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| Harley Coat: wispy, longer haired |
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| Harley of Odd Fellows Rattery on Sept. 2002 |
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| OFR Aprilla, Dumbo Siamese Female Harley's Daughter DOB: May 1, 2003 |
| Harley of OFR, Himalayan Female DOB: Est. 6-02 |
| It can be reproduced!!! Harley is no longer the only rat of her kind. On May day 2003, Harley gave birth to Ducati and Aprilla, two babies that look exactly like her. Both are dumbos. I have tried to capture this fur trait outcrossing Harley's lines to satin and standard rats. It was not until I bred Harley to her son, that these babies appeared. From my observations, it appears there is a homozygous pairing of some recessive unidentified gene necessary to create this trait. HARLEY COAT DESCRIPTION This coat appears longer. I believe that is because it has an excessive amount of guard hairs, perhaps these are longer. The texture is soft and wispy like a teddy bear hamster, a Persian cat, or an angora rabbit. The whiskers curl around the nose slightly, this is how I can tell the velveteens from the Harley coated babies. VARIETIES The non - Harley coats coming from this line are also remarkable. The velveteens appear to have a longer, plush, ruffled coat. It almost stands up on end. It is soft, but does not have the same textures as the Harley coat, feeling more like traditional rat coats. The standard and satin coats seem to have longer guard hairs, especially as babies. But, the coat as an adult looks fairly normal, with the satins, shinier. UPDATES ON THE LINE! The Harleys are incredible and their personalities are like creamy chocolate that melts in your hands. However, I am still following the health of the line. Reports from breeders about their health will be posted as I recieve them. Update 1-2004 - The Harleys have been shipped to the NE USA states. Update 4-2004 - The first Harley coated DWARF was born on 4-07-04. OFR Tea Biscuit is a Himalayan Harley coated - non-curly coated - dwarf. Harley/dwarf carriers were shipped to S. CA. See dwarfs... Update 10-2004 - Harley rats, OFR Teacup and her litter, exhibited at RatsPacNW rat show. Update 10-2004 - Harley died on 9-22-04, at 2.2 years-old. At OFR, thus far, the life-expectancy of Harley rats averages 2 years-old. No mammary cancer seen or reported in the line, at this time. Update 11-2004 - Harley Dwarf rat exhibited at Ratapalooza III. We obtained two Agouti Harley-coated carrier rats from Sparticles Rattery in OR, for future breeding. Update 12-2004 - There are now ratteries in CA, PA, WA, OR and MI with Harleys. In Fall 2004, they were imported from us to the Czech Repulic in Europe. Each rattery is screened to check that they understand this is a "new" recessive gene and understand the history of the line - beginning with one rat named Harley, in 2002. Update 12-04 - Harley mothers are fabulously friendly and very good mothers. Litter size is 5-10 babies. Infantile death after birth, is very low. The size of babies are uniform and hearty. However, we recieved reports from two breeders that they lost a few babies from their litters, witthin the first days after birth, from a first-time Harley coated moms. These two does were a generation separated, but from the inbred Harley line. Update 3-2005 - RatsPacNW rat club standardized the Harley coated rats. Agouti and black Harley coated rats have been born. Update 6-2005 - Harleys are now bred throughout the United States and in the Czech Republic. In Oregon, a breeder has consistantly bred the straight coated Harleys from a standard rat, carrying the Harley gene to her father, who carried the straight coated gene. In our rattery, the first Harley/Burmese crosses have been bred. Harley coated rat are now being bred to established lines. We are still working on Harley coated dwarf rats. OFR Teacup died at 21 months-old. Update 1- 2006 - Harleys can be bred in straight coats. The curly coat occurs when a dominant coat gene such as rex or velveteen is bred to it. We isolated two dominant curly coat types from the original Harley line. One is a standard curly coat type like velveteen. The other is a dominant curly coat that is very loose and limp and somewhat plush. When bred with another curly coat type, it does not display and causes no hair loss. ~ Carriers of the Harley-coat gene were shipped to S. Africa by a hobby breeder in CA. ~The first Burmese Harley-coat rat namd OFR Hershell, was born. ~ Harley Coat became a Standardized Variety for RatsPacNW Rat Showing Club. ~ OFR Ducati lived to be 23.5 months-old and OFR Johnny lived to be 27 months-old. Personalities from OFR Harley-Coated Rats are incredibly sweet and well natured. For Harley's complete story and pictures of her first litter of babies, 4 velveteens and one standard...click here! |
| OFR Ducati, Dumbo Harley-coated Himalayan Male. Harley's son, born on May 1, 2003. His and Aprilla's coats are what the majority of the Harley coats appear like. Look around the page to see other Harley-coat variations that have popped up in litters! |
| OFR Teacup, Straight Harley-coated Himalayan female. She was the first Harley born at OFR with no curl to her hair! It remains plush, straight and long. |
| OFR Guinivere, Doe. Double Velveteen Harley-coated Himalayan Female. She has inherited possibly two curly coat genes causing the very thin coat, like a double rex, but it does not all fall out. Some hairs remain long all over her body. |
| Harley's Grand-children |
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| Hair Length 8-5-03 - OFR Ducati Avg. 11/16 inch length Up to 1 inch long guard hairs or Avg. 2 cm. length. |
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| Teacup at 1.4 years-old - 12-04. |
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| OFR Johnny, Dumbo Shaggy Harley-Coated Himalayan Male. Born to OFR Ducati, Himalayan Harley-coat X OFR Bella, a Himalayan standard coat rat, but carries Harley genes, on 9-17-03. His coat is shaggy and wooly. This pic was taken on 12-04. Only his litter appeared this shaggy. |
| Harley's coat at 1.2 years-old -9-03 |
| Johnny at 1.2 years-old. |
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| OFR Tea Bisquit Himalayan Straight Harley-coated Dwarf female DOB: 4-7-2004 She was the first Harley-coat Dwarf rat. She had one litter. Early 2006: We are still working on breeding Dwarf Harley-coated rats. |
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| SPAR Dakota Black Straight Harley-Coated Rat Sparticles Rattery in Oregon, USA, bred black Harley-coated rats in 2004/2005. |
| OFR Hershell Dumbo Burmese Curly Harley-Coated Rat DOB: 9-22-2005 Hershell has a curly Harley-coat and Dumbo ears. He is the only Burmese harley kept at OFR in 2005. Rats from his litter were incredibly sweet. |
| 2004-2006: The Next Generations... |
| Timeline of Events for Harley-Coated Rats Est. June 2002 Harley was Born. Sept. 2002 Found in Tacoma, WA, USA Pet Store. Brought to OFR Rattery ~ Named 'Harley' ~ May 2003 OFR Harley-Coat Reproduced! April 2004 OFR Harley-Coat Dwarf Rat Born. Sept. 2005 Burmese Harley-Coat Rats Born. |
| Harley Coated Rats: 2002-2003... |