Introduction:
One of the first thing many new breeders want to know, is how to produce rabbits of one
particular color or another. A basic understanding of color genetics can go a long way in helping
the breeder determine how to produce what they want. This series of articles is an attempt to
teach those basics and can be used as a reference.
As most people learn in high school biology, genes are a set of instructions and are inherited
from both parents, thus resulting in pairs. If the genes from one parent are exactly the same as
the genes from the other parent, it should be no surprise that the offspring’s gene pairs will also
be the same. In most cases, however, parents are not exactly the same and the offspring inherit
a pair of differing genes from the parents. These pairs can interact in different ways. Sometimes
offspring will look more like mom, or more like dad, and sometimes the result will be something
different than both. This all depends on what the offspring inherit. Will it be a particular gene
that is dominant (Always shows itself) or recessive (only shows up when nothing else is around),
or will it be a combination of the two? Examples of each of these interactions will be
demonstrated later on in this series.
The domestic rabbit comes in quite a large number of colors and patterns. The diversity is due
to the fact that there are many gene sets that determine the overall color. There are 5 major
color gene sets and then there are many other minor genes, some better understood than
others. In addition, many of the gene sets have more than two types of genes. It may be helpful
to think of the color gene sets as models with shoes. Each model has her own shoes. She may
have more than two types of shoes available to her feet, but she can only wear two shoes at a
time. Likewise, although there may be several genes for a particular color gene set, each
individual will only have two of them. For the rabbit, this means it possesses 10 major color
genes and a host of minor genes, always paired. Put all the models together and you have a
fashion show of shoes. Put all of the gene sets together and you have an array of colored rabbits.
Color Pattern:
The first gene set is known as the Agouti (A) series. These genes determine the coat pattern of
the rabbit. There are three different types. In the order of dominance, they are the Agouti
gene (A), the Tan gene (at), and the Self gene (a).
The Agouti or A gene produces a rabbit with the classic wild type pattern: White belly, nostril
markings, eye circles, and underside of tail, etc. The colored hair shafts have bands or rings of
color. Since this is the most dominant one in the set, a rabbit need only possess one A to show
an Agouti pattern. If you want more Agoutis, you need to have at least one rabbit that shows,
and therefore has, this gene. Obviously the more rabbits you have with the gene the more
chances you have of getting even more. So as you breed or acquire stock, concentrate on those
that have the Agouti pattern.
The Tan or at gene produces a rabbit that has one color to the hair shaft, no bands or rings, but
possesses the same type of undermarkings as an Agouti. This gene is recessive to the Agouti
gene. This means that an Agouti rabbit could carry the tan gene, but you wouldn’t be able to
see it. To find out if this is the case you could check the pedigree. If there is any tan patterned
relatives on the pedigree, there’s a chance it might have been passed on. Ask someone who
knows their genetics and they may be able to give you a percentage figure on that chance.
However the only way to know for sure is to test breed and see if the tan shows up. Therefore
if you want to breed tan patterned rabbits, its best to start off with at least one tan and don’t
bring the Agouti rabbits into your program. As stated above, the more rabbits you use in the
color you want, the more you will produce. So look to bring more tan patterned rabbits into your
program. The tan gene is dominant over the self gene, however. This means that if you’ve got a
self rabbit with great type you could breed it to a tan patterned rabbit and still produce tans.
This is what many breeders do to improve other traits in their herd, without losing sight of the
tan pattern.
The Self genes produce a rabbit with one basic color throughout the body. Since this gene is
recessive, if paired with either an Agouti or Tan gene it cannot be seen. The only way it can be
seen is if it is paired with another Self gene. (The exception to this rule are the Ruby-eyed
whites and the Blue-eyed whites. They are a whole ‘nother ballgame and will be covered later.)
If you want selfs you really need to breed selfs. An Agouti or Tan with a self parent will carry a
self gene, consequently you could use these animals, but only on a limited basis, since they will
produce more Agoutis and Tans than you want.
Color Pigment:
The second set of genes is known as the B series and determines the dark pigment of the hair.
There are only two possibilities: Black (B) is the dominant gene and chocolate (b) is the
recessive gene. Therefore BB = black, bb= chocolate and Bb= black (You were perhaps thinking
dark chocolate? Sorry.) A rabbit could be carrying chocolate without you knowing it, since the
Black gene would hide the chocolate. Again, this is where information on parents and offspring
can be valuable in determining if the chocolate gene may be there in a hidden state, but if you
want chocolates or lilacs (dilute chocolate) it’s best to start off with them. If, however, one
shows up in your breeding program, you could start from there. Since chocolate only shows up
when black is not around, you could be sure that your chocolate rabbit is ALL chocolate.
