Breeding - Color Question : Rabbit Colours and Genetics

Hello - I just bred a Opal rex to a Blue rex - Babies were all Opal. Now today I purchased a broken Lilac - To get a chance of Lilac babies - Opal or Blue for the mate? I used several genetic calculators and received different answers. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Mike

I've found this to be an interesting site - http://mr-colors.tripod.com/

I would be inclined to use blue to lilac, as they are both dilute self-colours. According to the above site, breeding opal to blue gives you nice opals.

I haven't bred any of my Mini Rex yet, so have no actual experience.

I am not sure if this is helpful for you, but a simplified version of genetics in the rabbit would be something like blue + chocolate= lilac. If you are looking for lilac specifically in the litter and you are using a lilac as one of the parents then the other would need to carry (chocolate and blue/dilute or be blue and carry chocolate in your case) to have a chance to produce it. The easiest way to tell would be if either your blue or opal had a chocolate or lilac parent for example- if one does, that is the one you should try out. I hope this is helpful.

Best of luck!

Lauren

Opal is blue with A_ (agouti) in the agouti allele.

Blue is blue with aa (self) in the agouti allele.

If you want self lilacs, breed to the blue. If you want agouti lilacs breed to the opal. However, as Lauren said, to get lilac in the first generation, the blue/opal needs to be carrying chocolate (Bb rather than BB). Otherwise your first generation will be blue/opal carrying chocolate and will give you lilacs in the next generation.