Breeding Day

The girls were swamped with school yesterday, so the breedings took place today. 

The happy couples are Snowball and Muddy Buddy, and Maybelline and Coal.  Muddy Buddy is a grand champion with four legs.  Snowball and Maybelline are awaiting registration papers to arrive so that we can submit the legs for their grand champion certificates.  Coal has two legs.  Hopefully he'll get the final leg needed for grand champion status before his kits arrive. 

The anticipated colors for Snowball (AaBbccDdE_) and Muddy Buddy's (aabbCcDdEe) litter are as follows:

REW                  50%
Self-black             7%
Agouti                  7%
Self-chocolate      7%
Chocolate agouti  7%
Self-blue               4%
Self-lilac               4%
Opal, lynx, black tort, chocolate tort 2% each
Lots of other colors less than 1% each

We cannot be as sure about the anticipated colors for Maybelline (aaBbC_ddE_Enen) and Coal aaBbC_D_E_enen).  Research has shown that the B and C genes are located close to one another on the same chromosome.  Coal is self-black; the black gene could only have come from his dam, a smoke pearl.  And so we theorize that his other c gene is chinchilla light.  Maybelline may also carry the chinchilla light gene.  However, it is probably best to keep in mind what ARBA judge Ray Stacy recommends:  Never breed for color.  Oh, and half of all kits should be brokens.  At any rate, the anticipated colors are:

Black                  33%
Blue                    33%
Lilac                   10%
Chocolate             5%
Black tort             5%
Blue tort               5%
Lilac tort               1%
Chocolate tort       1%
Lots of other colors less than 1% each.

Kits should arrive May 14.