(mmmm!) You’ll also know that the parents that produced it, carry one chocolate gene each.
Dilution (Color Strength):
Although out of order, the fourth gene series, known as D, is worth mentioning now because it
is very similar to the B series. There are only two possibilities: Full strength color (D) or dilute
color (d). In the first case, both DD and Dd exhibit full color. This is because there are many
pigment granules in the hair shaft and they are closely packed together. An animal with the dd
combination, has less pigment granules in the hair shaft, therefore the color is said to be
diluted. A black dilutes to a blue. A chestnut agouti dilutes to an opal. A chocolate dilutes to a
lilac, etc. This gene set will also influence eye color. If you want any of these dilute colors,
again, its best to start off with them. If however, a non-dilute has a dilute parent, it does carry
one dilute gene.
A point to made here about the odds of producing one color over another. Since recessive
genes can only show when they are paired with a recessive partner, in the overall scheme of
things, the odds of producing rabbits that show the recessive genes are lower than those for
producing rabbits with the dominant genes. However, once you start breeding rabbits with
recessive genes, they will only throw the recessive genes to their offspring, since that is all they
have. If you have rabbits with mostly recessive traits, your individual odds to produce more
recessives, would then be higher than what is seen in the total rabbit population.
Color Saturation:
The C series of genes is the most difficult to comprehend because there are at least 5 different
types. The C series determines the fullness of color on the rabbit. With the most dominant
allele, C, the color is as complete as it can be. At the opposite end of the spectrum, c, the color
is completely missing and you have an albino. There are varying color intensities in between.
The cchd, is the dark chinchilla. With this gene the rabbit can produce some, but not all of the
pigments. In an agouti or tan, this results in the loss of the orange or tan pigment, which leaves
white in between the dark bands. In the self rabbit, the difference may be hard to notice, but
close examination will often reveal a brownish-black color rather than an intense black.
Sometimes the fur color may be dark enough, but the eyes will be blue. The light chinchilla, cchl
, works in much the same way. However, it causes the dark pigment to lighten somewhat, giving
us our sable agouti or light chinchilla, and our sable. For some strange reason, however, eye
color remains dark. There is some debate on whether or not there may be a third chinchilla
allele, the medium chinchilla. Much of this is spawned by the diversity of colorings found in the
chinchillas and shadeds. It is also fueled by the different eye colors one gets with the chinchilla
genes. Further study is needed to definitively answer this debate. The himi gene, ch, is a very
interesting one. It is influenced by temperature. If the temperature of a certain body part is
below a critical temperature, color is turned on. If the temperature is above the critical point,
the color is turned off. Thus, in the cooler parts of the body, like the extremities and points,
color is seen, and in the warmer parts, like the main body, color is turned off . This is also the
reason why you see better color on your pointeds in the cooler months as opposed to the
warmer months.
To sum it up, in order of dominance we have C, cchd and cchl (recessive to C, co-dominant to
each other, and slightly dominant over those that follow), ch, and c. If a rabbit possesses at
least one C gene it will have the full extent of color like you see in your black and Chestnut
Agouti. Any other gene paired with it, would be hidden. That’s our dominant-recessive
combination again. The chinchilla genes are responsible for your chinchillas and shaded rabbits.
If your rabbit has one dark chin gene and one light chin gene, characteristics of both are visible,
thus this is co-dominance. A chinchilla gene will hide the himi or REW gene it is paired with,
acting dominant over these two genes. Moving on, the himi rabbit possesses two possibilities,
ch ch or chc, although, your himi points are usually not very intense when the albino gene is
present. If you want dark points, stay away from breeding a ruby-eyed white to your himis for
this reason. Finally, an albino is the result of just one gene combination, cc, but it effects all
other gene series by completely eliminating any color. Any other gene combination might be
present, but none of the genes can work because the albino turns off all color production. The
color genes will reassert themselves, however, when they are passed on to offspring that don’t
have the double c, or albino combo.
Extension of Color:
Finally we come to the last major color gene series, E. This one can also get confusing because
there are several varieties. In order of dominance they are E = normal extension, ES = extension
of dark color, e = extension of light color, ej = oh let’s just mix the whole thing up! Some dark
patches, some light patches, etc. Most breeds have only two, E and e. Simply put, E gives you
normal colors: blacks, chestnuts, sables, etc. The e gene results in the extension of light color,
changing these to torts, fawns, sable points, etc. A rabbit needs to possess two e genes to
show off this light extension. As for the other two genes in the series, ES provides us with the
various steels, and ej results in the harlequin pattern.
