Non showable color surprises

[Tiny Buns]

We are very new at breeding netherland dwarf rabbits and all of our stock is purebred and pedigreed but because my teenage son has taken on this project, we're not strictly focused on showable colors. Mostly what we would sell in our small town is pet stock.\


Anyway, it appears that our Opal doe is pregnant and I firmly believe our blue Himilayan buck is the culprit.

Any thoughts on what colors we might be getting?

thank you

 

[akane]

It's hard to make too many guesses without knowing grandparents. They will all be blue with possibly a small chance of lilac as the base color. Opal is guaranteed, slight chance of lynx. If the opal has a self gene then self blue, slight chance of self lilac. Then the 3rd most likely gene combo would be the opal carrying chinchilla, sable, himi, or rew and combined with a himi or rew from the himi buck you could get the blue version, slight chance of lilac, of any of those colors.

 

[Tiny Buns]

Wow....ok Thank you.

I consider myself an educated and intelligent woman but when I try and tackle rabbit breeding genetics I can feel blood trickle out of my ears

I can certainly appreciate that the family tree is important....forgot that. OOPS

Thank you very much for such a detailed answer. I really appreciate that. All I was told by another breeder was I'd get some ugly unsellable babies. lol <br /><br /> -- Tue Aug 18, 2015 8:24 pm -- <br /><br /> Lots of black, blue, blue otter, REW, blue or black silver martin, and chestnut agouti in the pedigree on either side.

 

[akane]

The himi can't hide as much as the opal. If the otter or marten is followed by a self you will not get any. If there is only agouti between the otter/marten (it's the same gene on a different base) then it can be hidden in the opal. Silver martin means there's a chinchilla gene in there. If it's on the himi side then it didn't get passed on because himi can't have chinchilla. If it's on the opal side you could get chinchillas. REW is always possible in a breed that has the gene because it is pretty much the most recessive gene. Any color can have a rew gene and 2 rew genes (1 from each parent) will always make a rew irregardless of the rest of the genes.

 

[Tiny Buns]

Well here's what I could see.

The opal has straight across blue otter and straight across black silver Martin on the sires side. Then straight across rew and straight across chestnut agouti in the dams side.

The himi has blue and black on the sires side; Siamese sable followed by REW and black himi on the dams side.

**Ive done a lot of reading but genetics feels as complicated as calculus to me. Thanks for taking the time and explaining some of it

 

[Dood]

All kits will be dilute so you will get Opal (AKA dilute/blue agouti)

If her dam was a REW then you should get 50% blue himilayan as she will have a REW gene from her REW mother. If her dam was not a REW then there is a 25% chance of Himi kits, or a slighter chance of chinchilla or sable (from the silver marten relative) kits

You might get blue (AKA self blue) or REW and there could always be some surprises

 

[Tiny Buns]

Dam was silver marten <br /><br /> -- Wed Aug 19, 2015 10:33 am -- <br /><br /> This is super interesting but also seems super complex.

Thank you for your time and explanations

 

[TF3]

Check out the basic rabbit genetics info at The Nature Trail or Three Ladies Rabbitry... it is just a start but it will help you get the hang of it (I am new, too and spent some time working on the basics and learn SO much here!)

 

[Dood]

Dam was silver marten

then 50% should be diluted versions of dark shades/chin or light shaded/sable and/or himi and it's possible you'd get REW

With a silver marten mother, your Opal must carry tan or self and coupled with a blue himi then 50% of the kits should be tan or self based

You should get quite the variety in the nest box :cheesysmile:

 

[Tiny Buns]

Wow...just like Christmas