Color Genetics

We are talking color when talking coat genetics in rabbits.

A_B_C_D_E_ 5 Basic Gene pairs

 Agouti - A_ - at_ - aa
 Brown -   B_ - bb
 Shaded - C_ - cd_ - cl_ - ch_ - cc
 Density -   D_ - dd
 Extension - Es_ - E_ - ej_ - ee 

 
Agouti:  This gene I feel has the most influence over all. It can make the hair shaft all the same color, aa - self. Or it can look banded or with rings when blown into A - Agouti. Also in the middle is the Tan pattern, or Otter.

Self:  NO banding, self to self will only give self.

Otter Gene: The otter gene is one of those that don't just show up. Unless you breed to or buy otter, your not going to get it to show up in your barn. You have to have the gene to get the gene. The (a) gene series is where the otter gene comes in. There are only three choices here: (A_, at_, aa). (A_) makes agouti, (at_) makes otter, (aa) makes self. If an otter ever gives you a self you know the otter is (ata). IMO, an ideal otter would be (atat) that way when you took to a self (aa) 100% of the offspring will be otter (ata). A self (aa) out of an otter (ata) can not produce otter unless bred to an otter, or otter carrier. Only agouti (Aat) can be called an otter carrier. It makes no difference that the parent was otter, when the baby is self.  If you took an otter (ata) to an agouti (Aa) the possible offspring are: (Aat, Aa, ata, aa). That's %50 agouti, 25% otter, 25% self. There is a 50% chance that any agouti babies out of that pair could carry the otter gene. Only test breeding will tell. Take the agouti out of otter, to self, to find the hidden gene. If the agouti carries the gene, you will get only otter and agouti, NO Black. If the agouti carries the self gene, you will get self and agouti, No Otter.

 
Chocolate Gene: Here is a time when the color can just pop up out of generations of black base rabbits. You don't see chocolate to much in Lops, but I hear there are a few.  To get chocolate offspring both parents need to have the gene. The (b) gene series is where we go from black to chocolate. Only two choices here (B_, bb). All offspring of a chocolate (bb) rabbit will get at least one gene for chocolate. If a black rabbit gives you chocolate you know it's geno is (Bb) called a chocolate carrier. A True Black will be (BB) and as a dominate gene, can only produce black babies.

 
Dilute Gene: The (d) series is much like the (b) series. There is one dominate (D) gene and a recessive (d) gene. The gene is only expressed when it is homozygous recessive (dd). Both parents of a dilute rabbit carry at least one (d), and just the same all babies of a dilute (dd) will get at least one (d) gene. It is possible to get blue (dd) out of two black's (Dd), but you will never get black out of two blue (dd).

 
Shaded Gene: Lots of people really get confused with the (c) series. There are 5 choices (C_, cd_, cl_, ch_, cc). This series has influence over all of the other gene's in the following way's.

(C_) is most dominate, and allows all the other gene's to show full.
(cd_) removes yellow from the hair shaft, turning chestnut to chin.
(cl_) removes brown from the hair shaft and some of the black, Making Tort into Sable Point. The Himalayan gene
(ch_) moves all color to the points of the body (feet, tail, nose ear's) leaving the rest of the body white with no pigment, including the eye's that are pink.
(cc) removes all color from the hair shaft and eyes, making an albino commonly called ruby-eyed-white.

When you pair up the (c) gene with one of above that remove color (cd, cl, ch) it will increase the affect of the color. You want Smoke pearl and Siamese Sable rabbits to carry the c gene (clc) it really helps the shading show ture. Seal colored rabbits have two shaded genes (clcl). They often look black, or choclate when young. The (ch) gene is expressed best when paired with it's self (chch). If you pair a (c) with a (ch) you will get very light points (chc). Avoided crossing agouti rabbits to those with the (cl) gene. This will give you Sable Chin, and Smoke Pearl Chin, and they are not recognized.

 
Extension Gene: The (e) gene series has 4 possible phonotype. (Es_, E_, ej_, ee).

(ee) - The most recessive is called the non-extension gene. It makes a Black turn Tort, or Chestnut to Fawn, Chin to Frosty.. and so on.
(E_) - Full extinction, would allow all other colors genes show true.
(Es_) - Often Called the Steel gene is most Dominate. It makes the color at the tip of the hair shaft look like (ee) and the rest look (E_). This gene is expressed best when matched with itself (EsEs) or with Full Extinction (EsE). Also it expressed best as an Agouti rather than to a self or an otter. The agouti's rings get pushed to the tips, making very flashy Gold ticking on the ends of each hair on an otherwise black rabbit. Change out the (C) gene for the chin (cdcd) and you get silver tipped Steel. Steel is often known for just showing up from no where. It can hide in plain site, called the Hidden Steel. Often when matched with the non-extension gene (Ese) you will get very light ticking, making the rabbit look black and sometimes only show light ticking on the adult animal.

(ej_) The harlequin gene is only Dominate to the non-extension gene. It makes patches of fur look (ee) or orange.. and the other patches look (E_) & Black. Match this pattern with the Broken pattern and you get our very flashy Tri colored rabbits. It is best to keep this gene matched with the Agouti (AA) gene. If you let the self (aa) color pair with the harlie gene you will get very smutty orange color.

 
Tri Gene: Another rare color in most breeds of rabbits is the Tri. The harlequin (ej_) gene from the (e) series works with the spotting (Enen) gene to produce a tri colored rabbit. A tri colored rabbit with no spot's is called a harlequin. Harlequin rabbits are a non showable color in the lop's, but are very flashy. To avoid getting harlequin offspring use a double broken or Charlie  to take to your harlie and try rabbits. A Charlie can never give you a solid rabbit so all broken babies. When you get a true harlie gene pair (ejej) you can take these to (ee) and get 100% (eje) harlie color. Try to avoided taking the shaded gene (cl, or cd) to the harlie colored rabbit. They will make magpie rabbits, witch are harlequin with no orange, another non-showable.

 

Spotted Gene: The spotted gene is where the beautiful patterned broken rabbits are made. There are two gene's that make up the spotting gene, (En, en). The dominate gene is (En) this gene gives spots. A rabbit with no spots would be (enen). Rabbits that have two gene's for spots have will have no gene for solid (EnEn), these are called Charlie. When you breed two (Enen) broker's together you get 25% Charlie, 50% broken, 25% solid. Two solid rabbits can never give you spotted rabbits. Charlie rabbits can never give solid babies. If you ever get two "so called" solids to produce a broken, then one of those solids is a false broken, there is probably a very tiny white spot on it's head, foot, tail, or toe, somewhere! This would be a VERY heavy blanket pattern. This gene it responsible for the colored makes on a white rabbit, as in an English Spot, or a Checkered Giant. Also is responsible for the white markings on a dark rabbit,
as in the Dutch.