Hello!
I have a Chocolate Harlequin English Angora, his parents are genotype A_ B_ C_ D_ ej_ (black/orange harlequin) and genotype A_ B_ C_ dd ee * (fawn broken). How would I begin to learn what his genotype would be? What are some good resources for a beginner to.learn about genetics for English angoras?
Thank you all so much!
If you know for sure that his parents' genotypes are correct, your buck is most likely <
A_ bb C_ Dd e(j)e>.
Your buck is chocolate, which is recessive, so you know he is <
bb>.
Since he looks harlequin but one parent was non-extension <
ee>, you know he is <
e(j)e>.
Since he is harlequin but carries <
e>, you can predict he has at least one agouti <
A_>. (Self rabbits <
aa> typically need to be homozygous for harlequin <
e(j)e(j)> to look harlequin.)
He is full color (has a yellow-based color like orange), so he's <
C_> and since he is not dilute but one parent is <
dd>, you know he is <
Dd>.
Angora coat colors follow the same rules as all other rabbit breeds, though the colors can appear different in wool, rex, satin or normal coats. The beginner resource for starting to learn the genetics of rabbit coat colors that I like the best is
ABC - About Bunny Colors by Ellyn Eddy. It begins with the basic rules of genetic inheritance, then takes you through the five "major" gene series, plus quite a few of the others. It's got helpful pictures and is available from a few different online sources.
Incidentally, you know a bit more about the parents' genotypes now too: you know they both carry chocolate, so they are both <
Bb>.
