Rare mutations eg. Viophire / Curly

[Spoof]

For the sake of thought provoking discussion;

As an experienced breeder, how would you feel if something like this popped up in your herd. What would you do?

For the new breeders - would you take on a rare color/mutation?

What do you think the minimum number of breeding chins is needed to work with that mutation?

Some current examples; white, beige, mahogany, viophire, charcoal, long furred, short furred, curly, etc.

 

[Olallie]

I think I would work with something I knew a little bit about being a "new" breeder, i would go with charcoal.
Along with this thread I'd like to see pictures!!

 

[saphire]

As a young (new) breeder, I work with a couple of recessives that I feel comfortable in working to improve them.
Although I would be curious to see the outcome of a new mutation when it's growing out, but I would offer it to a younger (age), but experienced person and keep working on improving the ones I have now.
As for the minimum of animals needed to work with a new mutation, I am unsure.

 

[RDZCRanch]

If something new popped up in my herd...it depends on what it is. If it's a mutation in the fur pattern I probably wouldn't work with it. If it were a new mutation color I might work with it depending on space and how desirable the color is.

I honestly think you need a minimum of 20 to 30 standards to improve a weak mutation. It also depends on how long you are willing to wait for improvement to show in the offspring. If you want faster results you need a larger number of chinchillas to produce more offspring.

I don't think newer mutations or weak mutations should be something newer breeders get into unless they are going to dedicate their entire breeding program to that mutation alone. Let's face it, when you first start out you want ALL the colors or you want to dabble in most if not all of the colors out there and that is not the best for the weak mutations. It takes many generations to improve them and keep them "improved".

 

[lauralynne]

I wouldn't take on a rare mutation. Personally, I want to build a quality base herd first.

 

[starleomach]

I work with sapphires...I wouldn't shy away from an interesting mutation that popped up but I would get advice from a rancher. But I don't feel that the more rare/resessive mutations are good for new breeders. It takes a LOT of great standards to improve weak mutations. IMPO you can never have enough good standards

 

[mishalaa]

As an experienced breeder, how would you feel if something like this popped up in your herd. What would you do?

I wouldn't tell a soul until I bred the line a bit and worked a few things out, such as 1) is it actually a genetic mutation 2) is it dominant or recessive and 3) what weaknesses are associated with it.

For the new breeders - would you take on a rare color/mutation?

I'd love to work with a rare/new mutation, once I have sufficient space to develop one.

What do you think the minimum number of breeding chins is needed to work with that mutation?

Depends if the mutation is dominant or recessive. If it's dominant, you can start with just one, male or female, and keep throwing good standards into the line. If it's recessive, the ideal minimum to start with would be two, preferably males, to create carriers that can be crossed to get another mute third generation. If you only have one, as usually is the case with a new mutation, the best thing to do would be to breed it to a different standard every litter so the carriers are only half siblings. Once you get to the point where you're developing it, the more the merrier, but I would think at least six lines/runs/colonies dedicated to just that mutation (not including the lines of standards you'd need) would be needed to be self-sustaining and see any improvement.

 

[threewingedfury]

I have to agree with Tab. I wouldn't mind working with a new color, but it would really depend on what I'm given. I personally do not even want to work with sapphires at the moment, but if something new popped up in my own herd that hadn't been seen before, I'd work my hardest to improve it. I luckily have a lot of standards in my herd now, but I'd want quite a few more before I'd take on a new mutation. Though, I don't think I'd really tell anyone about the mutation until I knew exactly what was going on with it.

 

[Riven]

I would keep it and breed it to see what happens.

I would tell people, what if this is something people know about already, etc. I'd sure hate to be working on the same " new mutation" that 4 other people are working on. Working together on rare mutations helps improve them quicker. You'll note I said people, but probably not the general public. I'd speak with older ranchers that I know, etc.

I do not think there is a minimum heard number that should qualify anyone to work with a mutation. I do think that if you have a rare male it'd be best to put him with more than one female etc. I don't see what the difference would be if someone has a rare male and puts it with three nice females, and they only have ten chins, or if they put it with three females and have 2000...

You'd be surprised what's in some people's barns. People walk right past rare mutes more often than they think.