# What kind of Rabbits have wavy hair?



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Out of the new set of popples that are now 3 weeks old, there are 6 total, 3 of them have what looks like wavy/kinda curly hair? There fur doesn't look like the other 3. The doe is NZ white & we have the buck but can't remember what he is exactly, he's as big as the doe only brown. I believe the people we bought him from said he was a NZ also. Out of the other 3 popples 2 look like dad & 1 looks like mom. Just wondered why the other ones have fur like that?


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I think there was a post about this kind of bunny fur awile back... was it an Astrex rabbit? Maybe someone else will know. They sound awesome though!


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I don't know since I don't know much about Rabbits yet, only what I've learned along the way & from everyone here. They are adorable no matter what they are. I've never heard of an Astrex rabbit before but like you said Maggie maybe someone else will know what were talking about. It must be some other kind of rabbit mixed in with the buck or doe's blood lines back a ways. We bought them from the same breeder & they didn't have any rabbits that looked like these. We are having a major snowstorm over the next 24 hrs and I'm working some really long days this week but I will try to get pictures & post them here, maybe that will help someone figure out what they are mixed with.


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## Pemburu (Apr 20, 2006)

I'm not sure what causes it either. Have 3 out of 7 from my black NZD cross that have wavy hair. The dame of my black doe is a chinchilla. Sire was a white NZD. ??? 

Do they look like this little sheep bunny?


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## trinityoaks (Sep 17, 2008)

Pemburu said:


> Do they look like this little sheep bunny?


Oh, what a precious bunny!!! I can hardly wait until we get ours!


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2008)

Pemburu said:


> I'm not sure what causes it either. Have 3 out of 7 from my black NZD cross that have wavy hair. The dame of my black doe is a chinchilla. Sire was a white NZD. ???
> 
> Do they look like this little sheep bunny?


I want one of those!!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

OMG, it is so cute! 

The pet trade should gobble those up! The fur trade too! I understand they are a variation on rex rabbits. Here's Rabbitgeek's info page about them:

http://www.rabbitgeek.com/astrex.html

And another:

http://www.elmhurststud.com/astrex.htm

I love Google! 

Hey, if you could cross an Astrex with an Angora, you'd have some interesting fibre, wouldn't you?


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## Pemburu (Apr 20, 2006)

Yes, unfortunately they are very cute. That's the big problem here. I started these for the "meat" factor. I don't have a problem helping others process their rabbits. Most of the time, I can cull something that has problems fairly easily, but now I'm raising my first litters and I don't know what I'm going to do with the cute factor. Hopefully I can sell some for pets, or breeders to someone else and won't have to do the "deed".

Yep.... cute they are:


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## Jeanette (Jul 29, 2008)

I have a young red doe who has a slightly wavy coat too. Her sire and dam were both mixed breed but I am pretty sure that there were no Astrex in the background. This could just be the year that new fur patterns are showing up. This is how new varieties sometimes begin.
I can't wait to breed my little girl so I can see if she will throw any wavy babies. I know longer have her sire but I am thinking of breeding her to her full brother and see what other interesting genes are in their background. Her mom is what I understand to be Tortoise in color. The litter that Spyder came from contained her little red wavy self, a dark blue and a gorgeous chocolate lop-ear. Spyder is not quite as wavy as the pictures of the rabbits above but she definitely has a strange coat. If I can get some pictures before the cold front hits today I will try to post them later. If not I will get some in a few days when it warms back up.

Jeanette
Hondo, TX

Always Learning!


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## Jesse L (Nov 6, 2008)

Somtimes Rex/mini Rex have a little curl to there fur when they are young, any chance that might be it??

Some rabbits just carry that trait, i know a friend of mine had a lionhead that had curly fur...

BTW, Pemburu, what a great cute little bunny eh, looks very nice!!

Jesse


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Yep, they look like the little sheep Bunny! Only mine have a little bit of black or brown spots on them or there ears. I might have to keep a buck &/or doe of the wavy hair ones. Yeah these are suppose to be for meat too! I am trying hard not to get attached. I think some will just be harder than others to butcher, but they are soooooo darned cute!

Jessie, I don't know about the rex part, I thought when we bought them the breeder told me the buck & doe were both NZ's. But maybe they have some mix in there bloodlines also, these are not registered so I guess it doesn't matter. I also seen the buck & doe's parents(different parents) that the breeder still had & they look like my buck & doe also. 
After the snowstorm (I'm sure we have over a foot already today & it's still coming down), tomarrow I hope I can get some pictures. I'm not real good at posting pictures on here either but I will try.


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## morgansrgr8 (Oct 14, 2008)

What happened with the little sheep bunnies. Would love to see. Possibly some for sale?:bouncy:


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## moonkitten (Mar 4, 2005)

I have 5 of those astrex furred kits right now out of my japanese harlequin doe. I used to get a few now and then (rex fur used to be showable in the harlequin a long time back - I think it still is in Europe) but haven't had any for a couple of years.

The fur is definitely shorter, and you generally lose a lot of the curl as the kit matures. They have all the same short fur foot problems as rex rabbits, so you need to be careful if they aren't in solid bottomed cages.

They certainly are adorable for pets, but they can't be shown and I don't have room to keep anything that isn't part of my breeding herd.

Ladysown, Jesse??? Want some curly furred harlequins?  DJ gets a few now and then too.


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

Might be a trait to breed for, especially if it will continue into adult hood....It might be a big draw in the pet market! Heh, Curly Zelands.....


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## Ozarkquilter46 (Jun 5, 2002)

there is a yahoo group called CurlyAstrexRabbits they talk alot about them


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## Beaniemom (May 25, 2007)

I know Pam Alley over on the yahoo group meatrabbits wants the Astrex, you should join and torment her with pictures! ;p


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## moonkitten (Mar 4, 2005)

Here's a link to some photos of my curly kits: http://www.downtherabbithole.ca/astrex.html.

And here's a teaser photo:


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## GoslingFever (Jan 31, 2006)

This is so neat! I know this is an old thread, but I'm wondering who else has seen curly or wavy coats turn up in their rabbits?

Pemburu = do you know if your New Zealands were ever crossed to rex or mini rex?

I'm collecting anecdotes on this fur type and have found it crops up in more than just rexes - very interesting!


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## harlanr3 (Feb 13, 2010)

I have a white one with brown spots cute little guy mom is nz the sire is a nz/cali mutt


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## PulpFaction (Jul 23, 2009)

harlanr3 said:


> I have a white one with brown spots cute little guy mom is nz the sire is a nz/cali mutt


Does anyone have a picture of one of these guys as an adult?


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Rex's are often curly as he heck as kits. 

Regular haired rabbits can fairly often have curly kits but the curl goes away when the adult hair grows in.
You have to have a gene for permanent curls to get permanent curls, otherwise its only temporary.

If both parents are regular haired the kit will most likely grow to have regular hair unless both parents are hiding a curly haired gene.


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## harlanr3 (Feb 13, 2010)

mine is still young I have a funny feeling it will go away


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## Devoville (Mar 23, 2009)

This gene mutation has nothing to do with the Rex rabbit breed. Rex and Mini Rex the breed do not have curly coats as young, there will be some curl on very poor coats only.They show up most often in Harlequins, and obviously New Zealands and mutt crosses. This says that it is a mutation and not a throwback to a breed.However the mutation is also "genetic" There are issues with sore hocks and just general health as well.That is why there are few pictures of adults. Although you can google "Golden Spike Rabbitry to see a pic of an adult there, there also doesn't seem to be too many there either even though they breeed for it.


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