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For past litter records, please see here.

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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."

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. My lilacs are not yet to NFRS standard, I am working on the shade but I adore their temperament.

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."

Photos below are of Rivendell lilac, Parm, who was my introduction to the lilac variety followed by Gingerbread Fruity Loop (not related to Parm, and not quite to standard but a work in progress)