give me a link or something I'll bring this topic back u if I get any more questions. Thanks!

 

[Pandaboy]

maisy126 wrote:

I don't know if you need an actually harlequin breed picture, but here is a picture of our harlequin colored baby (mini rex X cali/lop mix)

I have a baby harli too that resembles this little bun