Tips for Breeding for Colors:
Whenever a new breeder asks me what colors they should breed to and what they should avoid,
I answer them with a question: What do you want, and what do you have? Whereas it is true
certain color combinations should be avoided to reduce the chance of producing unrecognized
and therefore non-showable colors, if a person is limited by what they have, a particular no-no
breeding can sometimes get them what they want. The chances are just not as high. Many
experienced breeders will risk this type of breeding and once they get what they want, they
work with that. The other colors will be culled from the program as they appear. With that said,
here are some general tips in breeding for color.
Note: to simplify writing, only one gene for each series is written, but be aware that every
rabbit actually has two genes for each series. Ex. Pure Chestnut (A,B,C,D,E) genetically is (AA,
BB,CC,DD,EE) Sometimes the second gene is exactly the same as the first, sometimes it will be
different, depending upon what it inherited.
Agoutis: To breed for Agoutis you must have at least one animal in the herd carrying and
showing the A gene. It is best to breed rabbits that show B,C,D, and E genes in order to
produce Chestnuts. A rabbit carrying the chocolate gene (b instead of B) can produce Chocolate
Agoutis. (Unrecognized in some breeds). Rabbits with dilute genes (d instead of D) can give you
Opals (essentially dilute chestnuts) and Lynx (dilute chocolates also known as lilac version of
chestnut.Unrecognized in some breeds.) These recessive colors don’t often show up in the first
breeding, but rather require a second generation, at best, to produce them. Therefore, to
introduce it, you need to breed your chestnut to a rabbit with the desired color. Then you
either breed two offspring together or breed back to the parent that has the desired color. To
avoid them, eliminate animals with these colors from your breeding program.
As you breed, select offspring that show the Agouti pattern. If they all do, great! If some tans
and selfs show up, remember, they did not inherit the Agouti gene. Only use them if there is
some other outstanding attribute to them. Understand they MUST be bred to an Agouti to
produce more Agoutis. Although their parent(s) were Agoutis they did not inherit the Agouti
gene (they inherited the recessive gene instead) and therefore cannot pass it on.
If its Chincilla you want, you’ll need a rabbit with cchd instead of C. Stay away from cchl
because your chinchilla’s color will be brown-tinted. For this reason, use EXTREME caution if you
feel you MUST breed a shaded (like a sable or smoke pearl) to an Agouti. You are bound to get
some bunnies with bad and often non-showable color. Bring in another color only when trying to
improve other traits. Then be prepared to cull the non-showables. Squirrels are dilute
Chinchillas. Breed your chinchilla to a rabbit carrying dilute to produce it, but be prepared to
wait a couple generations. First the recessive gene has to be added in, then you have to breed
two dilute carriers together to get it to show up. Sometimes you get lucky and your chinchilla is
a dilute carrier to begin with. (A definite possibility if one of its parents was a dilute of some
kind.) Once you have it, you are locked in ... keep breeding those animals that show it.
Chocolate chinchillas are not recognized in some breeds, nor are lilac chinchillas, so be careful
bringing in or keeping anything that is carrying chocolate, unless of course these are recognized
varieties in your breed. Bring them into the program the same way you would bring in the blue.
The e gene produces Agouti animals that appear to be one solid color on top. This is because
the gene eliminates the dark color and extends the light color. With the e gene, chestnuts
become Orange, Opals become Fawns, Chinchillas become Ermines. (The term ermine is not
universal within the breeds. It can be recognized as a nearly white rabbit with a smattering of
dark ticking.) Check your breed standard to see if these colors are recognized or not. Since e is
recessive, follow the guidelines for bringing in recessive colors stated above, if you want to
produce rabbits with the recessive e gene. If you want to eliminate this recessive gene,
eliminate all animals that not only show it, but also those that carry it hidden and produce it.
Ruby-eyed whites can often be used in an Agouti breeding program, particularly if the REW
carries Agouti. A blue-eyed white (BEW) and himis on the otherhand, should be avoided. BEW’s
bred to colors often produce white patches. Himis won’t hurt the Agouti, but increases the
chances of producing a Himi with bad color.
Just remember: Although other colors can be bred into an Agouti line, Murphy’s Law is usually at
work, and you may wind up with what you don’t want more often than what you do want. So
stick within the color group to reduce those unwanteds.
Tans: As stated above (see Color Pattern), you are best to start off with at least one animal
displaying the tan pattern. You could start off with an Agouti that carries it, but that dominant
Agouti gene will be a nuisance, showing up more than you want it. If it is all you have, once you
get the tan you are looking for, eliminate the Agouti and work with the tan. Not only will this
help you get more tans, but working with the visible color will help you improve the tan pattern.
