combining breeds

Question
in the absence of available stock is it possible( or wise) to combine desirable characteristics such as dwarf (netheland) size with the rex coat type or the lionhead "mane", in my location (central scotland) there doesn't seemto be many fanciers with "ready made stock".
also could you suggest a strategy that may allow me to try this without too many risks
i will look forward to hearing from you
many thanks in anticipation of a reply.

Answer
Allan...quite a loaded question, that could take a lot of detail to answer but i'll try to be brief. Initially, Yes, you can cross Dwarf with Rex to develop (I imagine your goal is) a minirex. The first cross (F1) will give you a larger rabbit with normal fur. The breeding tricks are somewhat easy after that. Cross a baby from F1 back to the rex side, and half the young will be rex coated...But they will be larger than dwarfs. Cross an F1 baby back to the Dwarf side, and you'll get some smaller, dwarf like rabbits, but theyw ill not have rex fur. You can continue to cross these offsprings with each other, and over time get your results as you klike. The easier way is to cross two of the F1 littermates. Since you are dealing with a double recessive (dwarfism and rex coat), only 6.25% of the young will be the actual dwarf rex...BUT once you do get some, they will breed true! Also, you'll get a myriad of rexes and dwarfs of various sizes along the way. The only risk doing it that way (Crossing brother and sister)is close inbreeding..but that isn't all that bad..you just need to have a friend start doing the same with two other strains of Rex and Dwarf, and then, you can swap successful offspring two to three years from now, and continue to both strengthen your lines. This is a complex issue, but in a few words, I hope I have given you a map to get there. Good Luck! Steve