breeding mutations

[angel]

I’ve been looking into different mutations lately, specifically the rex/drex mutation. I’m wondering how some breeders manage to get very curly coats without having to breed a drex (as that can be fatal I think was what I read?). If you were to start with a regular gerbil and a rex gerbil, what percentage of the offspring would have a rex coat? And if the parent has the rex gene, but not a very curly coat (like it doesn’t show up noticeably in their coat) will the offspring also have an underwhelming amount of curl in the coat? Or does it work the way spotting modifiers do, meaning you could end up with a very curly coated rex gerb from a not-so-curly coated rex gerb?

[betty]

Good question!

I don't know much about the rex gene if I'm honest, the version of it in Europe when I was younger was associated with eye issues - so I never got into it.

I know that it is dominant - and therefore one single rex parent has to be present to get rex pups - and it would result in 50% (chances) of rex per pup - so in theory half of each litter could be rex.

I also am aware of many rex breeders going for the 'like breeds like' process of improving curls - so focussing on pairing only the most curly coated individuals to the other most curly ones, and following the genetic lines. This 'can' increase the modifiers as you go - but can also throw all sorts of curve balls - just like with spotting.

I have had a pretty curly rex myself - his pictures are on here somewhere already - but I never bred him. I felt that to breed rex back then you needed to go all in and have a serious plan to improve their coats (and health) and I already had plenty of other things underway.

So much has changed since the early days with the gene - we'd certainly be interested in hearing more about it if you had anything interesting to share?