The completeness of the tan pattern can vary, often eye circles will be incomplete and ticking
will be faulty. If you select the animals that show the best tan pattern, you will be more likely to
get offspring with best tan pattern. Most selfs (except BEW’s, torts and himis) are safe to use in
a tan breeding program, just be prepared to get a fair share of selfs in addition to tans.
Black Otters possess B,C,D,and E genes along with the tan gene. There is a chocolate version of
this (all genes the same except the b), blue version (the d gene is doubly present rather than
the D) and lilac version (Has bb, and dd). These rabbits possess a small band of tan or cream color
between the dark top and white bottom colors. Black Silver Martens, Blue Silver Martens,
Chocolate Silver Martens, and Lilac Silver Martens are essentially the dark chinchilla version of
otters, however, modifying genes are necessary to provide the right eye color and they do not
have the middle band of color. Sable Silver Martens, Smoke Pearl Martens are the light chincilla
versions. Not all of these varieties are showable in every breed. Check your breed standard.
Breeding for specific colors within the tan-pattern line works the same as it does for the Agouti.
Only here, rabbits with the light chinchilla gene are acceptable. Himi Martens, Tort Martens,
Sable Point Martens etc. are all genetically possible to produce but most are not showable. Keep
Himis, Torts, and shaded points, in addition to BEWs which cause white patches, away from
your Tan breeding program.
Selfs include shadeds and himis as well as solid color animals. Generally speaking any of the colors
within this group can be safely bred to any other color within the group and produce showable
colors, but there are exceptions. The solid colors include black (a,B,C,D,E genes), blue (a,B,C,d,
E), chocolate (a,b,C,D,E), lilac (a,b,C,d,E), REW*(-,-,c,-,-) and BEW*(-,-,-,-,-,v). Shadeds include
seals (a,B,cchl,cchl,D,E), sables (a,B,cchl,D, E), smoke pearls (a,B,cchl,d, E), torts (a,B,C,D,e),
blue torts (a,B,C,d,e), chocolate tort (a,b,C,D,e), lilac torts (a,b,C,d,e), sable points (a,B,cchl,D,
e) and smoke pearl points (a,B,cchl,d,e). There are chocolate and lilac versions of the points, as
well, which are often called "pearls". Some of the shadeds listed here are not recognized as
showable colors in certain breeds. Check your standard.
Himis include the black point (a, B, ch,D,E), blue point (a, B, ch,d,E), chocolate point (a, b, ch,D,
E), and lilac point (a, b, ch,d,E). Again, not all himis are showable so check your breed standard.
Ok, so what are those exceptions, you ask? BEW’s, Himis, and Torts(and its point relatives). (Are
you beginning to see a pattern here?) BEW’s will often produce white patches in your colors.
Only breed BEW to another color if you are trying to introduce a trait other than color. Then be
prepared to work a generation or more to get back to the right color. Himi’s and Torts don’t
mix. A Himi Tort would have the extension of light color, thus ruining your point color. What is
true of Torts, is true of any color that has the light extension gene, e, like the shaded points.
Don’t use them with your Himis. Lastly, as mentioned above (see Color Saturation) when REW is
bred to Himi it often lightens point color and this is undesirable.
*REW and BEW possess all the color genes but because of the nature of the albino gene, c, and
the vienna gene, v, no matter what other genes they may have they will still appear REW or
BEW. Therefore two REWs could be quite different genetically speaking. Ex. AABBccDDEE will be
REW, but so would AabbccDdee) This is why many breeders refer to REW’s or BEW’s as hiding
traits. Until they are bred, you don’t know what their other color genes are.
Well, there you are. More than you probably wanted to know about color genetics and
breeding. Hopefully this article hasn't been too confusing. I'd appreciate your feedback on it,
so that improvements could be made.
A request was made to have a chart, listing the colors in columns, with related colors, side by
side. The accompanying genes are listed in the reference chart provided below. Where ever a
dash is seen, think recessive. Any gene recessive to the one preceding the dash, could occupy
the dashed spot....these would be the genes that could be passed on to offspring without you
knowing it. This is not a complete chart of possible colors. Only recognized JW colors (and their
relations, recognized or not) are listed. Unrecognized JW colors are marked with a single
asterisk. A double asterisk is used to indicate an unsure gene makeup. This is due to the
possibility of a third chinchilla gene (medium) being responsible for the color or minor
modification genes, not part of the basic 5 sets. Please also note that some names used for
certain colors are not universally accepted.
