# Cross breeding



## budwpm (Jun 28, 2009)

It is so darn hard to find cross breeding info on the web. What do you get if you breed a lionhead to a angora? What happens when you breed and angora to a NZW? Mainly looking for size and fur types.

Thanks


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

there are lines of NZW that have the occasional woolie show up from when back way back someplace someone crossed in an angora and the recessive trait is hard to breed back out, NZW Normal fur type is dominant i think but you should get a mix in the litter of wooly and non wooly, but once you have it in the line your pretty well stuck with it, 

the lion head bred to an angora would result in a very fluffy rabbit, both are wool or wool base breeds, and you would get some kind of poorly wooled angora or an overly wooly Lionhead,


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

I've been cross breeding Mini Rex and Holland Lops, working on a project to get a mini-sized lop eared, Rex coated pet rabbit.

The Rex coat is a recessive so you don't get it in the first generation cross, it only comes back in the second generation, statistically something like 25% in the second cross with two first cross parents.

The lop ears are less well defined, genetically ... I've had everything from "semi-lops" and "droopy ears" to "airplane" ears and non-lops in the first generation, with a few lops in the second cross. But not as well defined, genetically, as the Rex coat.

Photos of some of my results are on a blog. http://designerrabbits.blogspot.com


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## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

I know on crossing the Lionhead and the Angora you end up with a Lionhead with too much hair.......or something that looks like a little miniature Angora. I have one in my barn that I got from a woman. Cutest thing you ever saw, but is too small to be an Angora and too furry to be a Lionhead. Cute though!


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## GoslingFever (Jan 31, 2006)

SFM in KY said:


> I've been cross breeding Mini Rex and Holland Lops, working on a project to get a mini-sized lop eared, Rex coated pet rabbit.
> 
> The Rex coat is a recessive so you don't get it in the first generation cross, it only comes back in the second generation, statistically something like 25% in the second cross with two first cross parents.
> 
> ...


Oh! I just LOVE the color on your mini rex doe (pic posted Oct 22 with her litter) has she passed on that coloration before?


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Yes, she has. I breed her to a broken black buck and I seem to get rainbow litters like this. I'm looking forward to the "second generation" litters this spring. Will be interesting to see if I get any of the Rex coats back plus keep the lop ears.


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## notasnowballs (Dec 28, 2010)

I'm looking at crossbreeding a fuzzy lop to my lionhead mix. The lionhead mix is spotted, so she throws brown and white, peach colored, solid whites and the regular brown agouti or wild color, as well as black. Invariably, she always has two that have her lionhead tufts on her head though, which grow out to look like the forelock on a Shetland pony. It's adorably cute, and she's a good mama, so I keep her for breeding, even though she's a mutt. I don't have much money to speak of for buying "pedigreed" rabbits, and I came across this one for free, and this white fuzzy lop at the auction for $5. He is a sweetie, but he had a few mats. I can't figure out why he's at the auction, because he just likes to snuggle. 

I thought maybe I could breed him and this lionhead mix (she is the size of a NZ, and he is just a tad smaller) and get some really furry rabbits. I have been wanting to try my hand at spinning, maybe or maybe selling the wool, and this guy just gave me a gallon size bag of wool plucked from him that is about two inches long, maybe? The lionhead mix throws big babies, so I thought maybe I wouldn't get mini rabbits that are fuzzy. Thoughts?


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## mysticklobo (Feb 24, 2008)

notasnowballs said:


> I thought maybe I could breed him and this lionhead mix (she is the size of a NZ, and he is just a tad smaller) and get some really furry rabbits. I have been wanting to try my hand at spinning, maybe or maybe selling the wool, and this guy just gave me a gallon size bag of wool plucked from him that is about two inches long, maybe? The lionhead mix throws big babies, so I thought maybe I wouldn't get mini rabbits that are fuzzy. Thoughts?


You wouldn't get decent fiber for spinning. I have lionheads and they don't produce fiber that is long enough to spin and the fuzzy lops don't either, so crossing them would just give you junk fiber.

Find some true angoras or Jersey Woolys to use for fiber. You can find nice wooler angoras all over the place, just look around. Good spinning fiber needs to be at LEAST 2.5" in length. If you are just learning how to spin, start with wool and a spindle.


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