himlayan genetics!

[Himi Queen]

rightiho, so the himi gene looks like this.... aBc(a)EP, if anyone needs to know what that stands for...

a = non agouti factor
B = black pigmentation factor
c(a) = the himlayan factor
E = extension factor (black or choc)
P = dark eyed factor (although in himalayans this is repressed by the himi factor)

hope thats right!! so, how do we think himi pigs actually came about?

vi xx

[Himi Queen]

does anyone know how its possible to create more than black or choc himis?? i have been told its possible!

vi x

[jencamcavies]

i would love to know the answer to that one ??

i would die to have a slate Himalayan ? or a lilac ?

isnt it true you cant have red, cream or golden ? as they dont carry that gene ? thats why it is only possible to have a blue shade ?

which isnt the same in siamese cats ? as there is a wide variety of colours on them ? including tabby pointed ?

that would look funny ?

[Himi Queen]

i think you can get colours in the black serious (black, choc, beige and lilac) but you cannot get colours in the red series becuase the himi gene blocks all of it out??

vi x

[granadan]

Okay. You wont get a slate himi. Slate is on C which is bleached out by c^a

For a full set of points you need EE. Which is basically to allow the black full Extension. Ee are your himis that are too pale with not enough smut and points.

BB ensures the himi has black points, Bb is a black carrying the modifier for chocolate and bb makes a chocolate himi.

aa keeps you points all one colour. Aa or AA will result in the black becoming ticked and you end up with agouti himis - silver agouti points of course cos the red is bleached out by c^a.

I've not seen a lilac himi - I am told it is possible and as lilac is a modified black, then I reckon thats righht, so logically it follows beige is acheiveable. I reckon your best bet woukd be to use beiges in the breeding of choc himis and do it that way (and lilacs to blacks for lilacs) but whether they would look any good or just like washed out versions is debatable.

I also agree with Vi about the PP it gives the full point density. I am sure you could get a himi with Pp or pp - you would not have the depth of colour in the points though. I will look that one up further.

[Himi Queen]

cool. i am really no good at genetics, although they really facinate me!! knowing that lilac and bege (and silver agouti) himis are possible, anyone want to guess WHY they arent around and about??

vi x

[granadan]

Agouti ones - Not much point in breeding them as they are in direct opposition with the breed standard calling for dense points with no brindling.

Lilac ones. Well, (laughs maniacally) I have relooked at my earlier post with comments about the PP vs Pp/pp and I missed the obvious. A pp himi IS a lilac himi (bangs head vigorously agaisnt wall). A Pp himi would probably have poor undercolour to the black points and wouldnt look so striking.

Beige ones. Well, if lilac is the pink eye version (simplified) of black (BB), then beige is the pink eye version of chocolate (bb), so my guess would be the scarcity of nice beige stock available to experiment with. Dont give me ideas, I have some beiges arriving next month ;D

Hayley Rafter has a himi that I am pretty interested to have a good look at - I think it might be a lilac, need to pin her down to ask to have a real good look at it.

I would think the main reason for not producing them is that to really put these colours in with any certainty, you need to put beige to choc himi, and lilac to black himi, keep the mongrel offspring, and then either inbreed (I won't even go there) or have a pool of same bred unrelated stock to mate together and then play the numbers game. I'm in the middle of a bit of a project with himis at the moment, but hopefully by the end of the year i'll have it sorted and will have space to think about beige himis - but then again, would they be any good on the show bench? And if not, could I justify creating that many pet quality cavies?

[Himi Queen]

i think beige himis would be fab!! i'd love to see them at shows, give more variation to the normal black or choc ones!!

jane i dare you to try to do beige himis, i would cirtainly think of buying stock off you to keep it going!! i'm already trying to find crested himis to do!! turning out hard to find anyone with any lol! anyways, have a go, if it doesnt work, then we know for future reference!! still wander why if its possible it hasnt been tryed before.

vi x

[granadan]

Okay, this is naughty. Never dare me it is tooooo tempting.

I have a trio of beige arriving on the 24th. With a minority breed in beige, I wont put the sows into a himi project, but could use a boar, and probably borrow an unrelated one to continue with. Need to get this project out of my hair first - I have half bred himis popcorning all over the place...

[Himi Queen]

dare dare dare dare..... LOL