One of the first thing many new breeders want to know, is how to produce rabbits of one
particular color or another. A basic understanding of color genetics can go a long way in helping
the breeder determine how to produce what they want. This series of articles is an attempt to
teach those basics and can be used as a reference.
As most people learn in high school biology, genes are a set of instructions and are inherited
from both parents, thus resulting in pairs. If the genes from one parent are exactly the same as
the genes from the other parent, it should be no surprise that the offspring’s gene pairs will also
be the same. In most cases, however, parents are not exactly the same and the offspring inherit
a pair of differing genes from the parents. These pairs can interact in different ways. Sometimes
offspring will look more like mom, or more like dad, and sometimes the result will be something
different than both. This all depends on what the offspring inherit. Will it be a particular gene
that is dominant (Always shows itself) or recessive (only shows up when nothing else is around),
or will it be a combination of the two? Examples of each of these interactions will be
demonstrated later on in this series.
The domestic rabbit comes in quite a large number of colors and patterns. The diversity is due
to the fact that there are many gene sets that determine the overall color. There are 5 major
color gene sets and then there are many other minor genes, some better understood than
others. In addition, many of the gene sets have more than two types of genes. It may be helpful
to think of the color gene sets as models with shoes. Each model has her own shoes. She may
have more than two types of shoes available to her feet, but she can only wear two shoes at a
time. Likewise, although there may be several genes for a particular color gene set, each
individual will only have two of them. For the rabbit, this means it possesses 10 major color
genes and a host of minor genes, always paired. Put all the models together and you have a
fashion show of shoes. Put all of the gene sets together and you have an array of colored rabbits.
Color Pattern:
The first gene set is known as the Agouti (A) series. These genes determine the coat pattern of
the rabbit. There are three different types. In the order of dominance, they are the Agouti
gene (A), the Tan gene (at), and the Self gene (a).
The Agouti or A gene produces a rabbit with the classic wild type pattern: White belly, nostril
markings, eye circles, and underside of tail, etc. The colored hair shafts have bands or rings of
color. Since this is the most dominant one in the set, a rabbit need only possess one A to show
an Agouti pattern. If you want more Agoutis, you need to have at least one rabbit that shows,
and therefore has, this gene. Obviously the more rabbits you have with the gene the more
chances you have of getting even more. So as you breed or acquire stock, concentrate on those
that have the Agouti pattern.
The Tan or at gene produces a rabbit that has one color to the hair shaft, no bands or rings, but
possesses the same type of undermarkings as an Agouti. This gene is recessive to the Agouti
gene. This means that an Agouti rabbit could carry the tan gene, but you wouldn’t be able to
see it. To find out if this is the case you could check the pedigree. If there is any tan patterned
relatives on the pedigree, there’s a chance it might have been passed on. Ask someone who
knows their genetics and they may be able to give you a percentage figure on that chance.
However the only way to know for sure is to test breed and see if the tan shows up. Therefore
if you want to breed tan patterned rabbits, its best to start off with at least one tan and don’t
bring the Agouti rabbits into your program. As stated above, the more rabbits you use in the
color you want, the more you will produce. So look to bring more tan patterned rabbits into your
program. The tan gene is dominant over the self gene, however. This means that if you’ve got a
self rabbit with great type you could breed it to a tan patterned rabbit and still produce tans.
This is what many breeders do to improve other traits in their herd, without losing sight of the
tan pattern.
The Self genes produce a rabbit with one basic color throughout the body. Since this gene is
recessive, if paired with either an Agouti or Tan gene it cannot be seen. The only way it can be
seen is if it is paired with another Self gene. (The exception to this rule are the Ruby-eyed
whites and the Blue-eyed whites. They are a whole ‘nother ballgame and will be covered later.)
If you want selfs you really need to breed selfs. An Agouti or Tan with a self parent will carry a
self gene, consequently you could use these animals, but only on a limited basis, since they will
produce more Agoutis and Tans than you want.
Color Pigment:
The second set of genes is known as the B series and determines the dark pigment of the hair.
There are only two possibilities: Black (B) is the dominant gene and chocolate (b) is the
recessive gene. Therefore BB = black, bb= chocolate and Bb= black (You were perhaps thinking
dark chocolate? Sorry.) A rabbit could be carrying chocolate without you knowing it, since the
Black gene would hide the chocolate. Again, this is where information on parents and offspring
can be valuable in determining if the chocolate gene may be there in a hidden state, but if you
want chocolates or lilacs (dilute chocolate) it’s best to start off with them. If, however, one
shows up in your breeding program, you could start from there. Since chocolate only shows up
when black is not around, you could be sure that your chocolate rabbit is ALL chocolate.
