Curious as to which colors I can look forward to...

[Pikku]

So, to start with, I know less than nothing about rabbit color genetics. Is there a basic explenation on this site I haven't found yet?
Aside from that, I recently got into raising rabbits for meat. I also want to tan the hides so I went with the standard rex. To state how new I am, I just got my rabbits to breeding age. I need my castor doe to my broken black buck. I was curious as to what color combos this could produce. I read you guys talking about self and other alien terms and it's all Greek to me.
I am also going to breed my otter doe to my broken black buck, and would like to hear the color possibilities. It's just a curiosity as they are just for meat and not for showing or selling so colors don't need to be within breed standard.
Thanks!
Pikku
Oh, I'm excited about my new doe that I haven't picked up yet. She's a broken castor and going to be bred to a harlequin buck before I pick her up. Should be some colorful babies! I know that's a lot of combos to think about. The one I'm most curious about is the castor and broken black combo. I'm going to keep looking and try to find out how all this alien speak works.

__________ Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:06 pm __________

Also, I did see the stickies, just above my head for the moment trying to figure out which apply where. Looking on other sites for more info now. <br /><br /> __________ Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:28 pm __________ <br /><br /> Ok, so if I get what I'm reading just a touch, she (castor doe) is an A_?
He would be B_? Still fumbling through what I'm reading...

 

[akane]

Broken to solid results in a 50% chance of broken. It is separate of any other color they have. Black is self and castor is black agouti. Agouti is the pattern with ear lacing, eye rings, lighter belly, etc... Agouti is dominant to self so agouti rabbits will have agouti rabbits but they can also produce self and otter/marten depending if they have a not visible self or tan gene. So a black to a castor mostly makes castors, black second likely, and 3rd likely probably the dilutes of those 2. Black becomes blue and blue agouti is usually called opal. Different breeds have some unique color names. In most breeds black agouti is chestnut instead of castor. Those would be some basic colors but you can get some real oddball stuff from hidden genes. The more dominant the color the more genes it can hide.

Otter is the tan gene which is between agouti and self. Black otter to black self gives you black otters with possible black self or dilute (blue otter) but again odd things can happen. Harlequin is a little more complicated. To get more harlequins your castor has to carry harlequin or nonextension (makes colors like red). A castor without one of those genes cannot give you harlequins. It might give you nothing but castors. Knowing the parents sometimes helps figure out the chance of more colors.

 

[Pikku]

Castor doe A___C_D_E_?? ( Not sure with the b gene)
Broken black buck a_B_C_D_En_??
Otter doe at_B___D_E_
Broken Castor doe A___C_D_En_
Harlequin buck A_B_C_D_ej_?

Am I somewhere close to the right track? <br /><br /> __________ Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:45 pm __________ <br /><br /> Thank you akane! That helps a ton. I'm looking at letters trying to make them make sense, lol. Having it laid out helps me visualize it a lot better.

 

[Dood]

Broken black x castor will produce castor and broken castor with possibilities of black and broken black. You could get other colours but will depend on any hidden recessives the rabbits carry. Any info on parents, grand parents, littermates would help figure these out before the kits arrive.

PS I am fairly certain your castor doe is harlequinized = A_ B_ C_ D_ Eej

 

[Pikku]

Castor and broken black both have pedigrees. I will try to find what 'safe place' I put them in! <br /><br /> __________ Sat Oct 04, 2014 9:11 pm __________ <br /><br /> Castor is out of an opal doe who came from a black otter/castor breeding. Her sire is a broken black who came from a broken blue/black breeding.

Broken black buck is out of a castor doe who came from an Amber/blue breeding. His sire is a tri color who came from a black/broken black breeding.

 

[Dood]

Oohhh

The broken black must carry harli or non extension (= aa B_ C_ D_ Eej or Ee) so you could get tri colours with your harli castor doe

The harli castor doe must carry self and dilute (= Aa B_ C_Dd Eej) and you could get blacks and broken blacks as well

 

[Pikku]

Man now I can't wait for the kits to get here and see! Three more weeks or so if she took! <br /><br /> __________ Fri Oct 31, 2014 4:58 pm __________ <br /><br /> The kits are here and starting to get color. I lost one on day two, but the others are alive and well. I started out with two brokers, three solids (maybe otters?), and one other. I am now thinking that the other one is a harlequin. Any guesses as to the colors? I know it is early yet. I'm excited to see the orange on the face of the one, though.

 

[Bandits Bunny Farm]

2 Black Otter (I think. hard to tell with the pictures), 1 Blue or Chocolate Otter (again with the pictures), 1 Broken Black and yes, a Harli

:congratulations:

 

[Pikku]

Very cool. Thanks!!! I'm loving the variety.