Gingerbread Varieties
I am working with several different varieties here at Gingerbread HQ for my lines and all are Self rats. A Self simply means the rats are the same colour all over. Getting a good Self, with a nice even coat and minimal silvering can be a challenge.
Champagne and Chocolate
My Champagne line requires Chocolate in it to ensure the coat has a richer tone to it. While I won't be primarily breeding for Chocolate, it's important that I have chocolate options for keeping and breeding so my Champagne options are they best they can be.
NFRS Standard for Champagne: "To resemble champagne silk, with no suggestion of dullness or greyness. Eyes Red."
I am working with several different varieties here at Gingerbread HQ for my lines and all are Self rats. A Self simply means the rats are the same colour all over. Getting a good Self, with a nice even coat and minimal silvering can be a challenge.
Champagne and Chocolate
My Champagne line requires Chocolate in it to ensure the coat has a richer tone to it. While I won't be primarily breeding for Chocolate, it's important that I have chocolate options for keeping and breeding so my Champagne options are they best they can be.
NFRS Standard for Champagne: "To resemble champagne silk, with no suggestion of dullness or greyness. Eyes Red."
NFRS Standard for Chocolate: "To be a deep, rich chocolate, as even as possible, devoid of any dinginess and white hairs or patches. Foot colour to match top. Eyes black."
Lilac
The Lilac variety was a bit of a challenge after I had set up my Champagne line. I've been extremely fortunate that a Lilac buck popped out of one of my litters earlier than I had anticipated and I'm now starting to build this line from him. Lilacs are the result of recessive genes and for a rat to be Lilac it has to have Chocolate, British Blue, Mink and RED expressed at the same time.
NFRS Standard for Lilac: "A pinky dove grey throughout, from tips of fur to skin, bluish tinge a fault. Foot and belly colour to match top. Ears and tail to be covered with grey hairs. Eyes very dark ruby or black."
The Lilac variety was a bit of a challenge after I had set up my Champagne line. I've been extremely fortunate that a Lilac buck popped out of one of my litters earlier than I had anticipated and I'm now starting to build this line from him. Lilacs are the result of recessive genes and for a rat to be Lilac it has to have Chocolate, British Blue, Mink and RED expressed at the same time.
NFRS Standard for Lilac: "A pinky dove grey throughout, from tips of fur to skin, bluish tinge a fault. Foot and belly colour to match top. Ears and tail to be covered with grey hairs. Eyes very dark ruby or black."
Quicksilver and American Mink
I have taken on this and will be building the line from Zephyr Stud Quicksilvers as they have now stopped breeding this line. Photos don't do this variety justice. Quicksilver is the result of British blue and American Mink being expressed.
NFRS Standard for Quicksilver: "To be an even and bright shade of blue grey with no suggestion of icy, creamy or brownish tones. Should be distinctly different to the icy blue tone of the platinum rat and the pale dove of the powder blue. Undercolour light blue to the skin. Belly colour to match top. Feet grey, eye colour mid to dark ruby."
I have taken on this and will be building the line from Zephyr Stud Quicksilvers as they have now stopped breeding this line. Photos don't do this variety justice. Quicksilver is the result of British blue and American Mink being expressed.
NFRS Standard for Quicksilver: "To be an even and bright shade of blue grey with no suggestion of icy, creamy or brownish tones. Should be distinctly different to the icy blue tone of the platinum rat and the pale dove of the powder blue. Undercolour light blue to the skin. Belly colour to match top. Feet grey, eye colour mid to dark ruby."
American Mink is an unstandardised variety here in the UK. UK Mink is standardised however, I personally find UK mink to be slightly duller that an American Mink, which has a more event coat with a pinker undertone to it.