(mmmm!) You’ll also know that the parents that produced it, carry one chocolate gene each.
Dilution (Color Strength):
Although out of order, the fourth gene series, known as D, is worth mentioning now because it
is very similar to the B series. There are only two possibilities: Full strength color (D) or dilute
color (d). In the first case, both DD and Dd exhibit full color. This is because there are many
pigment granules in the hair shaft and they are closely packed together. An animal with the dd
combination, has less pigment granules in the hair shaft, therefore the color is said to be
diluted. A black dilutes to a blue. A chestnut agouti dilutes to an opal. A chocolate dilutes to a
lilac, etc. This gene set will also influence eye color. If you want any of these dilute colors,
again, its best to start off with them. If however, a non-dilute has a dilute parent, it does carry
one dilute gene.
A point to made here about the odds of producing one color over another. Since recessive
genes can only show when they are paired with a recessive partner, in the overall scheme of
things, the odds of producing rabbits that show the recessive genes are lower than those for
producing rabbits with the dominant genes. However, once you start breeding rabbits with
recessive genes, they will only throw the recessive genes to their offspring, since that is all they
have. If you have rabbits with mostly recessive traits, your individual odds to produce more
recessives, would then be higher than what is seen in the total rabbit population.
Color Saturation:
The C series of genes is the most difficult to comprehend because there are at least 5 different
types. The C series determines the fullness of color on the rabbit. With the most dominant
allele, C, the color is as complete as it can be. At the opposite end of the spectrum, c, the color
is completely missing and you have an albino. There are varying color intensities in between.
The cchd, is the dark chinchilla. With this gene the rabbit can produce some, but not all of the
pigments. In an agouti or tan, this results in the loss of the orange or tan pigment, which leaves
white in between the dark bands. In the self rabbit, the difference may be hard to notice, but
close examination will often reveal a brownish-black color rather than an intense black.
Sometimes the fur color may be dark enough, but the eyes will be blue. The light chinchilla, cchl
, works in much the same way. However, it causes the dark pigment to lighten somewhat, giving
us our sable agouti or light chinchilla, and our sable. For some strange reason, however, eye
color remains dark. There is some debate on whether or not there may be a third chinchilla
allele, the medium chinchilla. Much of this is spawned by the diversity of colorings found in the
chinchillas and shadeds. It is also fueled by the different eye colors one gets with the chinchilla
genes. Further study is needed to definitively answer this debate. The himi gene, ch, is a very
interesting one. It is influenced by temperature. If the temperature of a certain body part is
below a critical temperature, color is turned on. If the temperature is above the critical point,
the color is turned off. Thus, in the cooler parts of the body, like the extremities and points,
color is seen, and in the warmer parts, like the main body, color is turned off . This is also the
reason why you see better color on your pointeds in the cooler months as opposed to the
warmer months.
To sum it up, in order of dominance we have C, cchd and cchl (recessive to C, co-dominant to
each other, and slightly dominant over those that follow), ch, and c. If a rabbit possesses at
least one C gene it will have the full extent of color like you see in your black and Chestnut
Agouti. Any other gene paired with it, would be hidden. That’s our dominant-recessive
combination again. The chinchilla genes are responsible for your chinchillas and shaded rabbits.
If your rabbit has one dark chin gene and one light chin gene, characteristics of both are visible,
thus this is co-dominance. A chinchilla gene will hide the himi or REW gene it is paired with,
acting dominant over these two genes. Moving on, the himi rabbit possesses two possibilities,
ch ch or chc, although, your himi points are usually not very intense when the albino gene is
present. If you want dark points, stay away from breeding a ruby-eyed white to your himis for
this reason. Finally, an albino is the result of just one gene combination, cc, but it effects all
other gene series by completely eliminating any color. Any other gene combination might be
present, but none of the genes can work because the albino turns off all color production. The
color genes will reassert themselves, however, when they are passed on to offspring that don’t
have the double c, or albino combo.
Extension of Color:
Finally we come to the last major color gene series, E. This one can also get confusing because
there are several varieties. In order of dominance they are E = normal extension, ES = extension
of dark color, e = extension of light color, ej = oh let’s just mix the whole thing up! Some dark
patches, some light patches, etc. Most breeds have only two, E and e. Simply put, E gives you
normal colors: blacks, chestnuts, sables, etc. The e gene results in the extension of light color,
changing these to torts, fawns, sable points, etc. A rabbit needs to possess two e genes to
show off this light extension. As for the other two genes in the series, ES provides us with the
various steels, and ej results in the harlequin pattern.
Tips for Breeding for Colors:
Whenever a new breeder asks me what colors they should breed to and what they should avoid,
I answer them with a question: What do you want, and what do you have? Whereas it is true
certain color combinations should be avoided to reduce the chance of producing unrecognized
and therefore non-showable colors, if a person is limited by what they have, a particular no-no
breeding can sometimes get them what they want. The chances are just not as high. Many
experienced breeders will risk this type of breeding and once they get what they want, they
work with that. The other colors will be culled from the program as they appear. With that said,
here are some general tips in breeding for color.
Note: to simplify writing, only one gene for each series is written, but be aware that every
rabbit actually has two genes for each series. Ex. Pure Chestnut (A,B,C,D,E) genetically is (AA,
BB,CC,DD,EE) Sometimes the second gene is exactly the same as the first, sometimes it will be
different, depending upon what it inherited.
Agoutis: To breed for Agoutis you must have at least one animal in the herd carrying and
showing the A gene. It is best to breed rabbits that show B,C,D, and E genes in order to
produce Chestnuts. A rabbit carrying the chocolate gene (b instead of B) can produce Chocolate
Agoutis. (Unrecognized in some breeds). Rabbits with dilute genes (d instead of D) can give you
Opals (essentially dilute chestnuts) and Lynx (dilute chocolates also known as lilac version of
chestnut.Unrecognized in some breeds.) These recessive colors don’t often show up in the first
breeding, but rather require a second generation, at best, to produce them. Therefore, to
introduce it, you need to breed your chestnut to a rabbit with the desired color. Then you
either breed two offspring together or breed back to the parent that has the desired color. To
avoid them, eliminate animals with these colors from your breeding program.
As you breed, select offspring that show the Agouti pattern. If they all do, great! If some tans
and selfs show up, remember, they did not inherit the Agouti gene. Only use them if there is
some other outstanding attribute to them. Understand they MUST be bred to an Agouti to
produce more Agoutis. Although their parent(s) were Agoutis they did not inherit the Agouti
gene (they inherited the recessive gene instead) and therefore cannot pass it on.
If its Chincilla you want, you’ll need a rabbit with cchd instead of C. Stay away from cchl
because your chinchilla’s color will be brown-tinted. For this reason, use EXTREME caution if you
feel you MUST breed a shaded (like a sable or smoke pearl) to an Agouti. You are bound to get
some bunnies with bad and often non-showable color. Bring in another color only when trying to
improve other traits. Then be prepared to cull the non-showables. Squirrels are dilute
Chinchillas. Breed your chinchilla to a rabbit carrying dilute to produce it, but be prepared to
wait a couple generations. First the recessive gene has to be added in, then you have to breed
two dilute carriers together to get it to show up. Sometimes you get lucky and your chinchilla is
a dilute carrier to begin with. (A definite possibility if one of its parents was a dilute of some
kind.) Once you have it, you are locked in ... keep breeding those animals that show it.
Chocolate chinchillas are not recognized in some breeds, nor are lilac chinchillas, so be careful
bringing in or keeping anything that is carrying chocolate, unless of course these are recognized
varieties in your breed. Bring them into the program the same way you would bring in the blue.
The e gene produces Agouti animals that appear to be one solid color on top. This is because
the gene eliminates the dark color and extends the light color. With the e gene, chestnuts
become Orange, Opals become Fawns, Chinchillas become Ermines. (The term ermine is not
universal within the breeds. It can be recognized as a nearly white rabbit with a smattering of
dark ticking.) Check your breed standard to see if these colors are recognized or not. Since e is
recessive, follow the guidelines for bringing in recessive colors stated above, if you want to
produce rabbits with the recessive e gene. If you want to eliminate this recessive gene,
eliminate all animals that not only show it, but also those that carry it hidden and produce it.
Ruby-eyed whites can often be used in an Agouti breeding program, particularly if the REW
carries Agouti. A blue-eyed white (BEW) and himis on the otherhand, should be avoided. BEW’s
bred to colors often produce white patches. Himis won’t hurt the Agouti, but increases the
chances of producing a Himi with bad color.
Just remember: Although other colors can be bred into an Agouti line, Murphy’s Law is usually at
work, and you may wind up with what you don’t want more often than what you do want. So
stick within the color group to reduce those unwanteds.
Tans: As stated above (see Color Pattern), you are best to start off with at least one animal
displaying the tan pattern. You could start off with an Agouti that carries it, but that dominant
Agouti gene will be a nuisance, showing up more than you want it. If it is all you have, once you
get the tan you are looking for, eliminate the Agouti and work with the tan. Not only will this
help you get more tans, but working with the visible color will help you improve the tan pattern.
The completeness of the tan pattern can vary, often eye circles will be incomplete and ticking
will be faulty. If you select the animals that show the best tan pattern, you will be more likely to
get offspring with best tan pattern. Most selfs (except BEW’s, torts and himis) are safe to use in
a tan breeding program, just be prepared to get a fair share of selfs in addition to tans.
Black Otters possess B,C,D,and E genes along with the tan gene. There is a chocolate version of
this (all genes the same except the b), blue version (the d gene is doubly present rather than
the D) and lilac version (Has bb, and dd). These rabbits possess a small band of tan or cream color
between the dark top and white bottom colors. Black Silver Martens, Blue Silver Martens,
Chocolate Silver Martens, and Lilac Silver Martens are essentially the dark chinchilla version of
otters, however, modifying genes are necessary to provide the right eye color and they do not
have the middle band of color. Sable Silver Martens, Smoke Pearl Martens are the light chincilla
versions. Not all of these varieties are showable in every breed. Check your breed standard.
Breeding for specific colors within the tan-pattern line works the same as it does for the Agouti.
Only here, rabbits with the light chinchilla gene are acceptable. Himi Martens, Tort Martens,
Sable Point Martens etc. are all genetically possible to produce but most are not showable. Keep
Himis, Torts, and shaded points, in addition to BEWs which cause white patches, away from
your Tan breeding program.
Selfs include shadeds and himis as well as solid color animals. Generally speaking any of the colors
within this group can be safely bred to any other color within the group and produce showable
colors, but there are exceptions. The solid colors include black (a,B,C,D,E genes), blue (a,B,C,d,
E), chocolate (a,b,C,D,E), lilac (a,b,C,d,E), REW*(-,-,c,-,-) and BEW*(-,-,-,-,-,v). Shadeds include
seals (a,B,cchl,cchl,D,E), sables (a,B,cchl,D, E), smoke pearls (a,B,cchl,d, E), torts (a,B,C,D,e),
blue torts (a,B,C,d,e), chocolate tort (a,b,C,D,e), lilac torts (a,b,C,d,e), sable points (a,B,cchl,D,
e) and smoke pearl points (a,B,cchl,d,e). There are chocolate and lilac versions of the points, as
well, which are often called "pearls". Some of the shadeds listed here are not recognized as
showable colors in certain breeds. Check your standard.
Himis include the black point (a, B, ch,D,E), blue point (a, B, ch,d,E), chocolate point (a, b, ch,D,
E), and lilac point (a, b, ch,d,E). Again, not all himis are showable so check your breed standard.
Ok, so what are those exceptions, you ask? BEW’s, Himis, and Torts(and its point relatives). (Are
you beginning to see a pattern here?) BEW’s will often produce white patches in your colors.
Only breed BEW to another color if you are trying to introduce a trait other than color. Then be
prepared to work a generation or more to get back to the right color. Himi’s and Torts don’t
mix. A Himi Tort would have the extension of light color, thus ruining your point color. What is
true of Torts, is true of any color that has the light extension gene, e, like the shaded points.
Don’t use them with your Himis. Lastly, as mentioned above (see Color Saturation) when REW is
bred to Himi it often lightens point color and this is undesirable.
*REW and BEW possess all the color genes but because of the nature of the albino gene, c, and
the vienna gene, v, no matter what other genes they may have they will still appear REW or
BEW. Therefore two REWs could be quite different genetically speaking. Ex. AABBccDDEE will be
REW, but so would AabbccDdee) This is why many breeders refer to REW’s or BEW’s as hiding
traits. Until they are bred, you don’t know what their other color genes are.
Well, there you are. More than you probably wanted to know about color genetics and
breeding. Hopefully this article hasn't been too confusing. I'd appreciate your feedback on it,
so that improvements could be made.
A request was made to have a chart, listing the colors in columns, with related colors, side by
side. The accompanying genes are listed in the reference chart provided below. Where ever a
dash is seen, think recessive. Any gene recessive to the one preceding the dash, could occupy
the dashed spot....these would be the genes that could be passed on to offspring without you
knowing it. This is not a complete chart of possible colors. Only recognized JW colors (and their
relations, recognized or not) are listed. Unrecognized JW colors are marked with a single
asterisk. A double asterisk is used to indicate an unsure gene makeup. This is due to the
possibility of a third chinchilla gene (medium) being responsible for the color or minor
modification genes, not part of the basic 5 sets. Please also note that some names used for
certain colors are not universally accepted.
| Color Genetics: More than you want to know! By Bunny Turley swimbunnie@att.net |
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